Colin Johnston in Tiberias

Orthodox Christmas

2012-01-19T12:04:00.002+02:00

By 6th January people are usually putting away their Christmas decorations, but here the season is slightly lengthened, as the Orthodox celebrate Christmas almost a fortnight later (and the Armenians later still!). I was privileged to attend the Christmas celebrations in Sakhnin this year, firstly at a choir concert, when Bishop Theophilus of Acre conducted the Sakhnin choir in what was very like a ‘9 Lessons and Carols’- but in Byzantine chant. It was wonderful, and even the children’s choir sang a few pieces. On the Saturday (7th January) I attended the Christmas Day service, which in many ways reminded me of services in Zambia, with people coming in and out and wandering up to the front in groups to have a blessing from the priest, who was enormously patient about it all. There must have been a good few hundred people there, of all ages and all dressed in their best. Usually the women in the Arab communities dress very conservatively, but the younger generation here is certainly moving away from that! I somehow get the impression of a well-educated and reasonably prosperous community. It was held in the new church, a massive structure, but which the families themselves are building – and it is heartening to see how well it is progressing.

After the service, families gather for their Christmas dinner, thus breaking their 40 day fast (no meat) with chicken. I was invited to one of the homes, where Abu Hanna, the patriarch, has 10 sons and 1 daughter, all of whom were there with their own families, so very busy, but extraordinarily welcoming.

Segregation?
In the Greek Orthodox church (and even at the concert), the men and women sit separately, though interestingly the choir itself is mixed. Interesting, especially since there has been a lot in the news just now about female soldiers singing at army functions and provoking a walk-out by the more religious male soldiers. Israel has tended to be a very secular state with women reaching the highest offices (indeed, the leaders of two of the main political parties are women). However, there have been a number of issues recently which seems to undermine this. In the more religious parts of Jerusalem, streets were segregated during religious holidays, shops vandalised for not having a separate entrance for women; while certain buses have also been segregated with women having to sit at the back. A female soldier who refused to do so was verbally abused and had to leave the bus. Even adverts on buses or shelters featuring women have apparently been removed, in case they are vandalised. This all came to a head recently in Beit Shemesh, a town in between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where a 9 year old girl had to run the gauntlet of ultra-orthodox Jews, who want schools there segregated and who regarded her clothing as provocative (ironically the girl is from a religious family, and her clothing would probably be regarded as acceptable by most!). This has led to rallies by both the more secular, who are afraid of freedoms being eroded, and by the ultra orthodox, who have grown in number and want their voice to be heard.

Moderator’s Visit

2012-01-19T12:02:00.000+02:00

After 5 weeks in Scotland on furlough, I returned to Tiberias in early December. As always, it was good to be in Scotland, but equally good to return. I feel very much at home in Tiberias, especially now that I have moved into Yakfie. One reason for my slightly shortened furlough was to get back and prepare for the Moderator’s visit. David Arnott had been my ‘bishop’ during my probationary year in Netherlee, so it was good to be with him and Rosemary again. They had a busy time, including visiting Gaza and culminating their visit by spending Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, but it was also good to welcome them to Galilee. On the Sunday morning we worshipped in the Anglican church in Haifa, which was incredibly welcoming. It was also good to see here and also at the House of Grace, so many food parcels ready to deliver to those in need in the community. In the evening, just before preaching at the service in Tiberias, David dedicated the Peace garden at St. Andrew’s in Tiberias. The water was running in the fountain, as we gathered round the Peace pole, lighting candles to show our commitment to peace and reconciliation.

Olive Grove
During the afternoon of that Sunday (we seemed to pack in so much!), we had had an audience with Archbishop Chacour of the Melkite church, before visiting our partners at the House of Grace and Sinyanna. However, before we rushed back to Tiberias for the service, we made our way to the countryside on the southern side of Nazareth, where we are working with Sindyanna to plant an olive grove. The Moderator dedicated the Grove and unveiled a plaque in memory of Nesreen Abdo, who had worked so faithfully in the Hotel. It was lovely that her parents and family were able to attend. Trees will be planted there for members of staff at the Hotel on their birthday, for example, and hopefully it will be a place where the Hotel staff or the children from Tabeetha School can come on an outing.

