Sunday's Activity

January 30, 2011  Back in Tulkarm

It’s the end of January which marks the beginning of the last half of my stay here in Palestine.  The time goes by quickly for all of us on Team 38 of EAPPI.  Even though Sunday is the start of the work week for most of Palestine, it is also a time when services are held at the 4 Christian churches in Nablus.  Our sending organization is the World Council of Churches and we are encouraged to attend services of our choice when there is an opportunity to do so.  

We took a bus to Nablus which is the second largest city on the West Bank of Palestine.  Then we took a taxi to Rafidia Street where there are four Christian Churches right in a row.  Today we decided to attend the Latin Orthodox Church.   The service was in Latin and so the connection for me was the music…..some of the melodies we familiar to me.  The order of service is also familiar and we were handed an English version of the Scripture readings for today.  As it turns out they use the same lectionary readings as what was read 8 hours later in my home church (Peace Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD).

It’s raining today and this is good for Palestine as they have not received the expected rainfall for this time of year.  We dashed between puddles and downpours as we found our way to the bus station for the trip back to Tulkarm.  Later in the afternoon I walked over to visit one of the Christian families as it is walking distance from our flat.  Mouna knew I was coming as we had talked earlier today.  A visit to her home is always filled with conversation and gracious hospitality.  My ability to converse in Arabic is limited to a few phrases and they only speak a little English.  We still manage to communicate and have a good time.  Mouna’s mother was sitting in a chair by their small open fireplace which is a very hot charcoal grill.  This is their only source of heat.

Several family members stopped by during the visit including her brother, Samir, another brother and sister-in-law and their 4 children.  The children age 6, 8, 10 and 12 study English in school so they were able to talk to me.   For dinner we had a meal of bulgar wheat and lentils.  We eat with our fingers.  We had several sweet taste delights and a banana followed by her delicious Turkish coffee.  They also have two cats who really like their spot underneath the little stove. 

Mouna (in red) and friend

Mouna was happy to have one of her little cats back after it was missing for the past month.  Besides being very kind to her pets, she is a loving caregiver for her mother as well as her extended family in this area and in the Gaza Strip.  

Susanne   

Sderot, Israel

The mid-term orientation for EAPPI participants also includes a bus tour.  Included in this tour is a trip through Israel on one of the major highways from as far South as we were allowed to the Northern region. As we rode on the smooth highway I noticed the difference in how these highways are constructed and maintained.  There are more dollars to build and maintain systems in Israel than in Palestine.

We met with Eric Yellin who is the leader of “Other Voice”.  He lives in the community of Sderot, Israel which is a village of 20,000 people living near the Gaza Strip.  A few years ago this village was struck by rockets from Gaza and an 18 year old woman died from this attack while protecting her brother as they were lying on the ground. 

Since that time her father has dedicated the building where we met as a memorial to her and it is used as a group meeting place.  The purpose of “Other Voice” is to build connections with the people living in Gaza.  He said: “we are connecting to the human side and know there are many who believe that way as well”. 

A woman named Roni from Sderot gave her perspective on life in this area and how it has affected her own family.  She gave us an example of building a relationship with another family when their two daughters were good friends from age 5.  While there were many cultural and political differences, they eventually trusted each other enough to establish a friendship between the two families.

We took a bus tour around Sderot and the surrounding area.  Eric shared with us a brief history of Sderot.  Eric said:  “people here remember Gaza as a wonderful place before 1987”.  There were many Palestinians from Gaza who came to work in Israel.  Then in 2001 the 1^st rocket fell in the village of Sderot.  As many as 20,000 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip over the past 10 years….sometimes as many as 50 in one day.  Because the residents of Sderot did not want to leave the area it was important to have protection.  They requested assistance from the Israeli government to “rocket proof” everything in the village. 



Rocketproof school in Sderot



School Playground in Sderot

What that means is that every apartment, house, bus stop, public building, school, and playground has “rocket shelters”.  When the loud siren goes off everyone knows they have about 5 minutes to get into a shelter.  He told us his children slept in their own personal “rocket shelter” for 2 years before they decided it was safe enough to sleep in their own bedrooms.

We went over to an area close to Sderot labeled a Water and Military Area.  From there we could see the Gaza Strip which was only a couple kilometers away. 



Looking into Gaza

There is no entry of civilians into Gaza and there only a few Gaza residents granted permission to travel outside of Gaza.  Everything surrounding Gaza is controlled by the Israeli military including access to the Mediterrian Sea.  Hamas controls the Gaza Strip.   Eric said:  “Hammas does not like Palestinians to be in contact with Israelis.  It is also against the law for Israelis to go to Gaza.”  It was very sobering to see the outline of Gaza and know how much the people of Gaza are suffering.  It is a humanitarian crisis and will only get worse if there is no resolution to the current problems.

