🫒 A Taste of Hope: The Olive Oil Story of Neot Smadar

In the endless golden light of Israel’s Negev desert, a special kind of miracle quietly unfolds—a green oasis called Neot Smadar.

Tucked between sun-warmed hills, a close-knit group of dreamers has chosen to revive what many had given up for lost, shaping a living testament to resilience, community, and hope.

Here, beneath the gentle shade of ancient olive trees, everything is built on the belief that unity, creativity, and shared labor can turn even desert into abundance.

🌿 Harvesting More Than Olives: A Community’s Living Legacy

Every row of olive trees at Neot Smadar whispers a story.

Decades ago, several families arrived here longing to restore the land and build a home grounded in genuine togetherness.

With reverence, they cleared the abandoned groves, coaxing green life from dry earth.

Each olive tree became a symbol of devotion—a promise that with enough love, new roots could take hold where there was only dust.

“Wherever you work the land is the true border of the country. That’s why it was so important to come and work the land and make it into an experience for people.”

Each year, hands both old and young gather among the branches, sharing laughter, wisdom, and the songs of those who first worked this land.

Elders speak quietly about making the desert bloom, about children learning from every harvest that the stories of exile and return are not just in books—they live in the very soil of Israel.

Life at Neot Smadar flows at the pace of sun and shadow.

The pace is slow enough to nurture not just crops, but also the bonds of family and friendship.

This belief, passed from generation to generation, is what fills each drop of their olive oil with something far richer than flavor.

✨ From Land and Labor — To Your Table

Wander the winding paths of Neot Smadar and you are likely to be greeted by the gentle hum of daily life, where every task is shared.

The mornings taste of sunlight and fresh earth.

There are struggles—water is precious, the climate unpredictable, and markets change without warning—

but amid the challenges, the olive groves remain steadfast, their roots sinking deep into soil holding the memories and dreams of generations.

There are days when hope seems tested.

Alon remembers:

“On the 6th of October, there were hundreds of people outside. They were having a party. With music and people dancing outside. It was a wonderful, positive day. Then, they woke up the next day to the tevach.”

Yet even in the shadow of hardship, the people of Neot Smadar chose to press on.

“At every level, it affects them. They use all the grapes, they keep the workers busy. It gives them hope to grow and make it through these difficult times.”

Their olive oil is more than a recipe; it is the fruit of countless shared mornings, of patience and steadfastness.

When families gather for a meal, drizzling the golden oil over fresh bread, it’s easy to sense the gratitude passing from the hands who tended the trees right into your own home.

“Cool it a bit before you drink it. Most importantly, enjoy it with people that you love,” says Yaara, who helps ensure every bottle is sent with care and warmth.

📖 Want to discover new ways to bring Israel’s finest olive oil in your family’s kitchen? 👉 Click here

🍳 Our latest magazine is filled with simple recipes, heartwarming stories of Israeli families, and creative ideas for meaningful mealtimes.

🌍 What Your Support Makes Possible

This story is not one of survival alone, but of generosity and courage.

When Lev Haolam helps bring Neot Smadar’s oil to tables and kitchens around the world, something remarkable happens:

“Lev Haolam’s order was a turning point—they had never received an order of such scale before. It enables them to use all their grapes, keep all their workers busy and paid, and invest in new equipment,” shares the family.

Your encouragement helps abandoned trees stand tall again, and families know they are not alone.

It creates steady work for 35 people in a remote area, where opportunities are few and uncertainty is plenty.

“Lev Haolam’s order was a turning point—they had never received an order of such scale before. It enables them to use all their grapes, keep all their workers busy and paid, and invest in new equipment,” shares the family.

The act of giving is more than a transaction—

each order from abroad brings hope.
It means the next season will come, and the circle of planting, harvesting, and sharing will continue.

“Thanks to Adam who makes these amazing wines. Thanks to Michael that gives the support needed to run and grow a company. Thanks to Yaara who is doing an amazing job with marketing.”

💛 More Than Just Oil: A Living Bridge Between Israel and You

The olive oil of Neot Smadar is a living bridge—delicate, yet strong—

carrying the story of Israel into homes across oceans.

Every meal prepared with it is a quiet act of connection, transforming family dinners into moments that celebrate hope, survival, and the deep bond between people who have never met, but share love for this very land.

At the visitor center, guests are reminded:

“People get off the bus and I tell people that they've arrived at the northernmost winery in Israel, that's a family business, Zionist, striving to make the best wines in Israel.”

While these words speak of wine, their essence is true for every drop of oil:

an invitation to taste hope and memory, to join hands across generations and continents.

Families who open their Lev Haolam boxes find not just products, but stories alive with warmth and tradition.

“It is through this partnership that we can use all the grapes, keep all the workers busy, and invest in the community—even when times are hard.”

🌟 Bring Israel’s Olive Tradition Into Your Home

There are stories best told not by words but by experience—

a drizzle of golden oil over your supper, a quiet meal scented with memory and belonging.

Neot Smadar’s olive oil is a promise kept,

a tradition guarded with loving hands,

a taste that carries with it the dreams of generations.

By nourishing your family with this living heritage,

you help nurture a vision in Israel—a vision kept alive not by grand gestures, but by simple acts of faith and generosity.

❤️ What Subscribers Say

“I receive Lev Haolam each month and absolutely LOVE every item that comes in the box. I love how each box has a ‘theme.’ It is now a tradition to open the box together as a family, read the literature, learn about the owners, companies and Israel. What a blessing this box is! Thank you Lev Haolam families for blessing us.”

— Wendy C, YahShalom, USA

“Lev Haolam is a unique experience. I feel like I am supporting Israel in a way that makes a difference to real people and helps their economy. At the same time, I receive a present each month! The contents of the monthly box are always timely, useful, and delightful. It always makes me happy to open my Lev Haolam box!”

— Layne, USA

🫒 From the olive groves of Israel, with love—

for your table, your heart, and every hope to come.