Kibbutz Ruhama is located in the Negev desert in southern Israel. The original settlement, established in 1911, is considered the first modern Jewish settlement in the Negev. Atar HaRishonim (“Site of the First”), located just outside the fence surrounding the kibbutz, is where the first Jewish settlers in modern times settled in the Negev. The site includes several buildings and a well, as well as farming tools used almost 100 years ago.
Kibbutz Ruchama is surrounded by the Bitronot Ruchama Nature Reserve. The region is a popular tourist spot, especially in the winter months when nature wakes up with the seasonal rains. One of the popular attractions is going on a hot air balloon ride, as depicted in this art shelter, to get a bird’s eye view of the sites, below.