View of Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea

We stayed in Haifa, a beautiful city on the Mediterranean Sea to the far north of Israel.  Is is a busy city and the views were stunning.Our lodging in Haifa is at the guest house of the Stella Maris Monastery. 

EA's of Team 38

We were welcomed by a gracious staff who served dinner and breakfast.  It was very comfortable and even the middle bed in the threesome who shared my room was  o.k. too.  We plan to overnight in Haifa a couple of days before heading back to Tulkarm for the second half of my volunteer experience.

Susanne

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

It has been 15 years since I visited the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C.   During our mid-term orientation I was again privileged to go with the entire EA group through another Holocaust Museum--the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.  It is built on land set aside in 1953 to memorialize the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis, and to honor those who tried to save them.  It is set on 45 acres on the Mount of Remembrance.  

It includes a history, a children’s memorial, an avenue of the righteous, a hall of remembrance, a cattle car memorial and a Valley of the Communities.  The effects of the Holocaust reverberate strongly in this magnificent tribute.  It speaks loud and clear of the shameful course of history and the lessons learned so that it will never happen again. 

Korczak and the Ghetto's Children

The sculpture pictured above memorializes the Polish pediatrition, Janusz Korczak, who ran an orphanage in the Warsaw Ghetto who went to his death in the Treblinka Extermination Camp with "his children" in August of 1942.

Today all of us were expected to meet with the various consulates from each of our countries.  Ruth, Wayne, Nader and I met with Matthew Welch of the U.S. Department of State.  His office is in Jerusalem and he is the political officer for Human Rights and Religious Affairs.  This particular department has been in existence for 150 years.   There was an exchange of information concerning the present responsibilities and priorities of the U.S. State Department.   We each shared information about our placement areas and we also shared concerns we hear from the Palestinian people in the areas where we serve.

Susanne

Sunday in Bethlehem

After a restful night at the Bethlehem Inn, Esther and I went to the dining room for breakfast.  We were the only guests at the Inn and the manager graciously prepared all the dishes that make for a delicious breakfast.  He brought out little dishes of olives, hummus, jelly, jam, fresh cut up tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers.  Then he brought us fresh eggs and bread.  We enjoyed all the wonderful taste delights.

We packed up our belongings and found a taxi to deliver us to Christmas Lutheran Church for the service at 10:30 a.m.   Since we had arrived early, we were able to sit 3 pews from the front in the sanctuary.  We were given a bulletin printed in English even though the service is in Arabic.  There was some historical information about the church and we were able to follow the order of worship.

The Christian Church in Palestine is comprised of three main groups:   Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical (Lutherans are in this group).  Christmas Lutheran Church, the oldest Lutheran Church in Palestine, was started in 1854 by German missionaries.  Today, it is one of the 6 Lutheran Churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan  (and Palestine).    The present structure was built between 1886-1893.  The tower reflects the typical Bethlehemite woman’s hat of the 19^th century.  The 14 original stained glass windows tell the Christmas story, the life of Christ, the flight to Egypt, the crucifixion, and other biblical history.  The writing on the windows is in German and the copula “glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will to men” was painted 20 years ago with Arabic calligraphy.  The pipe organ was originally manufactured in Berlin in 1890 and rebuilt in 2000 with funding from the Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer in Minneapolis, MN USA.

The order of the service was familiar to me.  There are some Arabic words that are quite similar to English such as Amen is Ahmeen.  Psalm 107 was read together and I said the words that were printed in English.  The hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour” has been one I’ve sung since I was a child and there again it was easy to sing the familiar words in English along with the congregation singing in Arabic.  The Gospel Lesson was Matthew 8: 5-13 which was about the faith of the centurion who pleaded with Jesus to heal his servant, sight unseen.  A version of “Rock of Ages” was sung after the sermon.  After that 3 men and 2 women came up to the front and were installed as members of the Council.  It was wonderful to attend the service.

After walking around Bethlehem a while longer we decided to head for Jerusalem.  We found a taxi to take us to the huge checkpoint to get out of Bethlehem.  It includes long walkways, turnstiles, screening devices and long waits.  A Palestinian women, with a baby about 3 months old, handed me her baby as she took off her boots, coat, earrings, necklace.  All the packages she was carrying were also screened, fingerprints verified and identification shown.  I enjoyed holding her tiny baby and she expressed her thanks and appreciation with her smiles and gestures as she did not speak English.   My moment of inconvenience is nothing compared to what the Palestinian people face every day.  I wonder so many times why all this is necessary and what purpose it really serves other than to cause humiliation and frustration.

