Monday November 18, 2013 Outreach visits in Beit Jala and Beit Sahur

We visited Jihad Abu Amshat (Vice Principal) and Natalie Tawill (Teacher) at Talitha Kumi School in Beit Jala. It was started in 1851 as a private Lutheran school for poor Christian children. It is now 50% Christian and 50% Muslim. Less than 1% of the population in Israel is Christian.

The Muslim students come from more wealthy families. The Christians come from poorer families.  The Christian population dwindled because they have smaller families than Muslims and many Christians moved out of Israel to avoid the conflicts. The school has 1000 regular students, special needs students, and a special boarding section for girls who have been sexually abused.

Jihad's family have lived as Christians in Beit Jala since 1670. Some of his immediate family members moved out of the country and they encourage him to leave. His family owned 7-8 dunams near Gilo that were confiscated by Israel. In a few months, Israel will confiscate the only green area in Beit Jala - about 6200 dunams. His family will lose another 7-8 dunams in the confiscation. We didn't have time to take pictures.

We visited Greek Catholic Patriarch School in Beit Sahur. It is also a private school. It is 80-85% Christian and 15-20% Muslim. There are 600 students. Tuition is $1500 per year and students pay about 1/2 of the tuition. They received a million dollar grant from Kuwait recently and built a new school wing. 

These two schools seem very well off compared to other schools we visit. Class size in these schools might be 20-25 versus 30-35 in Silwan, for example.

On the way home, we stopped at the wing of the Beit Jala hospital that was named after Steve Sosebee's deceased wife.

 

 Linda with Abeer, Sawan (principal) and Rogeece (teacher) in the principal's office.

 We invited them to visit the Jerusalem Center for a concert or a tour.  They are not allowed to travel freely to Israel because they are "West Bankers" and are not considered citizens of Israel. This is what they have to do: they sent us an email with their names and ids. We will email them an invitation to attend. They will send the invitation to the Israeli government with their names and id asking for permission to travel to Jerusalem. It will take about a week to find out if permission is granted.

Linda and Abeer and Linda and Blaine with the new school wing in the background.

 Linda with Niveen of PCRF in front of a picture of Steve Sosebee's wife, who died of Leukemia. The wing was named in her honor.  It serves children who have cancer.

Playroom in the cancer wing of the hospital - new, bright, and cheery.

Each patient room is named after a cartoon character and is brightly decorated.

Sunday November 17, 2013 Outreach visit in Ramallah

We visited Palestine Children's Relief Fund in Ramallah.  Ramallah is the capitol for the Palestinian Authority.  There are security divisions in Israel - area A is secured by Palestinians, area B is jointly secured, and area C is secured by Israelis.

The PCRF was started 20 years ago by Steve Sosebee from Ohio who was in Israel as a student and journalist. He met and married a woman in Jerusalem and they jointly built the organization.

 They arrange for specialized doctors to come to Palestine to operate on economically disadvantaged children. Sometimes they pay for a child's airfare to fly out of the country for an operation. The doctors and hospitals donate their time and services. About 50-60% of the doctors come from the US and 80% of the doctors return to donate time again.

They partner with organizations to provide orthopedic shoes, wheel chairs, etc. to children whose families cannot afford them. They hire social workers who find people that don't have the resources to pay.

Steve's wife passed away from Leukemia four years ago.  They built a wing at the Beit Jala Hospital (near Bethlehem) and named it in her honor.We neglected to take pictures with Steve in Ramallah.

 These signs are often posted near check points and in Palestinian areas where Israelis build settlements.

Saturday November 16, 2013 On Jerusalem Center hill

We walked for an hour before church meetings, across the street to the Orson Hyde Park, then back to the tents where the public can sift through the waste material from an archeological dig, and up the hill to the Jerusalem Center.

We are 50 yards below the road leading to the Jerusalem Center.

Wednesday November 13, 2013 Field trip to the separation wall

Our guide and lecturer about the separation wall is an Israeli attorney who has become involved more in politics than law.  He consults with the US government and the Israeli government. He is an Israeli patriot, but he is critical of the Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. He said Israel wants to build E1 so it would cut Palestine in half and destroy the 2 state solution. He is critical of the separation wall because it cuts through Palestinian communities, but he is supportive because it stopped terror attacks from the West Bank.

The population of Jerusalem is 500,000 Israelis and 297,000 Palestinians. In the last election, 157,000 Palestinians could vote, but only 517 voted.  They don't vote because they believe voting would legitimize what Israel has done to them. They would be a powerful minority if they voted, especially as a block.

 

There are many slogans written on the separation wall.

Separation wall on the road to Jericho in East Jerusalem. The wall blocked the road, so now it requires a detour of several miles though a checkpoint.

 Blaine and Linda at the separation wall.

 Linda with Erin, Whitney, and our Israeli lecturer, near the Jerusalem Center, looking east into the West Bank. The Dead Sea would have been visible on a clear day. 

 The near city is Palestinian.  The far city is Ma'ale Adumin, a large Israeli settlement in the West Bank.  E1 is to the left, outside this picture. Israel wants to build a huge community in E1 that would cut Palestinian land in half.  Linda asked how Israelis justify confiscating land from the Palestinians He said many Israelis believe it is their land because God gave it to them 3000 years ago. He was critical of the education provided by Israel to Palestinians living in Israel. Palestinians make up 37% of the population, but receive only 12% of the education budget. He believes an uneducated Palestinian population is worse for Israelis.

