MAGAZINE ABOUT LIFE IN ISRAEL

Land Frozen in Time – The Rise of Ecovillages in Northern Israel

in Life, Culture & Sports/Tourism & Nature/Uncategorized

An Ecological Village or ecovillage is defined as a community with the goal of becoming more socially, culturally, economically and ecologically sustainable. These villages strive to produce the least possible negative impact on the natural environment through intentional design and ways of living.  Clil, Adama, and Kadita are some of larger villages located in the Galilee, Israel that preserve the land in its wild nature.  As living a healthier life has become more popular in recent years, it may not be surprising that these older and more well-known villages have year-long waitlists.

ROOFTOPS OF THE GALILEE PHOTO CREDIT:REBECCA STEINER

In and around all these ecovillages are water holes, caves, tombs, olive presses, wild horses, cows and even foxes. A visit to one of these places and you would think you are living a thousand years ago. The front and backyards are untouched and “wild” and some are even surrounded by mountains. The quiet is healing, and the sound of the wind in the trees is hard to miss without the sounds of cars nearby. Without light pollution, there are no street lamps at night, the stars and moon light up the sky. The lands are filled with fruit trees, grapevines, and tons of olive trees. In the olive season you’ll find all these villages harvesting the olives, with many having small family businesses selling pickled olives and olive oil. Some people live solely off this income. When the land is undisrupted, you can see all of the wild colors and plants thrive in their natural habitat. It’s almost like the land is frozen in time. All of these villages run mostly on solar energy and the majority of the houses have been built by the owners themselves.  Many people and even families live in yurts, which are like permanent tents.

A HOME IN KADITA, ISRAEL PHOTO CREDIT:REBECCA STEINER

Each of these villages has its own “flavor.” While Clil is larger than both Adama and Kadita, Kadita is older and more “rough”, filled with fences made out of old metal bed frames.  Clil is home to a variety of practitioners in the fields of alternative medicine, yoga, meditation, martial arts and more. Adama is known to be more “spiritual” and younger than the other two. Kadita is known for its olive oil with the some saying that the oil for the first and second temples was made in Kadita, and you’ll be sure to find more Airbnbs in Clil and the most yurts in Adama.

PHOTO CREDIT: REBECCA STEINER

But the way these villages preserve nature is not just structurally. It’s in the way of life. Things are slower there, more calm. People work off the land, some make their own soaps, shampoos and oils made from the surrounding greenery and even grow their own food. Some families have a flock of goats and make their own cheese, while many have their own chickens. A stroll through any of these villages during the day and you’ll see people tending to their hand-made roofs and floors or taking long meditative walks.  Because these villages have been around longer than some of the others in Israel, up to about 40 years old, the demand to live in these places is high and has a long waitlist. It is incredibly difficult to buy land or homes there.  Some of the properties in these villages have guesthouses for volunteers to help tend the land in exchange for living in nature.  It may be hard to find a spot in these three villages right now, but more and more ecovillages are being born as we speak. Many of these are in the North of Israel due to the proximity to bodies of water, but this movement is starting to spread across all of Israel. There is a Facebook group called “Ecological communities” with about 20 thousand members looking for openings to live or volunteer opportunities in such places. Can’t wait? Search Clil on Airbnb and get your own ecovillage experience and see what it’s like to live on a land seemingly frozen in time.

Even one day there and you’ll be rethinking the way and where you live.

Based in Kadita, an off-the-grid village in the Upper Galilee, Rebecca is a curious dreamer who dedicates a lot of her time to learning the works of our ancient sages, walking along rivers, and empowering tech companies to pursue mission-driven product work. Rebecca is obsessed with all forms of creative expression and hopes to help others share their own creations as a way of healing and learning from one another.

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