Susanne

Bethlehem Again

There is a very structured approach to the EAPPI program in order to adequately provide service in 6 very different locations throughout the West Bank of Palestine.  Included in this careful plan are opportunities for the EA’s to see and experience many places in the area.  We are encouraged to go on 2 placement visits and take the equivalent of 12 days off our time as an accompanier. 

Esther and I decided to return to Bethlehem for a couple days before we have a week of mid-term orientation in Jerusalem.  We rose early to make the most of our days off.  I realized I’d be away from Tulkarm for 9 days this time.  I have a small backpack which when full is basically the weight I can lug around.  Since I was also taking my computer this time what I basically took was the computer, all the electrical attachments and adaptors, my camera, rain suit and one change of clothes. (I forgot my camera charger!!)  We also have to have two mobile phones, our passports at all times, money for transportation in our pockets, water and whatever else the EAPPI vest will hold.  The rest I was wearing as it is still pretty cold in Palestine.  However, I can’t complain about the weather compared to what I hear people are going through back home.  Each day warms up to at least 50 degrees.

When I arrived here I wondered if I would be able to negotiate all the different modes of transportation.  As it turns out, everyone is very helpful and so I eventually got on the right bus, Service or Taxi heading the right direction.  Service (pronounced Serveece) vehicles hold seven passengers plus the driver. 

Sign in the Service Van

They are comfortable, very well constructed and able to be driven in all sorts of circumstances.  The drivers all are excellent drivers with pleasant dispositions.   It’s really hilly throughout Palestine which requires good driving abilities. 

Bethlehem Street--Lots of Steps!!

They maneuver through the most impossible of situations to get where they need to go.  Even though my Arabic is very basic…….a few words and phrases…..I am always able to manage to figure out what it costs with the rest of the passengers helping me and pass my shekels up to the driver.  He makes change while he is driving which really calls for good multi-tasking abilities.  The buses hold many people and stop whenever a passenger wants to get on or off.

As we approached Bethlehem I thought of a beautiful anthem our choir at Peace Lutheran Church has sung.  How Far Is it to Bethlehem?

                How far is it to Bethlehem?

                Not very far.

                Do you see the little light

                Led by a star?

                Do you see the Christ Child?

                Is he asleep?

                Here in his manger bed

                Sleep baby sleep.

It’s inspiring to be in Bethlehem and walk along the old streets that have been so meaningful to people of faith throughout history.  There are many Palestinian Christians who would like to come here to see firsthand the birthplace of Christ.  Many have applied for permission to do so and have been denied.   In Occupied Palestine, there is no freedom of movement for Palestinians and access to Holy places is most often denied.

At sundown we joined a group of people who regularly pray at the Bethlehem wall.  We walked along the huge imposing structure in silence or to the words of “Hail Mary Full of Grace” and the Lord’s Prayer.

At the end we sang a short plainsong melody and closed with a word of prayer.  May the people of this land find love in their hearts and peace for their souls.

Tomorrow Esther and I will worship at Christmas Lutheran Church.

Susanne

Hebron

I did a bit of reading about Hebron to try to understand what is going on there that makes it so confusing to visit.  In spite the fact that it is almost a totally Palestinian city of over 150,000 people it is very strictly controlled by the Israeli military.  To find out why I did a bit of research and reading and now I think I am beginning to understand.

Hebron is an ancient city which has been continuously inhabited since its founding by Canaanites.  The city has its’ fame tied to the fact that Abraham, spiritual father of Jews and Arabs, bought a piece of land near Hebron for the family burial plot after Sarah died.  Abraham, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah were all buried there.  Later Joseph and other patriarchs were buried there.

The area has gone back and forth between Jewish and Arab control since then with buildings built by kings and rulers, both Jewish and Arab.  From the 13^th century until modern times the area has been under the control of Arabs and during that period Christians and Jews were prohibited from visiting the tombs of the patriarchs.

When the United Nations drew boundaries in 1947, Hebron remained in Palestinian control and is its largest city.  But the struggle over the area continues to this day.  In 1968 Rabbi Levinger and a group of his followers rented the main hotel in Hebron and then refused to leave.  It created a political crisis and violence which was resolved more than a year later when they were allowed by the Israeli authorities to establish a settlement town on the outskirts of town in an abandoned military base at Kiryat Arba.

First Urban Settlement in Hebron

In 1979 a group of forty women and children, led by Rabbi Levinger’s wife, took over and settled in a former hospital in central Hebron.  The takeover created severe conflicts and much bloodshed.  But the settlement was finally approved the the Israelis and at the present time there are five urban settlements which involve about 90 families.  Each settlement is protected by the Israeli army.

