Land, water and the changing Dead Sea environment: A microhistory of Kibbutz Ein Gedi

ABSTRACT The article examines the changing relationship Kibbutz Ein Gedi has developed with its environment over a period of more than 60 years. It focuses on two interrelated themes: the considerations that influenced decisions on how best to use the land around the kibbutz, the freshwater at its disposal and the labor of its members; and the community’s changing self-image and “environmental imaginary.” Initially, the space in which the community lived was shaped by agriculture and a pioneering ethos. Then, because of the growth of consumerism and the development of tourism, Ein Gedi began to brand itself as a unique holiday destination. However, since the 1990s, the fast-retreating Dead Sea shoreline and the appearance of sinkholes have reshaped Ein Gedi’s environmental imaginary and altered its decision-making priorities.