Jurish, Za'tara (Tapuah)
Jurish, Akarba, Za’tara
Contrary to the shift of two weeks ago, when we saw in the same area tens of military vehicles and soldiers at every corner and intersection, this time the area seemed very quiet, and we saw no military movement.
Driving on Road no. 5 eastwards, one sees on the south side of the road a vast area which was an agricultural area and which now is mowed and cleared up and ready for building, probably a new settlement.
This area are the lands robbed from Biddya and Kafr ad Dik.
14:30 Za'atara Junction, there are no soldiers except at the hitch-hikers' station in the direction of Ramallah.
14:55 Jurish. About 15 minutes are added to the journey by driving through Kussara, as the direct road to Jurish is blocked. The stone masses which block the road, fill the heart of every reasonable person with great shame and anger.
The girl-group welcomed us warmly. It has been a month since we have come to the village for the activities, and they said again and again how much they had missed us, especially the three teachers, Shosh, Sara and Anna.
Shosh reports
The meeting began at three o'clock with joy, hugs and kisses and much talk about the longing which was definitely mutual. We haven't met for a month because of the comprehensive half-yearly examinations in all the subjects which are held in the school and occupy the girls very much. One meeting was cancelled as a safety measure in an unclear security situation. When the meetings were renewed the welcome was warm and moving. Not all the girls arrived, some are still busy with the examinations, but came all the same to welcome us. We hope that next week we shall already have a full house.
The greater part of the lesson was dedicated to a talk with the girls about the situation and about themselves. They talked a lot about the different exams. It seems that despite the gloomy situation the girls are most of the time busy with their day to day routine, and this is a good thing…
The girls were asked to write a letter to a real or imagined friend. We read together all the letters and discussed their contexts. They talked about plans for the future and choice of profession.
In the near future we shall begin using the Facebook to enhance the lesson designs, the practice of vocabulary and follow-up. S. promised to obtain the Facebook connections of all the girls. She herself is currently connected on the Facebook with Hadas.
At the end of the lesson the girls pass on to Yoga practice with Sara and Anna. As usual the pleasure is great and at the end of the lesson the spirits are high.
15:30 Akarba – at the same time Dalia and Dvorka went with Nadim to visit the big village of Akarba which is situated on the northern side of the road leading to the valley. We entered the shop and the restaurant in the village, in order to hear what went on there since the burning down of the mosque three weeks before by the settlers.
The owner of one of the shops, who spoke Hebrew beautifully, was very cordial but when we introduced ourselves said he wasn't prepared to talk about politics. In an adjacent restaurant we met a few people amongst whom a young man who told us in Hebrew spiced with slang, that he spends long periods in Israel, as an illegal alien, that he passes through the loopholes in the separation fence and is caught again and again, is released and continues to work. He seemed very happy and proud that he succeeds in fooling the army authorities and to work in Israel.
We returned to Jurish to meet the coordinators in order to summarise with them the details of our visit with the members MW on Tuesday next week. [Another announcement will be sent on the net].
One of the women we met, about 50 years old, married and mother of four children, told us in English the history of her "refugeeship". She is the daughter of a wealthy family from Jaffa. In ‘48 when they were forced to leave their home with lands and property in the town, they fled to Kuwait.
There she studied, met her husband, who was born in Jurish and gave birth to three of her four sons. When the war with Iraq broke out they fled again, This time to Palestine, but not as Kuwaiti citizens but as Palestinians.
She told us about life's hardships. The settlers don't come to the village, but the army arrives at night to arrest people, many young men. On one occasion she saw with her own eyes the behavior of the soldiers as they entered a house, made all the family members go out, and during the search they conducted poured oil and food on the floor of the house.
Today her great sorrow is that she is not allowed to go and pray at the El Aqsa mosque. Some time ago she went with her brother who has an American passport, to Jerusalem with the intention to pray. At the Kalandiya CP they let him pass but made her return, although she has a Jordanian Passport (our declared freedom of culture at its best).
The woman complained a lot about the fact that in the Authority areas there is almost no possibility of finding work, and the young people aspire to leave the village and their homeland in general (directed by the intention of others i.e. the Israeli authority).
15:15 We went on our way back. At the Za'tara junction about a dozen soldiers walked about tsaid he wasn't prepared to talk about politics. In an adjacent restaurant we met a few people amongst whom a young man who told us in Hebrew spiced with slang, that he spends long periods in Israel, as an illegal alien, that he passes through the loopholes in the separation fence and is caught again and again, is released and continues to work. He seemed very happy and proud that he succeeds in fooling the army authorities and to work in Israel.
We returned to Jurish to meet the coordinators in order to summarise with them the details of our visit with the members MW on Tuesday next week. [Another announcement will be sent on the net].
One of the women we met, about 50 years old, married and mother of four children, told us in English the history of her "refugeeship". She is the daughter of a wealthy family from Jaffa. In ‘48 when they were forced to leave their home with lands and property in the town, they fled to Kuwait.
There she studied, met her husband, who was born in Jurish and gave birth to three of her four sons. When the war with Iraq broke out they fled again, This time to Palestine, but not as Kuwaiti citizens but as Palestinians.
She told us about life's hardships. The settlers don't come to the village, but the army arrives at night to arrest people, many young men. On one occasion she saw with her own eyes the behavior of the soldiers as they entered a house, made all the family members go out, and during the search they conducted poured oil and food on the floor of the house.
Today her great sorrow is that she is not allowed to go and pray at the El Aqsa mosque. Some time ago she went with her brother who has an American passport, to Jerusalem with the intention to pray. At the Kalandiya CP they let him pass but made her return, although she has a Jordanian Passport (our declared freedom of culture at its best).
The woman complained a lot about the fact that in the Authority areas there is almost no possibility of finding work, and the young people aspire to leave the village and their homeland in general (directed by the intention of others i.e. the Israeli authority).
15:15 We went on our way back. At the Za'tara junction about a dozen soldiers walked about the parking lot.