Monday November 11, 2013 Herodion and Bethlehem

 Herod the Great built a summer palace for himself at Herodion, 4 miles southeast of Bethlehem. He wanted to see Jerusalem from his palace, but his advisors told him the hill he chose was not high enough for him to see Jerusalem.  He said no problem, we'll make it higher. They built it up so he could see Jerusalem.  Herod died in 4 BC. According to Josephus, he was buried at Herodion. His tomb was discovered in 2007.

The palace was used as a military base by the Jews against the Romans in the First Revolt (66-72 AD), then by the Romans (72-132 AD), and then by the Jews in the Second Revolt (132-135 AD) During the Second Revolt, the troops dug secret tunnels in the limestone bedrock so they could make surprise attacks against the Romans. It was used as a monastery in the 5th Century.

We visited Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Roman Emperor Constantine built it in 326 AD and Emperor Justinian rebuilt it in the 6th Century. It is the oldest continuously operating church in the world. It is shared by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic Churches. The Catholic Priest Jerome translated the Bible into Latin in nearby caves about 400 AD. Bethlehem was the birthplace of Naomi's husband (Ruth's father in law), David, and Jesus.  

We ate lunch at the Tent Restaurant. We finished the day at Shepherd's field, where we explored the hillside and valley, read and contemplated, and sang Christmas hymns.

Upper Herodian served as a stronghold for Herod's troops and included facilities for Herod's family.  

Remains of a tower on Upper Herodion.

Tunnels were dug through the limestone bedrock.

View from the top of Herodion.  A theater was built in the side of the hill (foreground in the lower right of the picture).  Theater patron had a nice view of the country. Herod covered up the theater before he died, and built his burial chamber nearby.

Herod built a Grand Staircase from Lower Herodion toUpper Herodion. Before Herod died, he had much of the beautiful work on the Herodion covered up.  This excavation uncovered part of the staircase. Perhaps he didn't want others to enjoy his work after he was gone.  He was a jealous person. He killed some family members including a favorite wife because he felt threatened or jealous.

A rendition of what some of the construction may have looked like

At the Lower Herodion, Herod built a huge pool with an island in the center.

 In the pool, by the island

In the pool with Dan and Erin Belnap. The man-made hill Herod built for his summer palace is in the background. Was Linda pretending to be a rabbit?  I think she was getting ready to eat some of the delicious plants in the Judean dessert like those below:

Linda is touching a 14 point star in a cave under Church of the Nativity where Jesus may have been born.

Eating lunch at the Tent Restaurant with Kelly, Ryan, Dawn and Jay Fox, Jonathan, and Sean. We had lamb and chicken kabobs, French fries, whole wheat pita with many different sauces.

 Shepherds Field with Bethlehem on the hill in the background.

 

Sheep and goats among the olive trees in Shepherd's Field

 Watch tower on the hillside of Shepherd's Field

In the valley at Shepherd's Field

A watchtower from the valley of Shepherd's Field

A cave in the hillside of Shepherd's Field.

 Bethlehem at night from Shepherd's Field

Sunday November 10, 2013 Bethany

We visited Sawsan with Peace Center for Heritage in Bethany to look at space she wants to renovate. She hopes we can pay for the renovation or loan her the money.  We thought about a micro-loan, but Tawfic said organizations he talked to have had bad luck with micro-loans.

Sawsan showed us some sights while we were there. Lazurus' tomb is near her store, so she took us to the remains of his home, a Christian Church, and a Muslim Mosque.

Outside the Mosque with Sawsan and her uncle Attieh Alayan.  Attieh worked as a cook at the Jerusalem Center for 14 years. He likes his nickname "Charlie".  He worked at the Center until they told him he was too old and had to retire (hmmm, sounds familiar).

 The women pray in this room and the men pray in the room with the red carpet. 

Main area of the Mosque. Each red area marks where an individual kneels to pray.

There were more rooms downstairs - one for men and one for women.  Carpets are made in Hebron.

According to tradition, this is the remains of Lazurus' home

 The Roman Catholic Church is on the left, behind the wall. The roadway leads to Lazurus' tomb, Lazurus' home, a Greek Orthodox Church, and a Muslim Mosque.  Greek Orthodox can use the roadway, but Roman Catholics cannot. They have to access the upper road only through the Roman Catholic property.

 Walk way leading to the Roman Catholic Church

Inside the Roman Catholic Church

 Linda and Sawsan in front of Sawsan's store, Peace Center for Heritage. She sells items that have been embroidered by Bedouin women to provide employment.

Saturday November 9, 2013 Dinner with Lesoby and lots of Blaine

Linda wanted pictures of Blaine, since Blaine is not in many pictures because he usually takes them.

 

Carmen Lesoby invited us to dinner after church at her home in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. She is a member of the church from Bolivia, and is married to an Israeli, Ilia.  They have a baby named Adam. Ilia drops off Carmen and Adam at church each Saturday. They live next to a Rabbi in an apartment building. We ate outside at their picnic table. They have a studio apartment. She is trying to find a job so they can start saving and also move into a larger apartment.

 

 Blaine at his desk

More of Blaine at his desk

Blaine in the 8th level hallway

 Blaine on the 8th level. The mosaic was discovered during construction of Mamila Mall near Jaff Gate.

More of Blaine near the Mosaic.

Carmen, Adam, and Linda in the patio of the Lesonby apartment.

Ilia, Carmen, Adam, Linda, and Blaine in the Lesonby front yard.

Adam, Carmen, and Linda

Ilia, Carmen, Adam, Linda and Blaine

 Blaine on the 7th level overlook of Jerusalem

  

 Mixing in a little beauty among the pictures of Blaine

 and finally... the last of Blaine on the overlook