Change is good

oh dear another month…. I think if there were an award for laziest blogger I would get it ☺
There have been some interesting changes in my life since I last wrote, and all for the better so that’s good.

First of all we started doing some painting at the center I am building for Paidia. I think the last few months I was getting a little depressed because I have not been doing what I set out to do here (play with children and speak Arabic all the time) because of the set backs Paida has experienced my role was changed from coordinator of the stepping stones program to basically manual labor and building of this leadership center. In the beginning It was fun, but then Jason was kicked out, and it was really only me and Saleem and some times various volunteers, and then Andrew came and he was supposed to take over. I was quite relieved as it was stressing me out to be in charge of something I knew nothing about. Unfortunately about three weeks after Andrew got here he had to go back home for a family emergency. Once again no ones fault, but I feel like I get left with a burden that should not be mine, and on top of everything it was just going very slowly partly because there were so few of us around to work on it, and partly because the weather started getting yucky soooo when we finally did some painting and built a path and a wall and I could actually see some progress that was exciting and made me feel a little better, and starting at the end of this month I will be spending more time on programs and less time on the center so I think that will also do me a world of good.
I also joined the gym here. Ive been meaning to do this for about 5 months, but didn’t get around to it for one reason or another. Finally I was getting so gloomy about work and bad weather that I decided I needed an endorphin fix or I was going to crash and burn, so I’ve started running again and it really is amazing the change I feel in my self.  If you are ever depressed I seriously suggest running a few miles its like drugs only legal and with less negative after effects.

Another change I have had is that I started to take a class at Pardes. Pardes is what I have dubbed the egalitarian Yeshiva that several of my friends study at. They were having a course in studying peace and conflict resolution through Jewish text and I jumped at it. I’ve been taking it now for a couple weeks and I love it. I love learning again, and the people in my class are extremely intelligent and insightful. I also just like being in a community of Jewish learning for a few hours every week. It’s very refreshing.

Experience number three is Encounter. So, many months ago my friend Robert’s wife Avi sent me an email with a job listing for the program director for an organization called Encounter. Encounter takes Diaspora Jews that are spending some time in Israel on trips to the west bank. Many of them are rabbinical students doing their year in Israel. They bring speakers and generally do their best to give as much of the Palestinian narrative as possible in 36 hours. It’s an amazing program and even though I was not really qualified for the job I applied any ways.  To my surprise I did have an interview but not the job, but a couple months ago. I heard from the director or Encounter that she would like to meet with me and see if there was a way I could work with Encounter in another capacity. So we met and had a “not interview” After our meeting I was invited to come on the next Encounter tour to see what it was they did.  I of course accepted and prepared to go on a tour of the city I live in.

The tour was two weeks ago. I call it a tour because I’m not sure what else to call it, but it was much more than that. It started with an orientation the Sunday before. We got to know each other a little bit, and talked about what to expect on the trip. It was all a bit weird for me to be with so many people who had never been to the west bank before. While I know I myself had 2 years ago almost to the day experienced the same fears and apprehensions that these people were experiencing I was still surprised at many of the questions asked, and assumptions held, and this theme continued for me for most of the trip. It started early Thursday morning. The group came from Jerusalem I met them at the Hope and Flowers school out side of Bethlehem.

I wont go in to the details of each speaker over the course of the two days, but I found I was constantly biting my tongue when someone asked a question or made a comment that I found to be outrageous The one thing I was unable to bite my tongue about was when I heard several people talking about the one sidedness of the presentations and speakers. I had a few conversations about this, and it was amazing to me that I had to explain that of course it was one sided. We already know the Israeli and Jewish narrative, and our speakers have a limited amount of time to talk to us. They’re going to use that time to tell their story not the Israeli one. While I was frustrated much of the time I did make one realization that gave me so much more respect for my fellow participants on the trip. Most of the information that we took in over the course of 36 hours I have been able to slowly take in over the course of several years, and even at that rate it was hard and painful for me. I can’t imagine hearing so much that goes against what you think you know in such a short time. It is very hard, and for the most part people were very open to listening and only wanted to learn more when the trip was over. Over all this was an amazing experience for me. I learned so much about my self and my peers. I hope our conversations will continue. I gave an open invitation to the group it they wanted to come back to Bethlehem or any where in the west bank really I would be happy to host or help. Well see what happens with that. I am also really hoping to do more with Encounter. Their work is so important, and I would be honored to be a part of it.

Ok that’s it… today is my favorite holiday Singles Awareness Day!  See my posting from two years ago to view my thoughts on this lovely day esp in this lovely country.