Making Hamentaschen in Palestine

3/17/08

Wednesday I went to the doctor in the morning and found out I have a UTI which sucks and proves that g-d likes to punish me for doing stupid things… I went to class it was uneventful…. Then home for a bit I did reading for class on Thursday on my balcony in the wonderful sun. Then we went to Aliya’s for dinner and to watch a documentary called “The Iron Wall” this is a very well made documentary and really sheds some light on the realities of the wall, the settlements and the settlement roads being built. There was also a lot of interview footage with Jeff Halper who is the founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) which is a wonderful organization that I will hopefully soon be working for. Any ways after the documentary everyone hung out for awhile, some people were drinking a bit, but decided to take a break as Ive been going out enough the last few days. I left with Wilco and Kyle and was escorted by the lovely Kyle.

Thursday we Palestine Question class it was about the issue of refugees. Daniela did the presentation. It was actually very interesting because she told us about her grandfather’s personal story of how he and his family were expelled from the city of Lid. It was horrible. People were forced from their homes and then forced to walked many miles in to Jordan in the middle of July. People died of thirst or were forced to drink their own urine. We then talked about the feasibility of the Palestinians returning to their homes and how we thought the refugee problem should be solved. Our prof brought up a survey that had been done a few years ago that I actually knew about, that said that only about 8% of Palestinians living in the diaspora would actually want to move back to their homes in Israel Proper. Most of these people were born in other countries and know them better. I think for a lot of Palestinians in Exile they just want the recognition of the right to return, and the deserved compensation for their trouble, but I obviously have no idea I am not a Palestinian in Exile. I am an American Jew that can come and go from Israel to Palestine as I please. Needless to say class was interesting and very informative. After class I went home with Tasha and Vanessa and we watched Across the universe which is sooooo good! Then we went to my place to hang out for a bit until we got a ride to Zan’s (the one good bar in Ramallah) At Zans there was a Palestinian guy performing (just singing and playing guitar but good nonetheless.)

Friday I got up early and very slowly packed and got ready to head to Jerusalem for the weekend. I don’t think I have ever been so excited to celebrate Shabbat. Its still a bit weird for me to be going to classes on Saturday. Not that I ever kept Shabbat before, but It was nice to celebrate on Fri nights and then rest on Sat.. I left Birzeit around 10am and got to Rachel’s around 12. she had already finished some of the cooking, but she sent me out to the shuk to get whine, Tofu and eggs. I also stopped at marzipan and got some Borekas! Mmm Borekas I think they are my favorite food. I came back with everything and tried to help a little with cooking, and getting the apt ready for guests and dinner. Somewhere in there Jeremy showed up he is now Studying in Yashiva and Shomer Nagiah (means he doesn’t touch women) If you know Jeremy you will understand how strange is was for me to see him in this new persona esp since I hadent seen him in over a year. We haven’t always gotten along in the past, but I think maybe he has changed for the better, only time will tell. Any ways Rachel was almost done with making all the food so I jumped in the shower and then dressed in my frum (Religious Jew) clothes. I always kind of feel like im wearing a costume when I dress like that, but we were going to services at Rachel’s Orthodox Carlbach synagogue, and I wanted to dress appropriately. The service was great. I really like Carlbach Kabbalat Shabbat. Then we headed back for dinner the guests were me Jeremy Naomi and Dana (4 generations of AU) and then Rachel’s friends Jessie and another Rachel. The food was amazing! Rachel is going to make one hell of a Jewish mother some day. And everyone there was cool and interested in hearing about my “fascinating” life in Palestine. Most people left around 11pm and I was falling asleep at the table by then I was so tired. Jeremy and I slept over.

Saturday I slept until 11ish and then put on some more Frum clothing and waited for Naomi and Dana to come over again from Shabbat lunch which was again amazing. Rachel made this sauce that was basically date honey regular honey and pecans it was deeeelicious. After we all stuffed ourselves we went for a walk to the old city and to the cotel, but I had changed in to jeans so I decided not to actually go up to the cotel. Rachel and Jeremy went to the wall to pray Mincha, and I hung back with Naomi, Dana and their friend Andrea that we were meeting there. We sat in the sun and tried to avoid the attention of a mangy looking cat that wanted to befriend us. After Jeremy and Rachel finished they went back to Rachel’s apt and we went to the roof of the Austrian hospice to show Naomi a good view of the old city. Its pretty amazing up there. Every time I see a really nice view from up high I fall in love with Jerusalem all over again its always amazing to me how peaceful everything looks from above when I know its really so full tension. Any ways enough abstract thought… after the view we walked back towards west Jerusalem I walked with Naomi back to Rachel’s. Naomi packed up and left and met Dana to go back to Tel Aviv and I hung out with Rachel and Jeremy until it was time for Jeremy to go to the evening service and then we had dinner which I wasn’t actually hungry for but oh well. Then we did havdallah and then Jeremy went back to his Yeshiva and Rachel and I hung out and talked for awhile. Somewhere in there we looked at the news and front page it said there was a huge tornado in Atlanta where all of our friends happen to be because Robert and Avi got married on Sunday! So we were a bit worried, but then we finally got a call from Alison who told us all was well. Rachel and I talked for a bit more about how much boys suck and whatever else girls talk about when their alone and then it was bed time.

Sunday I got up bright and early and met Jean Marie, Elizabeth and Marco in the old city to go to mass for Palm Sunday. (don’t worry only as an observer) Although I did find out that Marco goes to church in Birzeit every Sunday which was interesting I just assumed everyone on the program was completely secular. Its kind of nice to know there is someone else who cares about their religion…even if it is a completely different one than my own. The mass we went to was all in Arabic so I didn’t really understand anything that was going on, but it was interesting anyways. There was a lot of incense and getting up and sitting down. After the service was over I took Elizabeth and Marco to west Jerusalem in search of a book store with an English Arabic dictionary which we did finally find and then back to the old city to meet up with Jean Marie and Vanessa. Jean Marie took us to a nice restaurant with yummy chumus and after we were nice and full we walked up to the mount of olives for the procession of the Palms. It goes from the top of the mount of Olives to the entrance where Jesus entered Jerusalem. It was pretty cool. There were pilgrims from all over the world, and every one was singing and dancing and waving palms. The only problem is that it was very hot and sunny and there was almost no shade the whole time. Lucky for us the procession ended at the church Jean Marie lives at, so when we got there he let us inside and gave us all water and juice to drink. It was getting pretty late at this point so I headed back to Rachel’s place to get my stuff and then to the grocery store to get some stuff for making hamentaschen. Then back to Damascus gate and the bus station to go back to Ramallah. We headed back to Birzeit grabbed some falafel and then I went home, did my Arabic home work and went to bed!

Monday was a pretty average day we had Arabic class, then I went home for a bit and finally got around to cleaning my new bathroom, so that it is now sparkling clean. Then I was convinced to go to a lecture with Sandra. She said it would be in English and Arabic, but really it was just in Arabic so I left after an hour because I couldn’t understand enough to get what was going on. Then I called Wilco so I could use their washer, since I no longer have one of my own, and now I am here trying not to watch resident evil because it will give me nightmares. Hopfully if I can find a working oven I will be making hamentaschen a much happier activity. Than watching zombie movies. Even if Milo Jojovich is hardcore.