Kibbutz Be'eri was established in 1946 as a "test farm" with British permission to establish whether farming was possible in the Negev desert. In the early years, farming in the dry conditions was an uncertain proposition and the kibbutz diversified by establishing a printing plant which became the premier commerical printer in Israel, supplying much of the government's needs, as well as being a commercial giant. Printing included graphic design, which established the kibbutz as an artisitic centre. Prior to the October 7th attack, the art gallery was a major part of the kibbutz.

Over the years, with drip irrigation and waste water fertilization and irrigation, the agricultural side of the kibbutz became a lush and productive series of orchards and field crops. The Gaza envelope has become a very lush and fertile reminder of Israel's quest to reclaim the desert.

On October 7th, Hamas came across the fence from Gaza and raised havoc, destroying, burning, raping, killing and taking hostages. Our guide, a 50 year resident of the kibbutz, told of a fierce battle where hundreds of terrorists lost their lives. for a more complete story of the attack, visit this Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be%27eri_massacre

Part of the WZO's Challenge of the Jewish People included a tour of the kibbutz on February 28th, 2024. The photos were taken by Stan Greenspan.