History can happen at any time. Just a few years ago, in 2016, something happened that will go down in the annals of Israel’s history: the Karnei Ramon neighborhood was built in Mitzpe Ramon. The new neighborhood, based on “community rental”, provides 24 families with housing for three years at a reduced rent. The idea is to allow families to experience life in Mitzpe Ramon before making the final decision to move to the town. The neighborhood is intended for people who are looking for something a little different. Take, for example, double bassist Ehud Aton, who returned from the US with his wife and hoped to find a community neighborhood. “This is exactly what we were looking for. The neighborhood is not just a home, but also a young community, friends. When you live in a relatively small place, community is super-important. It has given us a soft landing in a new place and helped us realize the dream of building a home here”. Today Ehud Aton is the owner of a home in Mitzpe Ramon, adjacent to the neighborhood that absorbed him.
The neighborhood of Karnei Ramon was founded at the initiative of Keren Hayesod and the Ministry of the Negev and Galilee, in collaboration with the Ayalim Association. It is managed by the OR Movement, together with the youth center of the local council. Karnei Ramon calls upon young people to come and settle in the heart of the desert, and live in a framework that combines community, creativity and communal life against the backdrop of the natural landscape of the cliffs. As for Aton, his latest album, Deep in the Hills, was written in Mitzpe Ramon and he is not the only one who chose to make his home there. Almost 90% of the 24 families living in the neighborhood have decided to remain in Mitzpe Ramon after the end of the absorption period.
Photo: Ehud Aton with family and friends, 2019