We were staying at Kibbutz Kfar Haruv on the Golan Heights at their Peace Vista Country Lodge – Mitzpe Hashalom,\u00a0<\/em>in Hebrew. \u00a0The community manages 27 comfortable rustic cabins for Israeli and international tourists. \u00a0Several of the knotty-pine cabins are located on the edge of the 1700′ cliff with spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee and the western hills in the distance.<\/p>\n One nice feature of staying at Peace Vista Lodge is that a huge continental breakfast is delivered to each cottage in the morning. \u00a0Home baked pastries with cheese and strong coffee was a wonderful way to start the day. \u00a0This morning we were scheduled to tour the grounds of the Kibbutz and help make lunch. \u00a0One of the members gave us an excellent tour.<\/p>\n Kibbutz Kfar Haruv was founded in 1973 and continues the kibbutz tradition as a collective community. \u00a0The Kibbutz movement began in Israel in 1909 as agricultural communities combining socialism and Zionism. \u00a0In recent decades, some kibbutzim have been privatized and changes have been made in the communal lifestyles. \u00a0Kfar Haruv has a population of 387 people.<\/p>\n A large dairy is one of the successful businesses which the Kibbutz owns and runs. \u00a0We visited the cows and also saw many calves. \u00a0The settlement also tends orchards of almonds, avocados, and peaches. \u00a0The international community considers Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights illegal under international law, however the Israeli government disputes this.<\/p>\n On our tour we saw homes, schools, playgrounds, and the medical center for the residents. \u00a0The grounds were very beautiful and well maintained.<\/p>\n The kibbutz owns and operates the A.R.I. factory which manufactures hydraulic equipment. \u00a0This is the largest employer of the settlement and provides the most income to the members.<\/p>\n After our tour, we returned to the main building which houses the cafeteria and kitchens. \u00a0The OAT group pitched right in and helped the kibbutz by peeling many pounds of potatoes and carrots. \u00a0Afterwards, we had a tasty lunch and said our goodbyes to the lovely friendly kibbutz members we had met.<\/p>\n We set off in our tour bus down from the Golan Heights to the vast Jordan Valley, through the desert on our way to Jerusalem. \u00a0Notice the hair-pin turn on the left in the photo below:<\/p>\n The terrain changed along the valley as we traveled southbound. \u00a0Below are young date palm trees.<\/p>\n We passed many miles of white-sand desert.<\/p>\n When we ran into a significant amount of traffic, we knew we were near Jerusalem. \u00a0The bus drove up to the top of a hill and we disembarked to get our “first view” of the famous magnificent city. \u00a0Although the sky was overcast, the gold Dome of the Rock Mosque was unmistakable and it glowed.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/DSC_8028.jpg\")
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