In the late 1960s, as the civil rights movement reshaped America, a group of 138 African Americans from Chicago made a decision that would change their lives forever. Led by Ben Ammi Ben Israel, they embarked on a journey that took them first to Liberia, and then to the Negev Desert in Israel, where they established what would become known as the Village of Peace.
The early years were formidable. The desert climate was unforgiving, resources were scarce, and the community faced scepticism from nearly every direction. But the founders brought with them something more powerful than any material resource: a vision of what communal living could be.
They established a plant-based diet from day one. Not as a trend or health fad, but as a spiritual and practical foundation for their community. Decades before "plant-based" became a global movement, these pioneers were growing their own food, developing their own recipes, and proving that a community could thrive without animal products.
The community's approach was holistic from the start. They built schools, established workshops, created cultural institutions, and developed agricultural systems suited to the harsh Negev environment. Everything was designed around communal ownership and shared responsibility.
Today, the Village of Peace is home to more than 3,000 people. The community operates its own schools, factories, farms, and cultural centres. Teva Deli, their food manufacturing arm, produces over 200 vegan products and employs more than 50 workers. Their organic farms hold certification from the Israel Bio-Organic Agricultural Association.
What strikes most visitors is not any single achievement, but the completeness of the community's vision. From the food on the table to the clothes people wear, from the songs children sing to the businesses that sustain the economy, everything connects back to a coherent philosophy of living.
After nearly six decades, the vision of those original 138 pioneers remains alive. New generations are born into the community, raised on the same principles of plant-based living, communal cooperation, and cultural pride that inspired that first journey from Chicago to the desert.
The Village of Peace stands as living proof that radical ideas, pursued with dedication and community, can create something enduring.
Written by
VOP Heritage Committee
Village of Peace Dimona — Mastering the Art of Living
