The last trip I made during my stay in Jerusalem was to Imwas, Yalu and Beit Nuba in the West Bank. But these days it might be a bit difficult to find these locations under these specific names. These towns were captured, depopulated and destroyed during the 1967 Six-Day War. On top of where once rested the Palestinian villages of Amwas and Yalu, there is now Canada Park, funded by the Jewish National Fund of Canada. Beit Nuba is now Mar Haven settlement.

What did I see? Lots of greenery and open spaces, with the highway stretching nearby... Of course, trees everywhere, and quiet places to roam through… It seemed like a simple, peaceful place where visitors could enjoy themselves, but I’d have to say I didn’t really feel like I could do this there, or even if I should. Although concealed and unkempt, I saw remnants of Palestinian life there, as the remains of 2 wells and a cemetery showed…

And cactuses… Lots and lots of cactuses. I normally wouldn’t think twice about the abundance of these… Until I’m told that cactuses were used by Palestinians as a kind of ‘fence’ between other towns—in lieu of walls—as well as around towns; thus requiring everyone to enter through the city’s main entrance.

Imwas… or biblical Emmaus. Said to be the place where Jesus appeared to two of his disciples following his resurrection.
Was it the place I visited? Does it matter? And then again… how would we know ‘for sure’? Especially when I hear that there are 4 possible places which could have been ‘that’ Emmaus…

I came, I saw, I reflected… I did share time with caring people of various backgrounds while there, even had a hot dog and sat on a bench with the day’s last sunrays right in my face.

Was it a ‘picnic’? Perhaps, although it felt more like a little church service, what with the prayers said, and traditional Arabic songs sung to commemorate previous, unmentioned Palestinian life on that land…

Brief visit. Yet duration is not necessarily tantamount to impact and/or significance. +

My slideshow of a few photos taken there:



A short documentary in 2 parts, posted on YouTube:

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. +

So here I am, with 2 weeks left on my trip to Jerusalem. I have been busy and many things have happened since the last time I've written, giving me little time to keep up with blog posting...

The main reason I've been busy is that since late last month, I've been volunteering at a Christian Palestinian organization called Sabeel. As per Sabeel website:

Sabeel is an ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians. Inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, this liberation theology seeks to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians, to promote unity among them toward social action. Sabeel strives to develop a spirituality based on love, justice, peace, nonviolence, liberation and reconciliation for the different national and faith communities. The word "Sabeel" is Arabic for 'the way' and also a 'channel' or 'spring' of life-giving water.

Sabeel also works to promote a more accurate international awareness regarding the identity, presence and witness of Palestinian Christians as well as their contemporary concerns. It encourages individuals and groups from around the world to work for a just, comprehensive and enduring peace informed by truth and empowered by prayer and action.

I have also been able to see other parts of the country, due in part to family outings as well as Sabeel excursions, and I am very thankful for having had these opportunities.

Sabeel also has a young adult conference every year, which lasts 10 days and has both local Palestinian and international participants. It is a great way to learn about Palestinian Christian life here, a unique opportunity to see the country and make lifelong friends as well. Sadly I won't be here for the conference this year, but it gives me the idea of coming back at some point in the future to participate in it. 

As my experience comes to a conclusion, I am starting to make lists of 'last minute things to do,' like buying souvenirs and foods, hanging out as much as you can with people you see everyday, and remembering to go back to some places to take wayyy too many pictures (because of course, everything feels so important when it's last minute, and you never know when you'll get to see these places again... LOL).

Some of the things I look forward to sharing shortly:

* trip to the Galilee

* visiting Lifta

* common trends (fashion)

* lifestyle

Of course there will be others... these are just the ones that pop into my head at the moment.

2 weeks to conclude it all... I look forward to adding a few more memories to that already-long list. +