GOED WEEKEND

Lots to tell,
but too much to do!!

Last week here..

www.youtube.com/ladwash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlGc4S5SC6o

A LATE SHABBAT SHALOM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCWBTytpUyM

AN AMAZING CHALLENGE

Jerusalem was and still is built with white limestones, known as Jerusalem stone, which gives the city a historical and serene feel.
One night a housemate took me through various alleys to the wailing wall to pray (him, not me) at night. During the day the Old City is the high point of a visit to Jerusalem, but at night it is even more impressive. The stones don't reflect the heat, but the light and no herds of tourists in the way. I don't know how to pray and have no desire to do so, but I was moved looking at the women who were pressing their faces into the prayerbook, while rocking back and forth. putting their whole souls into it.

Most evenings we have a lecture and a few of them had several critical bugs climbing up my spine, as I feel that at times they are trying to paint a picture of Israel that might be a bit too rosy. Sure, 4% economical growth and a big amount of start ups, especially in the computer business...but what about the 25% poverty? In all honesty not all are like that, we also had a politician that was fighting against women trafficking (Israel rates third in the world) and this week we made a trip to the Negev. I love the Negev, the desert in the south is fascinating. We didn't go there to see the desert however, we visited a waste-treatment plant, where it became clear that Israel unfortunately has other pressing topics to take care of and is 20 years behind when it comes to garbage- no recycling!

Jerusalems' beauty, and it is very beautiful, is however not enough to keep me here. I have been living in a house with 8 others- and during the day the number doubles, which is pretty crowded- for over a month and it is ' getting' to me.
I feel no personal connection to anyone in particular here. As I said before, all are friendly, but all are American, orthodox and a lot younger than I am.
This puts me in a position in which I get asked for an opinion, as they like to hear ' the European view' on things (I can hardly represent myself, let alone a whole continent!). I am not just my regular 'weird' me, but I am 'a weird European'. It is my turn now to say something about Americans...what I can say about these people is that they are ambitious, will do well and in my eyes fairly public with their emotions, without actually dealing with them. Certain cliches are definitely in place, I don't remember how many times I have heard the word 'amazing'. Last week, and that was quite shocking, someone used the word 'problem' instead of 'challenge'.
They are younger in a sense that they firmly believe in their ideas and are not the best listeners. I am more laid back, I have nothing to prove to anyone -at times I didn't even bother to properly finish a discussion- and have no desire to ' belong' (take it or leave it, I am good as I am), I am also a lot better- thanks to my dad- at putting things into perspective. My liberal attitude towards religion and politics plus the seven interns -again all male, orthodox, young, fairly nerdy Americans that have been added to the already busy house, has made me feel suffocated at one point. Don't forget that before this experience I was in another seminar...I have not had one day to myself since I have been here!

Luckily enough I have a few possibilities when it comes to escaping; I know a few people of my age here (funnily enough, I realised we talk about less socially engaged topics, somehow that also seems to come with age...), several people are passing here on a holiday and in the weekends I am able to flee the city. The weekends are short, they last from Friday afternoon to Saturday night, during which no public transport is running. Jerusalem, observant as it is, has not much more to offer to me than rest. A week ago I visited a friend and her family in a kibbutz in the south, which was very relaxing, even though the small kids prevented us from much sleep. It is still called kibbutz, but 'small village' would be a better name: rent is paid for the houses, no communal life and going to the swimming pool and the canteen cost money.
I now had a proper ' modern city' weekend in Tel Aviv.
I have two sets of keys, one for the house in Jerusalem and one for my friends' house in Tel Aviv. It is definitely cool to be here and somehow have a place(s) that I can almost refer to as 'home'.

A WALK IN THE PARK

I somehow keep going from one group to the other, Nahum finished, I am living in a house with 8 others and many walking in and out. That wasn't of course enough, so I joined Israel Connect for one day on their four day trip. It was more fun than I expected, being in an European group of my age. We went up north to see the beautiful white rocks at Rosh Hanikra, visited a military base to hear about the war with Lebanon last year and met with the mother of abducted soldier Ehud Goldwasser. I also went out with a bunch of them, but I can assure you, Jerusalem is not that cool. Bars are fun, but dancing.noooo..bad music, a young crowd and mainly male for some reason.
Want to go salsa dancing, but Thursday is the night and somehow never works out for me.

I am definitely still the odd one out in the group (different age, continent, gender and religious and political views), but so far so good, the guys are fairly nerdy, but friendly. And then there is always the pleasant surprise. I guess growing up I always put 'orthodox' in one corner, but I have also found myself having great conversations with one or two (who already left of course) who very critically look at many aspects taken for granted by many, just because some rabbi said it at one point (no, there is no halachic reason why a female can't be a rabbi!). Some are fighting hard to force divorced men to give a get (a divorce document, which is presented by a husband to his wife on the occasion of their divorce, when refused the man can get remarried, the woman is stuck). Even though I am not changing my views, I can see that my mind is being opened a bit more by learning not all are closeminded. Am still not enchanted by American culture, but more about that next time.

I returned to Jerusalem, just to depart back to the north the next day, where I joined a group of 50-60 Sudanese refugees (all male!!). Volunteers had organised a day out for them and we went on a hike. It gave me the chance to hear their stories from first hand. I also got a marriage proposal out of it...I have a solid background, he lost his family and needs to start a new one. Don't count however on any invitations to a wedding soon, Ahmed and Rosella just doesn't have that ring to it..
Sudan has been in war on and off ever since it gained its independence in 1924. Before the war between the Muslim north and the Christian and Animist south (2 million people killed and 4 million displaced) was over (2005) another atrocious one had come to an outburst. After decades of neglect, drought, oppression and small-scale conflicts in Darfur, two rebel groups – the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) – consisting of agrarian farmers who are mostly non-Arab black African Muslims from different tribes uttered their discontent. As a countermeasure the government supported an Arab Black Muslim group called the Janjaweed (=a man with a gun on a horse). They have been known to rape, murder and loot the African farmers. This 'scorched earth' campaign has made 3.500.000 refugees, living in appalling situations and approximately 450.000 been killed. Some of the Sudanese (not just Darfurians) refugees made their way to the neighbouring country Egypt. Legally or illegally they worked there. All the men I talked to were very negative about their experiences there. They were treated badly, often mugged and did not feel safe, as groups (linked to the government?) connected to the Janjaweed would attack them. About 900 of them made their way to the Sinai and walked from there to Israel (7 hours). In Israel they were arrested by soldiers who to their surprise did not mistreat them, but gave them food and clothing, after which they were transported to prison. Prison, because there are no proper refugee shelters and because Sudan is officially an enemy state. Some of them have stayed up to a year there! The UN did of course no agree with this. All the men that were on this trip were no longer in prison, but working in kibbutzim and moshavim, while waiting for approval to stay legally in the country, but will probably be sent to a third country. A 20-years old told me that his house and land was burnt when he was 14 and he fled with a group of people, losing his parents out of sight. He ended up in Israel through Egypt and is now studying at the university of Haifa. He told me he was always told that Jews (Israelis) were killers and bad people, but he had changed his mind completely and was looking forward to go into the army. Another young men showed me his scars, scars that reminded him of his arrest in Khartoum, where his father made good money running a supermarket. The government (?) accused them of working with the Janjaweed and arrested them. After 21 days he was able to flee, but his father died in a Sudanese prison and his mother is barely surviving, as the supermarket is no longer. It raises a different interest and involvement hearing those stories first hand, even though I need to admit I wasn't moved by it emotionally, probably also due to the fact they weren't either when they eagerly told me their stories in broken English.