The day began with a lesson in making the perfect pot of Arabic coffee from Samar who prepares our meals and provides for our needs. The measurements of coffee are a precise 4 heaping spoons of Nakleh coffee, constant watching as the water boils, remove from the burner and pass the boiling brew over the  burner while blessing it saying “Father Son and Holy Ghost” then covering it for exactly 2 minutes. She now pronounced the thick sludge as “Perfect”.

Sami is our bus driver and his story offers more insight into the complexities of living as a non Jew in this land. His family has lived in the Old City of Jerusalem for over 600 years which equals about 7 generations. He has 6 children and 8 grandchildren. I am an only child so learning about families and their children is fascinating to me. I haven’t seen any homeless people and I was told that the families take care of their own and no one is left on the streets no matter how poor the family may be.  Sami feels that Jews and Arabs should sit down and talk with each other–the only cost would be the price of a cup of coffee. He suggested that schools should offer in their curriculum a class in learning about peaceful resolutions to conflict. Sami has been driving buses and ambulances since he was 17 and watching him thread this 55 passenger bus through narrow streets that used to be donkey paths is mesmerizing.

Our next adventure was to visit a high school class in the Mar Elias school. We were standing in front of the class answering their questions when I decided to branch out and go sit in the middle of the students. I really wanted to connect better with them so what better way than to ask their names. I sent around a notebook and asked them to write their name in English and Arabic and to also write what they hoped to do with their education. One young student told me that he wanted to work as an aircraft engineer but that would never happen because the Israelis wouldn’t allow him to work with planes due to “security” reasons.  These kids were lively, noisy, fun to watch as they teased each other. Some of the girls had their nails painted just like my 16 year old granddaughter. There were 2 Muslim girls in the class who wore traditional dress with head scarves and I wondered how they processed the stylish girls with long curly hair when theirs was covered. Knowing that family is very important in this culture, I showed them a picture of my granddaughter who would be about their age.  One of the students handed me his phone and asked me to type in her number into his contacts. They were enjoying teasing me so I guess I had been “accepted” and I felt very welcome in their midst.

A visit to the Al Tufula Center for Women and Children in Nazareth to meet Nabila Espanioly was the next chapter on our journey to hear more stories about the people living in this Holy Land which many times is not so holy.

Nabila had a vision to provide a resource for women in the form of childcare and early childhood learning for their children. She worked with the women to help them see that they were capable and to be empowered to make changes.  She told the story of a village that needed a street to be improved. After going to the men in the village and to the authorities and being told they would have to wait, the women, because of their new sense of self worth and the ability to accomplish what they wanted, decided to build the road themselves. They collected money from the villagers and then worked at night to build the road. They did it–they completed the road and then the politicians came to the dedication ceremony and took all the credit for the road’s success. Empowering women to take an active role in making decisions for their lives has been dangerous for Nabila and she has had a Fatwah issued on her life.

Meeting Sally Azzam, the co-owner of the Liwan Cultural Cafe and having lunch in her beautiful cafe was our next stop. She talked about growing up in Nazareth and attending private school where she was protected from what was happening on the outside and she talked about the differences for Palestinians in the West Bank where they are subjected to many checkpoints and in Nazareth where there are no check points.  Her first experience with discrimination was when she went to University and couldn’t apply to take classes in science because she might learn how to make a bomb.  Inside Israel exists a glass wall for non Jews in which things look right but deeper down 50 laws exist that discriminate in employment, education, where one lives. She feels that she is in a minority within a minority as both a Christian and a woman. Her cafe provides a place where people can talk freely without fear and provides a place that of hope and interaction with people.  The government had a strangle hold on the businesses as a way to control the people but now more shops are opening.  Her cultural center celebrates the Palestinian culture. She calls her efforts to resist the occupation “cultural resistance” meaning that her cafe is a place to celebrate the culture through food, music, conversation and products made by Palestinians.

I still have much to learn and am not ready to leave.  I guess I will just have to come back and bring more people who want to “Come and See.”