Jane Haining
On the way to Jerusalem to meet up with the Moderator and his party, I found myself stopped in the Jordan Valley waiting for a whirlwind to pass. It was like something out of the ‘Wizard of Oz’, but fortunately I wasn’t whisked over the rainbow and could make my way to Yad Vashem, a museum complex which commemorates the Holocaust and where David would lay a wreath. It must be almost 30 years since I was last there, and I found it a deeply moving experience. The new museum is very impressive, but somehow it was walking round the gardens afterwards which I felt humbling, looking at names under the trees or at a railway carriage, in which people would have been transported to a concentration camp. I also spent time searching out the Garden of the Righteous, to look for the name of Jane Haining, the Church of Scotland missionary from Budapest, who had died in one of the camps along with her pupils. It was good to see it.

Bringing you up-to-date

2011-11-10T11:45:00.001+02:00

The summer was eventful in other ways. Sadly we lost one of our really good staff members, Nesreen, who passed away at a relatively young age after a heart operation. Nesreen was an Arab Christian from Nazareth and had worked for many years at the Hotel, and for her, it was more than a job. She was so much part of the place, that I would never have imagined her leaving of her own choice. She was very much a woman of faith, and that makes such a difference. I found her incredibly supportive, and we are all quite devastated by her death.

On a happier note, I moved house during the summer. I had lived in a very nice, modern, open-plan apartment with lots of space. Many would have loved to live there, but it wasn’t ‘me’, and I never really felt at home there. I think I have been too used to living in manses with their ‘decaying grandeur’. Anyway, the Church owns a building nearer to the church and hotel, which has now been renovated, and I have moved into the flat on the upper floor, which has ‘character’, views and a wonderful balcony – what more could one ask for. I had happy memories of Yakfie (the name of the house) from my time as a volunteer, so am absolutely thrilled to be living there. My previous flat had been in a commercial area, surrounded by roads and alarms (which rang continually through the night). Here, I have neighbours and also peace and quiet (apart from the occasional noise of a party on the beach) and even a large garden. I had better discover some green fingers soon! Though there is a scheme in Tiberias where ex-prisoners learn gardening, and we are hoping to employ them.

I am in Scotland (from the end of October) for just under six weeks. However, the Moderator will be visiting Israel and Palestine later in December, so I will need to be back in time to prepare for that!

Gaza

2011-11-01T13:24:00.004+02:00

In the summer I visited Gaza, albeit only for a day. I had gone with lots of preconceptions, thinking that I would be entering a war-zone with destroyed buildings all around. There may very well be evidence of destruction, but not where we went in Gaza City. In fact, it just seemed like a normal, rather dilapidated town. What did strike me was that there were people everywhere, and Gaza is the most densely populated place on earth. Sadly it probably has the highest unemployment rate of anywhere on earth as well, as it has little industry. One person commented that most people are at university, because there is nothing else to do!

We had gone to visit several projects supported by Church of Scotland, including ante-natal clinics run by the Near East Council of Churches and a hospital run by the Anglican Church. The Christian population of Gaza is very small, so these institutions are very much run for the needs of those who are unconnected with the church.

Photo from http://www.atfaluna.net/

We finished our day, by visiting the Atfaluna School for Deaf Children, which is housed in a beautiful building paid for by German partners, and we were amazed by the high standard of all the furnishings and education materials. Because of the dire employment prospects in Gaza, especially for those who have a disability, Atfaluna employ former pupils to make furniture, carpets and crafts, which are then sold (including, I believe, in the Hadeel shop in Edinburgh).

All in all, it was an interesting visit, not least to be made aware of the sufferings of those living in Gaza with the regular disruption of electricity and food supplies, all of which are delivered through Israel.

Short summer break

2011-07-01T14:02:00.002+03:00

Please note, no access to update this blog or approve comments for the next few weeks – see you after that!

