Juliano Mer-Khamis Assassinated Today

I was greatly saddened to learn that the founder of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin, Juliano Mer-Khamis, was murdered today outside of the theatre. 

Picture I took of Juliano Mer-Khamis in February
He (3rd from left) and his wife (2nd from left) met
with the EA team after Freedom Theatre performance

One of the highlights of my recent sojourn in Palestine was the day in February when he invited members of our EA team from Tulkarm to visit Freedom Theatre for a performance of "Alice in Wonderland".  The theatre is located in a refugee camp in Jenin.

Curtain Call after "Alice in Wonderland"

Mr. Mer-Khamis is one of Israel's foremost actors and  playrights.  His acting career began in 1984 when he appeared in "The Little Drummer Girl", starring Diane Keaton. A citizen of Israel and born to a Jewish mother and a Palestinian Christian father, he established the Freedom Theatre in Jenin in 2006 and lived there.  The theater is a tribute to his mother, Arna, who was tireless in her opposition to the Israeli Occupation. She established a children's theatre group in the refugee camps in Jenin in the 80's.  In 2003 Juliano produced his first documentary film entitled, "Arna's Children," a year after Jenin had been bombed during the Second Infitada.

See this article to learn more:  http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/1108/juliano-mer-khamis

We spent the entire day with Juliano and his staff.  They hosted us for a wonderful meal after the performance during which we had a lengthy conversation about the plight of children who had experienced so much trauma.  He felt that theatre was a good way for people to begin to heal from Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.

We also visited with his wife, who was pregnant and carrying twins.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of his young son who is pictured below on the right. 

Future Actress and Actor

It was especially fun to see all of the children line up for the performance.  They were transported from Jenin and surrounding villages for the play.  It is a memory which I will treasure.

School Children Waiting to Enter Freedom Theatre

April 4th is the anniversary of the death of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.  On the National Public Radio today, there was an interesting story about the events surrounding his death.  He was a tireless advocate for the poor and for non-violent protests against discrimination.  It is so ironic that Mel-Khamis was also assassinated on April 4th.  This day will be etched in my memory for the tragic loss of these two great men.

I am grateful for having had the opportunity to meet Juliano and his wife.  I urge you to pray for his wife and family as well as the people of Jenin and Palestine as they mourn another loss.

Susanne