After our trip to Turkey, Bulgaria
and Greece, we were lucky to have a long stretch back in Israel. Upon our
arrival back from Greece, we got right back into the groove of things at Beit
Shmuel. We started classes the day after we got back and, to be honest, it was
sort of a relief to come back and start school again because the trip was
really exhausting.
The first weekend back artist Tobi
Khan came and gave us a few lectures on art and photography and different
artists, which I really loved because lately I’ve been trying to improve my
photography skills. On Friday morning at 5am, Tobi took us to the old city to
experience the area through a different lens; literally—it was kind of like a
photography class. He told us to focus on light and how each little light affects
the image and view. It taught me a lot about keeping a strong focus on where
light changes and hits the ground, structure, building, etc. That Sunday, he
brought us to the Israel Museum, where we got to spend a few hours exploring
the incredible art there as well as get a closer look at James Turrell’s light
exhibit, which I loved. He spent about 4 days with us and I really enjoyed what
he brought to the table. That same weekend, my dad came to visit me after
having a meeting in Istanbul and I couldn’t have been happier! I was lucky
enough to get a few days with him and they were so awesome. It’s a shame I wont
get to see him again until April, but luckily, Mama Rona is coming in a month!
I can’t wait to see her! Anyways, the following weekend was a free weekend, but
because we were scheduled to meet with the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox
Church in Jerusalem at the monastery on Friday, I ended up choosing to stay in
that weekend. Unfortunately, the Archbishop couldn’t meet, so we met with the
Patriarch instead, which was really cool. He gave us a tour of the monastery
and then sat with us for about an hour speaking with us and allowing us to ask
questions (they even had a butler(?) serving us scotch and candies). Although I
was unhappy that my free weekend plans wouldn’t work out, I thought it was
really awesome that I had the opportunity to meet such an incredible person.
Sunrise by the Kotel |
From the early morning Old City tour with Tobi Khan |
I know it's blurry but there's something about the blur I really like... |
Israel Museum |
Cutest dad ever + Roladin |
The following week was quite hectic
because I had finals, a tri-lateral simulation, two essays due and on top of it
all, it was Hanukkah so I needed to find lots of time to go to Roladin and eat
as many donuts as possible. On Wednesday, we had our tri-lateral simulation,
which was basically a mock negotiation/discussion between political parties
such as Likud, Hatnuah, Hamas, Fatah, Egypt as the mediator, and more that I’m forgetting.
We were all assigned to a party then broke up into five groups that contained
two people from each party. I was assigned to be Hamas, which was awesome
because I was able to be as ridiculous and as radically extreme as possible—something
that never gets boring. The simulation lasted 3 hours and I had such a great
time with it. Although it was a mock negotiation, it taught me a lot about
politics and how hard it can be to accomplish anything political. It was an
awesome interactive learning experience.
Me and Mel as Hamas |
The following day, a group of
students from Baqa Gharbiya (Palestinian/Arab city about an hour outside
Jerusalem) came to Kivunim to meet with us and discuss the struggles they have
experienced, and their goals for the future of Israel and Palestine. It was
interesting to meet with kids just like me, with the same educational and
occupational goals, experiencing the opposite perspective. One girl spoke with
us about Islam and kept saying over and over that Islam is a religion of love
and peace, and not a religion of terrorism. This was really sad to hear because
it is unfortunately true that many people associate the religion of Islam with
terrorism. What she told me definitely put into perspective the kind of prejudice
she and so many others must feel due to their religion. A few days later, we
all went to Givat Haviva, a secular kibbutz made up of both Arabs and Jewish
Israelis. We met with a woman names Lydia and discussed the topic of Arab
Citizens of Israel and the Palestinians. We spoke about what they share in
common and where they differ and we learned the story of the divided village of
Barta’a (part of which is in Israel, part of which is in the West Bank under
the PA but with a security fence running 3km behind them, creating a sort of
“no mans land” although divided into Areas B and C under the Oslo accords). We
learned all about the history of Givat Haviva, and its current goals to
accomplish peace. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything the organization
stands for, however I really enjoyed learning a new perspective. After our
information session at Givat Haviva, we went to Barta’a, to the security fence.
At the time that we did all of this I wrote down in my phone, “We went with a
woman from Givat Haviva to a checkpoint leading to the West Bank. The whole
area gave off a very uneasy feel and impression. The Israeli soldier patrolling
there yelled from across the street in Hebrew זה לא מקום נעים "This isn't a
good place." He told us we needed to get back on the bus and get out of
there right away. As we gathered together to leave, I turned my head and made
eye contact with a woman behind the fence, walking through the checkpoint on
her way to work in a nearby factory. We smiled at each other, which evoked
confusing feelings. It's sad to physically see the separation right before my
eyes and even sadder to realize that two people can't just come together as
people because there are too many politics involved that would need to be
disregarded.” This was one of the first times I seriously thought about my
beliefs regarding the politics between Israel and the West Bank, and one of the
first times I didn’t even understand what I stood for anymore. That short
second of an interaction I had with that woman is something I will never
forget.
After a shocking experience by the
checkpoint, we loaded the busses and went to Al-Qasemi Academy in Baqa
Gharbiya. At the school, we met with five female students who were studying
English as a major. We had a Q and A with them, where we asked questions about
what its like to be a Palestinian living in Israel as well as questions
regarding what it is like to be a female Muslim. The session was really eye
opening and informative, and I learned a lot about a culture I am not familiar
with. The women were all really sweet and it was cool to have the opportunity
to discuss peace goals with them. After our session and tour of the school,
Kivunim took us to Ben Gurion airport, because it was finally the start of our
winter vacation and most people were flying that night. I returned with a group
of 5 to Maya’s home in Tel Aviv and spent the night preparing for my 7:30am
flight Amsterdam!
The three+ weeks spent back in
Israel before winter break were chockfull of learning and unique experiences
that only Kivunim could provide. I appreciated everything we did within that
time, but after it all (especially finals) I was definitely ready for a nice
and relaxing vacation.
Up next: Amsterdam and winter
break…
ugh I love cats |