Peace Garden

2011-07-01T13:40:00.000+03:00

Our Peace Pole had become quite a familiar sight, propped up in the back corner of the church, but all that changed last Tuesday when workmen from Tu’ran arrived and proceeded to dig a hole in the garden, and by lunchtime the Pole was duly cemented into the ground. A few of us were meeting for a bible study, and we were caught by surprise by the speed of the work, but it is wonderful that it is finally in the ground with its message of ‘Let peace prevail on earth’ in the four languages: Arabic, English, Hebrew and Russian. Interestingly, as the workmen dug the whole, they discovered a one mil coin, inscribed Palestine (In the three languages), 1939. Not valuable, but fascinating to speculate how it ended up in the garden. Was a schoolchild reprimanded for losing it?

On Sunday we had a dozen people at the service, from Seattle and London, Germany and Holland, so we dedicated the peace pole and cracked open some sparkling red wine (which proceeded to splash over my white cassock!). The official dedication of the garden will be later in the year.

Eating Out

2011-06-27T16:20:00.003+03:00

Peter, the general manager at the Hotel had decided to take the hotel managers (who head the different departments of the hotel) on a team building exercise. They went rock climbing near the Dead Sea, learning to depend on each other.

It seemed to go well, and in the evening I joined them at a restaurant in Jaffa, which is called ‘Black Out’ –appropriate, as the restaurant is completely dark, and the waiters are all blind. The waiters have obviously no problem with the darkness, but we, the diners, certainly did! Going in, we had to cling on to each others’ shoulder and follow our waiter conga-style. Once seated we had to feel around for our cutlery and take the risk of pouring water into our glass, without knocking it over or filling it too full.

We had ordered our food beforehand, but it was a different experience to eat it without seeing it. How much of our dining experience is usually linked to the sight of the food before us?! It was delicious however, and I made use of the dark to just use my hands to eat, just as I often did in Africa.

All in all, it was a good exercise in role-reversal and certainly put us in the shoes of those who are blind. Not all my group enjoyed the experience, but I am sure we all learned something from it.

Sederot

2011-05-31T12:08:00.001+03:00

It's May, and incredibly the hills are still green and the lake is filling up nicely after the good rains we have enjoyed, right to the very end of April. Not sure if all the pilgrim groups have quite appreciated the mist and rain, but certainly those of us resident here very much did.

We have had a lot of interesting people pass through the Hotel and Church, including a number of groups from Scotland. The Guild group was one such, under the leadership and Clarence and Joan Musgrave. They came to church in Raineh on the Sunday morning, only to coincide with a crowd of people coming the other way, following a casket with relics (including a footbone) of St Theresa of Lisieux. She died as a young woman, but she would walk around helping people, so the Catholics in Raineh were very inspired by the foot bone! The relics moved around the churches from village to village and town to town around the country for almost two months, so it was a big thing.

A couple of days later I joined the group again, as we went to Sederot, a town near Gaza (and which has been frequently on the receiving end of rockets). The Guild support a project at the Sapir College there which brings together Jewish and Bedouin women in a special social work course. We had visited at the very start of the course last year, but it was exciting to see how positive the students were and to hear their stories about the course and of the various projects they were setting up, including, for example, a park in a village without any green space.

The students were varied in age and background, but apparently they were the talk of the campus, because Bedouin and Jew would be studying together, eating together, chatting together. All barriers down. Well done to the Guild for supporting this course!

Members of the Guild group along with participants in the course sponsored by the Guild at Sapir College, Sderot.

Interestingly a couple of waiters from the Hotel have just about to complete their first year at University. Ayman, a Christian guy, is at the Technion at Haifa, one of the top institutions in the country, while Ahlam, a Moslem girl, is at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Both seem very happy and talk of their friendship with students from all the different faith groups (so Sederot isn’t too unusual) – but then that is what they did at the Hotel!

Feasts

2011-05-11T11:15:00.001+03:00

The siren sounds, and everything stops. It is Memorial Day (6 May), a bit like Remembrance Day in Britain, and at the sound of the siren at 11am, everyone stands still wherever they are. Even cars stop and the drivers get out.

