Arad Youth Hostel
About 30 minutes' drive from the Dead Sea, the hostel enjoys a green and peaceful setting and makes a good base for visiting the ancient synagogues of Ma'on and Susita as well as the Massada National Park. Accommodation is in 2-5 bedded rooms with en-suite bathrooms, and facilities include air conditioning, TV and
meals
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Arad is a modern city in the South District of Israel, on the border of the Judean and Negev deserts, 25 km west of the Dead Sea and 45 km east of Beersheba, near the famous Masada (Metzada).
Arad was founded in 1962 by a group of young Israelis, most of them ex-kibbutzniks and ex-moshavniks who were seeking an environment free of the urban ills of overcrowding, traffic, noise, and pollution. The founding ceremony was held on November 21, and attended by then-Prime Minister David
Ben-Gurion. The town's growth has closely followed a well-designed city plan. According to the city website, this was the first pre-planned city in Israel. It was given the status of a city in 1995. Arad's present population is about 23,400 and reflects the broad spectrum of Israeli society. There are Ashkenazim and Sephardim, secular and religious, Bedouins and Black Hebrews, native-born Israelis and new immigrants.
It is notable for its clean air and therefore serves as a major attaction to asthmatics worldwide.
Arad is named after the biblical town located at Tel Arad (see Biblical archaeology regarding famous ostraca found here). The site of Tel Arad is located approximately 8 km from Arad proper.
Following Israel’s evacuation of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli government decided to also evacuate Arabs (mostly former Bedouins from Egypt) who reside in the village of Dahaniya, as they are considered by the Palestinians to be collaborators working for Israel, and fear for their lives if they stay there. They will be moved to Arad.
