Another memorable visit I’d like to share is the one we made to the town of Lifta, in West Jerusalem. It was a relatively short trip, taken in the late afternoon but which was just as enjoyable as any other longer excursions.

The bus dropped us off at the ‘top of the hill,’ and as we started walking, we were soon greeted with a steep, downhill path which was more challenging to partake in than one might expect. We took our time hiking down into the valley until we finally reached the bottom and could finally stop and observe the surroundings as we took in Lifta’s history.

Lifta is a town which was depopulated in 1948 by Jewish troops, and was home to both Christian and Muslim Palestinians as well as to some Jewish families. The town is now mostly deserted, but is surrounded by homes inhabited by Israelis. The Israeli presence became apparent as we hiked down into the valley and saw Israeli families passing through, jogging or just hanging out. It seemed obvious that our group was the only Arabic-English speaking group in these parts. As we observed the hills, what we saw were mostly ruins of homes, as well as the remains of a mosque. As our guides related some of the history, we found that on one side had been the home of a Christian family, while the house across from it on the other side had been home to a Jewish family. I could be wrong but I recall a detail about the house owned by the Jewish family, something about the house being built on uneven ground thus threatening the stability of the house…

We also saw a kind of ‘courtyard’ with a big water basin, in which I think Israelis bathe in these days. I believe that area used to be Lifta’s city center, with occasional markets and where inhabitants would join together and spend time socializing.

As we kept hiking further north, we saw more ruins and even saw some homeless and hippie Israelis staying in some of these buildings. I walked into a few of the empty homes and I must say I just felt the strangest feeling… like I was invading someone’s home. Clearly the place had been empty for years—even though there was endless graffiti and drawings adorning the walls—but I just felt like something was missing, like I was walking into someone’s home without them knowing about it… It was an awkward feeling I don't think I've ever experienced before...

We continued our hike, joking and chatting and singing until we eventually had reached the other side, where our bus awaited us to take us back into the center.

Maybe it was actually perfect that we went there in the late afternoon. There was something very lovely about seeing the late afternoon sun shining upon the remains of homes on the hills… I’m sure many people drive by them on the highway, indifferent to the ruins on the hills, unaware of Lifta’s location and history. And who knows how much longer Lifta will be there for people to visit, as I heard plans of building luxury homes there may soon come to fruition?

I know little of what will happen to Lifta in the near future, but I do know I am glad to have seen its remains—as much as I could of them—while they were still there. If I could have found the place very breathtaking despite the obvious destruction that has taken place there in recent history, I can only imagine how gorgeous it must have been when Lifta was a thriving and fully populated town in Jerusalem. +

One of the amazing trips I was able to make as a Sabeel volunteer was a week-end-long visit to the Galilee, in the northern part of the country (taken late May 2011). The drive through the country alone involved some amazing sceneries, arguably some of the most beautiful in the world.

Our main destinations were Al Bassa, Kufr Yassif, I’billin and Ras al Naqoura. In Al Bassa-- a town which was depopulated in 1948-- we visited the ruins of 2 churches, one of which has recently been used as a stable by Israeli settlers. We also saw the ruins of a Christian cemetery. I am always baffled as to how anyone could disrespect the resting place of those who have passed on, regardless of the cemetery or deceased people’s religious affiliation…

I found this deeply disturbing and painful to see, so much so that I couldn’t bear to take many pictures of the area...

In Kufr Yassif, we visited some beautiful campgrounds and climbed atop a huge wooden structure (tree-house like; I don’t know what else to call it) that showed some amazing Mediterranean ocean views. Kufr Yassif is also the town in which we all attended mass on Sunday morning, with about half of the group attending a Melkite/Catholic mass and the rest attending a Greek Orthodox mass.

I’billin was the lovely, very Christian Palestinian town with endless hills and narrow, winding streets through which we had to maneuver a huge bus to reach the ‘dorms’ where we spent Saturday night. I immediately noticed how Christian Palestinian that town was due to the fact that almost every other building had a big cross crowning it. We briefly visited a nearby town called Shefa-Amr, where we got to taste some local, delicious Palestinian ice cream, serving the equivalent of 3 huge scoops for a mere 10 shekels (less than $3!!).

Although we only stayed one night at the ‘dorms,’ I will always remember fondly the time spent there and particularly the man who was ‘overseeing’ us during our stay. He was a very warm person with a great sense of humor, and as he wished us well saying “God bless you,” I couldn’t help but to feel a bit sad to leave.

The last place we saw was Ras al Naqoura, which is right at the border with Lebanon. The sceneries there overlooking the Mediterranean were absolutely stunning, as were the grottos we wandered through. If standing in a certain area, you could actually see the rope-like ‘string’ used to indicate the border between Israel and Lebanon…

Always a bit funny/confusing to see these things; how does one determine a border? And who decides on the specifics? Mmmmm...

On the way home, we stopped in Nazareth to have some delicious knafeh dessert, which I am shocked to say I was unable to finish because it was so sweet and filled me up fast (which is rare for someone who is as sweet-toothed as myself!). ABSOLUTE DELIGHT and a must-try if visiting the country!

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to visit these places. Besides being visually stunning, I must say there is a different ‘feel’ to the north, and apparently I’ve heard quite a few other people say the same as well… I believe the total drive time from Jerusalem to the north is about 4 hours long, and given that the drive from Jerusalem to Eilat (at the southernmost tip) was also about 4 hours, it seems you may be able drive through the country from north to south in around 8-9 hours? This seems minimal to me, who lives in California and which I believe would require more time than that to drive through…

Sadly, this time around I did not go to Tiberias (where Jesus walked on water), but that location is also in the area (more to the East), making the Galilee an absolute must-see. Until the occasion presents itself again, I’ll contend myself by combining memories from Tiberias in 2009 along with my 2011 Galilee experience, and rejoice at the memories. +