Last night many people gathered at the memorial wall near the promenade in Tiberias to hear the names read out of those who had died as soldiers in the IDF (Israeli Defence Force). Many were in tears.

I find it a very meaningful time, though one is conscious that it is for only part of the community, as most of the Arab community would not particularly join in. Next week will be Nakba Day for the Arabs, when they remember the catastrophe of 1948 when many had to leave their homes and even go into exile. Only Nakba Day is not a recognised holiday, and now it has become difficult to teach about it in schools.

This has been a time of holidays. We had Pesach (Passover) just a couple of weeks ago, often a time when Israelis take their holidays. It begins with the Seder meal, and this year I was invited to a friends’ home, where ten of us sat round the table and went through the Haggadah, the Passover liturgy and ate the traditional food.. Quite different from the kibbutz seder which I attended last year, where hundreds of people had come together. I feel privileged to have had the experience of both.

For Christians it was, of course, Holy Week and Easter, and I had started it on Palm Sunday at the Anglican Church at Raineh, which I often attend. After the service we process round the village waving our branches and joining with our friends from the Latin and Greek Catholic churches and led by the Scout band. I think it is a boost to the Christian population and strengthens their spirits in often difficult times. As the week progressed, we held services for Maunday Thursday and Good Friday in Tiberias, then a Dawn Service on Easter morning (to which 5 people came, to my surprise) at which we witnessed a marvellous sunrise over the Lake. Then, even more to my surprise, 35 people attended the evening service (mostly Dutch pilgrims, but not exclusively so).

Easter Monday was also the final day of the Pesach holiday, but also was the holy day for the Druze, and my friend Samir from the Hotel had invited me to the Nabi Shu’eib shrine for the celebrations. Druze from all over Galilee came, but only men. For this particular day, women are not allowed for some reason. There was a festive atmosphere, and everyone seemed to have their portable stoves to brew up some Arabic coffee. Government officials and also leaders from the other faith communities gave speeches to wish the Druze, ‘Hag Sameach’ (Happy Holiday!).

Some recent pics - April in Tiberias

2011-04-21T17:48:00.001+03:00

short break ...

2011-04-06T16:51:00.001+03:00

This blog is taking a short technical break - back in a week or so!

New places

2011-03-28T11:16:00.001+02:00

It is almost a year and a half since I arrived in Tiberias, but I still find myself stumbling across places which I have never visited before, yet which are on my doorstep. One such place is the ruins of Herod’s palace at Bereniki, a hill overlooking Tiberias. This was built by Herod Antipas and is a possible site for the beheading of John the Baptist (and also Salome’s dance!). It is a lovely place, not least because it is so undeveloped and is off the tourist trail. Not a single tourist bus there! But a place of wild flowers and lizards and the most marvellous views over the Lake. I had been to the Sabeel Conference in Bethlehem, whose theme was ‘Empire’, and I could see how imposing the palace must have been to the inhabitants of newly-founded Tiberias down below. Very much a case of ‘I am boss’. Even now, settlements are built on hills overlooking the Arab villages, such as Nazareth Illit overlooking Nazareth.

However, in the case of Bereniki, it is now overlooked by the ‘Swiss Forest’, a wooded area (forest is too grand a term) planted from donations from Switzerland. A super area for walks (and views), but also there are some memorials to those who have died, including parents who ‘vanished in Theresienstadt’, a reference to one of the concentration camps.

Another place which I discovered is again just outside Tiberias - Nebi Shu’eib. This is a sacred site for the Druze, who believe it is the tomb of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. In fact, the Druze believe that Jethro passed on rules about justice and monotheism to Moses. Nebi Shu’eib is extremely well-developed, with gardens, viewpoints and picnic areas, as well as a complex of a mosque, library and the tomb (which includes an impressive chandelier from Druze in Damascus, who sent it in lieu of coming on pilgrimage, as the current political situation means they are not allowed to visit their relatives in Israel). When I visited, there were a couple of hundred people there, mostly families, enjoying the peace and quiet.

