Lost in the vastness of the Negev Desert, between ochre dunes and dry heat, Rahat stands out as the largest Bedouin city in the world. A few kilometers from Beersheba, this rapidly growing city thrives at the crossroads of ancient traditions and rapid modernization. Here, streets are numbered rather than named, and every house tells a story of resilience, family, and faith.

It was in this setting that our immersion took place, punctuated in particular by encounters with Muslim women engaged in learning the Quran and in a process of personal emancipation.

A culture of hospitality that stands the test of time

Bedouin society remains deeply marked by hospitality, solidarity, and respect for elders. Welcoming a visitor, offering them tea, a meal, or a kind word is almost a moral duty. Despite rapid urban changes, this identity remains intact.

Rahat is located just 40 km from Gaza, a proximity that reminds residents of the fragility of their daily lives. Regional tensions sometimes leave their mark, but the city continues to move forward, strengthened by its values and convinced of the central role of education.

Sheikh Jamal's school: a model of female emancipation

At the heart of this dynamic, one figure stands out: Sheikh Jamal, a respected imam and inspiring educator. For the past ten years, he has been leading a bold project: creating a school dedicated to learning the Quran, but also to the personal development of the women of Rahat. Today, his institution has become a benchmark throughout the south of the country.

Every day, nearly 400 women come here not only to learn the Quran, but also to acquire essential skills: reading and writing, social mediation, public speaking, and conflict resolution within the community.

Some of these women arrived without knowing how to write their names. Now they can read, understand, and pass on their knowledge. One of the most remarkable stories is that of an 80-year-old woman, who had never attended school, and who memorized the entire Quran after five years of study—an exceptional achievement in the Islamic tradition.

Sheikh Jamal has received no public funding. The school operates thanks to its own resources and donors mobilized by the impact of his work. This initiative earned him an award for excellence in education, a rare distinction in the region. Building on this success, he now hopes to replicate the model in other areas. Discussions have even begun with institutions in the United Arab Emirates.

The central role of the mosque and education

According to the supervising imam of the south, the region has 560 mosques, 30 of which are in Rahat. This density testifies to the central role of religion in Bedouin society. Between 5 and 7% of the town's worshippers are of African origin, forming an active and well-integrated community.

Some imams are employed by the state. Their role extends beyond managing mosques: they also work in schools to raise awareness about tolerance, coexistence, and living together. During World Tolerance Week alone, they visited 15 to 20 schools.

During a trip to Turkey, an imam from Rahat discovered a grand mosque whose architecture deeply impressed him. Captivated, he brought back the plans and launched the construction of a local version, entirely funded by donors for a sum of one million dollars. Today, it is among the largest mosques in the city.

Sheikh Jamal's educational center, on the other hand, operates 24 hours a day, a model almost unique in the region: the morning and afternoon are dedicated to sessions for women, the evening to classes for men, and Fridays and Saturdays to teaching children (about 400 each weekend).

The school employs 65 teachers. Despite modest salaries, several of them make monthly donations to the institution—out of religious conviction and commitment to the project. This internal solidarity contributes significantly to its success. Already, 121 women trained at the center are now working in mosques or religious institutions across the country.

Beyond religion, Rahat invests heavily in modern education. Many young people now pursue university studies in science, engineering, or health. For the residents, this is where the profound transformation of the city lies: the shift from a strictly traditional society to an educated, organized, and forward-looking community.

In Rahat, Bedouin culture is not a relic of the past: it is alive, proud, and passed down every day. But the town is also resolutely moving towards the future, driven by educators like Sheikh Jamal, by a youth eager for knowledge, and by community initiatives that are quietly reshaping its social landscape.

In the desert, Rahat recalls a powerful truth: knowledge is the most precious of oases.