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Ben Gurion's Cabin I Photos: Ariela Aflalo

When David Ben Gurion and his wife Paula settled in Sde Boker in 1953, they dreamed of building a flourishing Negev, but they couldn’t have imagined the extent of how successful it would become. Last year, a new promenade was inaugurated on the grounds of the trail Ben Gurion used to walk along each morning, and there are numerous more walking trails in the area, with many observation points to admire the spectacular views. Ben Gurion’s old cabin is open to visitors and offers many pedagogical and interactive activities for the whole family. Accommodation options and places to eat abound throughout the area,

and the weather is lovely here in the springtime, making it the perfect location for a Passover holiday. Ben Gurion’s cabin guided tours and interactive activities Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, was a visionary statesman. He was enthralled with the idea of populating the Negev and making it blossom and prosper and moved from his home in Tel Aviv to a simple cabin in Sde Boker with his wife, to lead the way. In 2015, restoration works took place in the cabin, though its simple rusticity, a quality so deeply identifiable with Ben Gurion himself, was carefully preserved. The guided

tour through the cabin takes visitors through the vast library, the living room, the separate bedrooms, and the tiny kitchen where Paula used to prepare her famous “Kutch Mutch”: soft white cheese mixed with fruit compote and raspberry cordial. The surrounding cabins have also been preserved, one of them being the very first house built in the kibbutz. The cabins offer interactive games and activities for kids, such as sand tables, digital exhibits, and costumes to dress up like Ben Gurion. Visitors are free to explore the cabin complex, join the daily 12pm guided tour, or get an audio guide at the entrance. ben-gurion.co.il

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ATMOSPHERE APRIL 2024