The Druze are an interesting Moslem sect, found in the Galilee and Golan, in Syria and Lebanon. They wear a distinctive dress, the men wearing white tarbooshes and baggy trousers, while the women cover their heads in a white cloth. They are loyal to whatever state they reside in, and so, while other Arab citizens (Christian and Moslem) of Israel are exempt from serving in the army, the Druze perform the same military duty as Jewish Israelis. At Nebi Shu’eib the Druze flag (a multicoloured affair) flies alongside the Israeli one.

Against the odds

2011-03-08T19:05:00.000+02:00

We travelled up into the Galilee hills to visit a factory! It was situated in an industrial park and seemed ordinary enough, but behind it lay a fascinating story of a woman fighting against the odds.

Gamila is a Druze lady, and in her childhood she learned all about the medical and healing qualities of herbs from her family. She put this knowledge into good effect by making soap using the various herbs. It started in the family home, but gradually it became a business, as Gamila wanted her children to go to good schools and have a chance in life.

As a woman she encountered much opposition; her fellow villagers felt her place was in the home, rather than running a business, and she had to suffer their taunts. In the end, however, she succeeded, and her soap has hit the luxury end of the market and exports all around the world. Her family have benefitted (her son was the first from the village to go to university), and so has the community.

It was good to visit the factory and see that Moslems and Christians, Jews and Druze, were all employed. As part of its procurement policy, the Hotel is going to use Gamila’s soap. It is also buying its olive oil from Sindyanna, a fair trade company based in the Galilee and is at present sourcing bed ‘throws’ and rugs through Sunbula.

International Womens' Day, 8 March 2011

Fanatics

2011-02-18T14:14:00.000+02:00

The BBC must have recently aired a programme in Britain set in one of the settlements on the West Bank, featuring religious fanatics. People must think that Israel is full of extremists, and yes, there are quite a few about.

However, so many people simply want to live at peace with one another. I was chatting to one of our newer workers at the Scots Hotel, who has just finished a 3 year stint in the army, after school. Interestingly, he said that what the army had taught him was that everyone was equal, regardless of ethnic group or religion, and that you just had to be open and treat everyone the same. I don’t think he would see eye to eye with a fanatic from the settlements! One of the joys of the Hotel is the make-up of the staff, with Jew and Moslem, Christian and Druze all working closely together, a paradigm for what could be.

New starts

2011-02-15T15:39:00.002+02:00

At long last the rains came in January, turning Galilee green, though not quite filling the Lake unfortunately. The houses here are built for the long hot summers, so when the temperatures drop, it feels very cold indeed in the house. It is only when you go out, with several layers on, that you discover that it is actually a pleasant Spring Day!

January also saw the departure of two good friends from the Scots' Hotel in Tiberias. Sad, as I related well to them, but at the same time I am happy that they are moving on to better positions. In hotels people are always moving on, and you just have to get used to it. However, new people also come, and January brought a new general manager to the Hotel. Peter is German, but has lived in Israel for 16 years and is married with two children. He has already made a positive impact on the Hotel, and I am enjoying working with him. In many ways, the last several months have been difficult without a manager, and I have spent more time at the Hotel trying to be supportive. We were, however, very fortunate in having our accountant Shaul as acting manager; I think his wife will be glad to see more of him now.

The Scots' Hotel, Tiberias

The Galilee Society

2010-12-13T13:31:00.002+02:00

After my years in Africa where I had known so many people who had either died from AIDS or were living positively with it, it has been strange to come to Israel and Palestine, where it is not so prevalent and where there is a lesser degree of awareness.

The Galilee Society at Shefa Amr is an NGO, whose HIV/AIDS programme is supported by Church of Scotland, and recently they held a seminar for school counsellors and school nurses to highlight HIV/AIDS and to explore the various challenges faced in talking to youngsters about it, especially in the Arab community, where there is a certain shyness over health issues.