In 1997 the Hebron Agreement was established which divided the city into two sectors:  H1 and H2.  H1 is home to 120,000 Palestinians and is under the control of the Palestinian Authority and they have authority over 20-30 square kilometers.  H2, which is inhabited by 30,000 Palestinians remains under Israeli military control and has approximately 500 Jewish settlers.  However, since that time there has been an outflow of Palestinians because of the strict restrictions on movement and the presence of 16 checkpoints as well as the forced closure of many Palestinian businesses.

As you can imagine, Hebron has been a powder keg of tension and has involved violence on both sides.  The mayor of Hebron invited the Christian Peacemaker Teams help and they have been there since 1985.  According to Human Rights Watch, there has been a pretty consistent harassment of Palestinians in H2. An international unarmed observer force—the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) was established to help maintain a buffer between the Palestinian Arab population of the city and the Jews residing in their enclave in the old city.

Jean Fallon of the Christian Peacemakers

These settlements within the West Bank, which escalated after the “Six Day War” in 1967, are against the Geneva Convention which states that an occupying force cannot establish permanent residences with the occupied territory.  But Israelis refuse to recognize this international law.  Virtually all of the tension that we experience here is related to settlement activities and the army protection of settlers within the recognized Palestinian areas of the West Bank.  Linked with the building of the "Separation Barrier", life in Palestine for the average citizen, is a struggle for survival as family life, education, the economy, and normal human interaction is all affected by the milieu created by the harsh rule of the occupiers.

One of the reasons that we have five EA’s in Hebron is that we have been invited to help document what is happening here.  I have tremendous respect for the team that is here.  I am not certain that I would have had the physical and emotional stamina to be Hebron for three months, no doubt a consideration of EAPPI in my placement in Tulkarm.

Well, this a very basic explanation of what I could understand.  It helped me to understand my confusion after spending a few days with the Hebron EA team.  Please pray for Hebron and for peace in this area of the world.

Susanne

Reflections on Hebron

All Ecumenical Accompaniers (EA's) are encouraged to visit other locations on the West Bank where EA's are located.  The Hebron team of five graciously hosted two of us from Tulkarm.  During the placement visit we stayed with the Hebron team and shadowed the team as they went about their daily activities.  A very important activity for them is to be present in certain areas when the Palestinian children go back and forth to school.  This is because the children have to walk from their homes through an area patrolled by Israeli soldiers to get to their school.  One of the accompaniers from Norway, Nikolai, is a good soccer player and the children love to play with him as they are on their way to and from school.  

Accompaniers meet the children again for their return trip home.  Of interest is the fact that the children of settlers are transported directly to and from their schools in modern buses with darkened windows.

Some of the settlers occupy the tops of buildings in old Hebron.  To protect themselves from having garbage thrown on them, Palestinians have put up fencing to cover the street in front of their shops.

Everything in Hebron seemed very complex and confusing to me.  The old city used to be a thriving marketplace.  Now it still has some shops but hardly any customers.  The shop owners are used to seeing the Hebron EA’s as they daily walk to the city and they welcome them with offers of tea.  There are shops with beautiful handmade Palestinian products carefully crafted by skilled Palestinian women.

There again…..lots of products but hardly any business. 

There are four Israeli settlements in the middle of the older part of the city.  Due to this, there are lots of checkpoints and Israeli military presence. 

There are portions of the city where Palestinian people are not allowed to be and streets that are clearly divided as to who can walk on a certain part of the street.  A few years ago many Palestinian businesses were closed up and sealed off by the Israeli military. 

It looks like a ghost town with only a few Palestinian families living in flats above the closed business section.

We were invited to visit the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Hebron.  They work cooperatively with EAPPI and share responsibility for accompanying Palestinian school children.  They have provided service in Hebron since 1985.  When there are problems, EA’s regularly contact other organizations for assistance and planning.  It was good to learn about the cooperative efforts of many people in this very vulnerable and  complicated area. 

Another focus of the Hebron team has been to maintain contact and provide a presence in the Hebron Hills.  Two of the Hebron team had just returned after spending a couple days in a village close to Hebron.  The team spends considerable time each day walking around the area, talking with the Palestinian people and standing in solidarity with the them.  It’s not uncommon for soldiers to arrive in a village and use tear gas even for a non-violent demonstration.  Tear gas is shot from a gun and can be harmful if a person is directly hit by the container full of tear gas.  It was an unreal feeling to watch this being used for no apparent reason.  One of my EA friends took the picture of tear gas being shot  and gave it to me to use in my blog.

The week before we visited Hebron seventeen Palestinian homes and a school were bulldozed in the area of the Hebron hills. 

73 year old villager next to his bulldozed home
Photo by A Skaardal of EAPPI

Here is the website of the EAPPI report on this event.

  http://www.eappi.org/en/news/eappi-news/se/article/4566/army-demolishes-houses-s.html

I will write more about Hebron.  But this gives you a little glimpse of what the EA's do in Hebron.

Susanne