School has Started!

September 10, 2010
The first week of classes is in the books now, and we already have an extended vacation because of many religious holidays occurring at once. Ramadan is coming to an end now, and the feast days are upon us at the same time as the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana) this weekend. This has definitely been quite an experience to have these two major High Holy days on the same weekend, but also means that everyone will want to travel in and out of Jerusalem to worship and pray at their respective Holy places. I experienced a little bit of this chaos when I traveled from Ramallah south to Bethlehem two days ago. Mind you that I have only done this trip once before by myself, and when I arrived at the Ramallah bus station there were mobs of people just waiting to go south for the holiday…just like me. I without a doubt looked like a confusing tourist standing there, and after asking some people where the Bethlehem taxis were a group of guys my age came up to me and after they found out I wanted to go to Bethlehem they told me to follow them. Needless to say I was not sure what to do, but I decided to follow them and attempt to make it to Bethlehem that evening. I then realized that we were trying to hail a taxi before it got to the bus station, and was trying hard to keep up with them as they weaved in and out of the stopped traffic. Finally after loosing one of the guys who found a last seat on a taxi, another taxi pulled up next to me and asked where I was going and after I said Bethlehem I hopped right onboard.

My trip to Bethlehem by taxi is also called taking the “container” which is basically a mini van taxi. This taxi is able to pass by the Kalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem, and the 300 checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The taxi is about 18 shekels, which is a little more expensive then taking the buses but also saves a fair amount of time. The ride on the container is a bumpy, up and down hill journey through the Judean wilderness, but I love it each and every time.

The people onboard the container for this trip was 4 guys around my age, and we had the greatest time getting to know each other. All of them spoke English quite well, and we talked about everything from sports, to where I am from, and religion. The unconditional friendship that they showed to me on that hour drive to Bethlehem carried on after we arrived at the bus station. Two of the guys were going to a different area of Bethlehem, but one of the other guys accompanied me to babaskot in Beit Jala. The custom here is that everyone seems to cover your expenses for whatever you are doing after befriending them, and this was definitely the case for the taxi ride to babaskot (a central location that leads to my home in Beit Jala). We all exchanged numbers so that we could possibly meet up at another time in this coming year, and hopefully we will.

This kindness and love to your neighbor is everyday here living in Palestine. Just last night we struck up conversation with a taxi driver outside of the 300 checkpoint (Bethlehem checkpoint has many nicknames) and another man that has a little convenient store invited us in for tea and café. This kindheartedness that we have been shown wherever we go here is something that I love greatly, but at the same time I think back to the States and how we treat foreigners. If we were walking on the street in our hometown, and someone looked lost we would probably not go up and ask them if they needed help, they would have to try to confront us in order for us to help them. Our great country of Freedom and independence leads some of us to live lives separate from others, where we avoid too much connection to our fellow neighbors. The fact of life here in Palestine is that family, friends, and their fellow neighbor is central to the way of life here. The great adversity and conflict that Palestinians face everyday is something that is present, but the love and friendship they have with family and friends is something that is worth more than noting, it is necessary to replicate in our own lives. Loving our neighbor has been the topic of many conversations among the six of us here volunteering in Palestine, and I encourage everyone back home to explore how they approach living in community with one another and loving their neighbor.

Once again I thank you all for the wonderful support and love that you are sharing with me over this coming year, and if you ever have more specific questions about anything email me at Kingsborough@susqu.edu. May God’s peace be with you all!


In Christ,
David