Elifaz, Israel

Elifaz lies in the Arabah, a deep rift valley extending south of the Dead Sea.[7] The region is mainly sandy desert, with average annual rainfall of up to 25 mm. This extreme aridity has shaped its landscape and the agricultural practices developed by local communities.[7] At the beginning of the 21st century, the Arabah had about 4,500 residents living in five moshavim, ten kibbutzim, and three urban communities. The area's residents had developed farming methods suited to desert conditions and also operated fisheries.[7]

Elifaz is part of the Eilot Regional Council and lies about 25 km north of Eilat.[2] A peripherality index published in 2017, based on 2015 data, ranked Elifaz as Israel's third-most-peripheral locality and placed it 295.05 km from the boundary of the Tel Aviv District. The index measured potential accessibility as well as proximity to the Tel Aviv District.[3]

Elifaz was established in 1982 as a kibbutz in the Arabah Valley. At its establishment, it was affiliated with the Tenua Kibbutzit Mehuhedet, a federation of kibbutzim, and represented in the Eilot Regional Council.[1]

Published snapshots document Elifaz's small population, although figures counting residents and families are not directly comparable. A reference list recorded 45 inhabitants on December 31, 2004, while a 2008 Ynet article described the community as comprising 15 families.[1][2] Ynet reported 129 residents in 2017, and the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics recorded a population of 170 for 2022.[3][4]

Date and pomelo farming, together with tourism, provided the vast majority of Elifaz's income as of 2017.[5] Agricultural tourism has included visits to its pomelo orchards, date groves, dairy facilities, fields, and greenhouses.[2][8]

In 2016, Elifaz began paying differential salaries to members, departing from the traditional kibbutz model of equal distribution as part of a broader shift away from fully collective economic management.[5]

A 2008 account described a three-hour agricultural tour led by kibbutz member Udi Pinsler. It began at a dairy barn described as lacking the usual barn smell, continued through agricultural areas, and ended among members' homes. Visitors could see calves and adult dairy cows and learn about dairy, date, and pomelo production.[2]

In 2010, the Israeli government licensed eight farms to grow medical marijuana, including Elifaz. By 2017, it was the only kibbutz already cultivating medical cannabis.[5] The venture had not yet become particularly lucrative, and dates, pomelos, and tourism remained its principal revenue sources. Members had voted to enter the business partly to renew the kibbutz ethos and attract a younger generation. Business manager Eilon Bdil said: "This cannabis gold rush has to pan out for us. There's simply no other choice. We need young people with good minds to come here, and medical cannabis is what can draw them."[5]

Elifaz was also one of six kibbutzim and moshavim where Arava Power inaugurated solar fields in 2014. Together, the six installations generated 36 megawatts of electricity, covered 512 dunams, and cost NIS 500 million to construct; the source did not specify Elifaz's individual capacity or cost.[6]

The Five Senses Garden, also described as the Five Senses greenhouse, is located among Elifaz's palm and pomelo orchards. Run by Aviel Pipman, it has offered guided hour-long tours from October through May focusing on vegetables, herbs, and spices grown in the arid region.[9] Activities have included fruit and herb picking, seasonal tastings, craft projects, making desert tea, and kite flying on nearby dunes. Crops described at the site include tomatoes, corn, spinach, peppers, and herbs.[9][8]

Chef Hashemesh is a sun-heated oven built from glass baking tubes that can reach 200°C. Visitors have been able to cook vegetables picked at the garden in its tubes.[9] Kibbutz member Robert Biton also operated a food truck that traveled among communities throughout the Arabah.[9]

In 2018, Elifaz's date grove hosted a three-day Arabah date-harvest festival. Activities included a rope course, zip line, rope bridge, climbing wall, orchard and sunset tours, outdoor dinners, and workshops. Children could make date pastries and bake cookies in solar-powered ovens, while adults could browse local artwork or sample food prepared by regional chefs.[10]

Nearby attractions include Timna Park and the Samar dunes. The dunes were described as the last remaining dunes in the southern Arabah. Mining and the conversion of land to agriculture reduced their area from about 15 square kilometers to 2.3 square kilometers.[11]

N12 reported that Elifaz and nearby Timna Park did not experience an alarm from the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, until November 5, 2024. On that date, their first alarm of the war was sounded following the intrusion of a hostile aircraft. The report's analysis was current as of December 1, 2024.[12]

In separate reporting published on March 5, 2026, N12 said that Elifaz had received a preliminary warning but no siren during the then-current war with Iran.[13] Kibbutz member and tour guide Inbal Pipman said residents felt overlooked, but she also described investment in community security, an alert squad, and guard duty. She said visitors continued to arrive seeking quiet and recounted that her sister had traveled from Givatayim to stay there.[13]