I was impressed by the commitment of the participants and also by their readiness to engage with the AIDS issue. The seminar was organised by Mohammad Khatib, who heads the Health Justice department of the Society, and he also talked to me about a new project regarding awareness of breast cancer among women in the Arab community. The percentage of Arab women with such cancer is smaller than in Israeli society as a whole, but mortality rates are higher, because they fail to take the necessary tests quickly enough. An informative DVD has been brought out by the Galilee Society, including a ‘censored’ version for use when men are present.

Something which the Society is also having to address is the growing violence in the Arab community. The newspapers have been reporting on a number of family feuds which have resulted in the deaths of young people (a bit like Renaissance Italy). On trying to explain the underlying causes for this violence, one lady told me, ‘We do not know who we are. Are we Arab or Palestinian or Israeli? We keep hearing different voices saying one or the other’. Part of it is coping with being a minority in the land, but equally the Israeli Jews have to cope with being a minority in the Middle East.

The Olive Harvest

2010-11-23T15:20:00.001+02:00

‘Come, help us with the olive harvest!’

Maroun and his family had been harvesting their 70 odd olive trees for the last few Saturdays near Jish, up at the Lebanese border, so I duly went along. Fortunately they had also the foresight to hire three Thai workers from a nearby kibbutz who did all the hard work of moving groundsheets under the trees and whacking the branches to make the olives fall.

My task (after arriving just in time for breakfast!) was to sort out the olives from twigs and help put them in bags ready to be made into oil. I can’t pretend to have helped very much, but I enjoyed spending the day in the olive grove and being part of a tradition which goes back all the centuries. Olive oil is used in so many different ways, so is always prized. This year looks like a good harvest, and Maroun’s family have already over 20 gallons of oil. A good day - and the breakfast was wonderful...!

Refugee

On Sundays you never know who will come to church. Last Sunday there were only a couple of people in the congregation, but half way through someone came in and stayed for the rest of the service. It turned out he was a refugee from Ethiopia and, like many Ethiopians and Sudanese, had come across the border into Israel illegally. Nebi has applied for permission to stay, but there seems to be a problem as he is technically Eritrean, though he has lived in Ethiopia all his life. His employer was making use of this, making him work long hours without any protective clothing and being reluctant to give him an appropriate salary – always threatening to cause trouble with the immigration people. Needless to say, Nebi finds it difficult to complain. He hopes to find a better job, and we’ll do what we can to help.

Peki’in

Hanna is one of the chefs at the Hotel and lives in the village of Peki’in in the Galilee Hills. It is an old village, very attractive with winding lanes, and unusual in Israel as it has Moslems, Druze, Christians and Jews living together (though not without tension). More Jews want to move in and are prepared to pay double the asking price for houses. However, most of the Arabs would resist the temptation to sell to anyone apart from their own community, in order to safeguard the character of the place. I had accompanied Hanna to his church, the Melkite (Greek Catholic) church. Services are held in the old church in the village only once a month, so we were in the hall of the new church which is being built outside the village, where many of the Christians have now moved. Hanna is engaged and hopes to marry next year, so he is busy building his house on top of his parents’ house (i.e. adding a new floor). This is very traditional, as families are very close. It was good to meet Hanna’s mother especially, as she bakes the communion bread we use on Sundays.

Inter-faith?

On Tuesday I had travelled to Haifa to meet with Archbishop Elias Chacour of the Melkite Church, to which a majority of the Christians in the Galilee belong. The archbishop is well-known as the writer of several books, including ‘Blood Brothers’ which present the pain and inequalities faced by Palestinian Christians in Israel, while calling for all faiths to live together peacefully. It was a privilege to visit with him. Afterwards I met up with a friend who is Anglican (again an Arab), but who was feeling particularly vulnerable after the terrible events in Iraq where many Christians had been held hostage and even killed in one of the churches. He bemoaned the rising extremism in Islam in the Middle East, and felt the Church was threatened throughout the region. It was immediately after this I visited Tareq, the restaurant manager at the Hotel, who lives in Haifa. He is Moslem and was on holiday celebrating the Eidh al-Adha, when Moslems remember how Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac. I went with him to his brother-in-laws house and was interested to find two orthodox Jews visiting him. His brother-in-law is involved in inter-faith dialogue, had spoken in several synagogues and also presents television programmes on the subject. It was a good antidote to the gloom of my friend earlier.

