The members of the Balad Wasia (“Broad Land”) research group, which operates as part of the

'Identities in Exchange' laboratory at the Azrieli Institute for Israel and Zionist Studies, received a rare treasure: an archive of poems and descriptions of Bedouin customs collected by Negev man Sasson Bar Zvi from the mid-1940s to the early 1980s.

 

The collection is a wonderful source for the study of Bedouin culture from within, through the poetic and artistic expression of these nomadic-turned-sedentary peoples.

After two years of research, which is about to be published as an academic publication, we want to give this rare archive back to the public and use it as a bridge between cultures in Israel and abroad.

 

“Words from the Desert” seeks to bring the world of culture together with the world of academic research of desert cultures in the Negev, Israel, and throughout the Middle East. The project aims to preserve the spiritual treasures hidden in ancient Bedouin poetry; to bring the Bedouin community closer to its past and to its cultural riches; to expose Israeli society to the treasures of the Bar Zvi collection; to unite the worlds of culture and research; and to foster the creation of original Bedouin poetry connected to the ancient poetry.

 

The Balad Wasia research group includes scholars of history, Orientalism, anthropology, geography, gender, and linguistics; men and women, Bedouin, Jews, and Druze; all of whom have a strong desire to study Bedouin culture and pass on the fruits of their research.

 

A personal note: “As a native of the Negev, I’ve always been fascinated by the study of desert cultures. I'm glad I've been given the opportunity to do what I love: explore, teach and walk in the paths of the desert and in the footsteps of its inhabitants.”

 

Target audience: Teachers from the Arab community, Bedouin youth, poetry lovers from Israel and around the world, poetry scholars, and scholars of Bedouin culture.

 

Area of activity: The Negev and throughout the country.