fellowship

October is quickly slipping away and I have yet to write about the many things we've been up to on the weekends- so I will try to start that process now, with more to follow soon. If you want to see October in pictures, feel free to check out the facebook album I have created: snapshots of october. I also uploaded an album of photos from Hebron.

Saturday, October 3: Taybeh Oktoberfest!

The Palestinian town of Taybeh sits about 30-40 minutes north of Jerusalem and is famous for its beer. This year's festival was Taybeh's 5th Annual Oktoberfest and it has clearly become a big deal in the community and surrounding areas. There were many booths of food- and of course plenty of beer on tap. I enjoyed my first shawarma (resembles a Greek gyro but the sauces are completely different) and my first Taybeh beer! The opening ceremony included some international dignitaries in addition to the mayor of Taybeh and a representative from the Palestinian authority. It was clear from the speeches and the mood of the festival that this celebration was also meant to emphasize the Palestinian spirit- and to promote not only Palestinian beer, but local honey, handicrafts, olive oil and tourism. Taybeh also boasts ancient history as the Biblical city of Ephraim and features some beautiful Byzantine ruins. In addition to a local school group performing the traditional Palestinian dance of Dabkeh, there were also performers from as far away as Brazil and Japan. It was a very enjoyable day to spend with friends and to see such an uplifting example of success and celebration despite the occupation.

Sunday, October 4: Sukkot meal in Ma'ale Adumim

We were invited to the home of a very welcoming Israeli family to share a Sukkot meal with them. Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, is the Jewish holiday that follows Rash Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During this time families build a sukkah (literally "booth" or "tabernacle") outside their home. For some families (primarily Orthodox), the sukkah becomes the living space - but for many others that do not live in the sukkah, it is the place in which they eat their meals. We watched as more and more sukkah were erected around Jerusalem in the days leading up to the holiday. Many restaurants, particularly in West Jerusalem, also build sukkahs so that Jewish families can still eat at their establishments. I was both excited and apprehensive about visiting Ma'ale Adumim, which we had driven through in our first week here. Sitting on the hills east of Jerusalem, Ma'ale Adumim is one of the largest Jewish settlements with almost 40,000 inhabitants (depending on who you ask). As you drive into Ma'ale Adumim, you leave the dusty desert for an idyllic stretch of shopping malls, palm trees and swimming pools.

Despite my reservations, it was a lovely evening. Leah and Aaron welcomed us into their home. They explained the traditions of Sukkot as well as their own stories of transformation. Leah described her initial years living in Israel, during which she was terrified of all Palestinians. All she knew about them was what Israeli propaganda told her- that they all wanted to kill her. In a remarkable and inspiring series of events, she met some Palestinians and realized how truly kind they were. Since that time, she has been working to bring Palestinians and Israelis together for interfaith dialogue. It was inspiring to be with someone so committed to bringing people together to learn more about the real people on both sides of the conflict, despite the fact that her work has alienated her from many of her neighbors and fellow Israelis.

The first weekend of October brought many wonderful opportunities for fellowship and for celebrating beautiful traditions, festivals and people - in a small Palestinian town and in a Jewish settlement.