Tel Aviv

Tiberias is a small town with quite an insular mentality, so it is good to get out occasionally and go to Tel Aviv, the biggest city in Israel. I had travelled down with Moshe to visit a wine exposition and check out new wines for the Hotel, but we also had time to wander about and enjoy the atmosphere of the city. It is a city of many restaurants and cafes, with wide avenues with walkways down the centre. A good place to people-watch! Also lots of people on bikes and people out walking dogs (which I rarely see in Tiberias). Tel Aviv is a very secular city ( in contrast to Tiberias, which is becoming more and more religious) and somehow seems more friendly and welcoming – interesting observation?

Hotel Outing

2010-11-02T13:31:00.000+02:00

In September over 40 of the staff at the Hotel went on a day’s outing to visit the other institutions run by the Church of Scotland.

First stop was Tabeetha School, where the young children sang for us and where Antony Short, the Head, was able to explain the ethos behind the school. At least one of the managers was set to enrol his daughter - if only the school were nearer Tiberias!

Then we moved on to Jerusalem, and it was an eye-opener to see the guest-house and to experience the special atmosphere there. Rev George Shand took us round the church, which again impressed everyone.

After lunch we went into the Old City, where we visited sites associated with the various faiths, walking along the Via Dolorosa and ending up at the Western Wall with views of the Dome of the Rock and El-Asqa Mosque inbetween. Interestingly, my Moslem and Jewish colleagues found the Church of the Holy Sepulchre too lax in allowing people to enter who were ‘inappropriately’ dressed (e.g. in shorts).

Finally at nearly 9 o’clock at night our bus drew into Tiberias. A good day, away from the routine of the Hotel and an opportunity to view the ‘larger picture’ of the church’s work in Israel & Palestine. Also a chance to be together in the various holy places of our faiths, which was important.

Tension

2010-10-29T17:42:00.000+02:00

On Tuesday I travelled to Barta’a, a town which straddles the Green Line, which separates The West Bank from Israel. I was with a friend who has his dentist there, and all was very peaceful.

Yet the very next day the television pictures were of events in the neighbouring town of Umm el Fahm, another large Arab town, where extremists Jews had been given permission to march, waving Israeli flags. Confrontation was inevitable, and indeed it ended up in mayhem, with tear gas, secret police and arrests. The pictures were broadcast around the world, and Israel’s name is tarnished once more.

To me it is sad, especially as a lot of my Jewish friends were aghast at such a provocative march being allowed to take place. Only a week ago there was also some trouble in Safed, one of the four Holy Cities for the Jews and which stands in the hills to the north of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). The rabbi there had urged people not to rent out rooms to Arab students studying at the local College and to shun those who did. This led to a confrontation between extremist students on both sides of the ethnic divide.

In both cases, it seems that the extremists throughout Israel, who are very much in the minority, are gaining more and more power and are creating situations of tension. Once again it saddens me, as so many people in both communities want to live side by side in peace.

Driving Test

2010-09-20T12:05:00.000+02:00

Coming to Israel, I had to get used to driving on the right-hand side of the road and also an automatic car transmission, both of which turned out not to be a problem at all. However, I was also aware that my British license would only last me a year and that I would have to sit a driving test before the year was out. So, last month I started to have driving lessons! After 30-odd years of driving, a test should hold no fear for me – except I had 30 years of bad habits to contend with. ‘You are driving too fast!’, ‘Look in ALL three mirrors’, ‘ You are supposed to stop at STOP signs, not give way’, my instructor screamed!

Anyway the fatal day of the test came, and I was in the instructor’s car with two Americans who were also sitting the test. We took it in turns to drive. The test was fine, though all in Hebrew (!!). One of the Americans ‘kindly’ said that he thought I had failed (he himself had made two terrible mistakes), but I had to wait all day till the results were posted in the evening (one instructor was almost killed when he told someone he had failed, so results are never given immediately). Fortunately (and somewhat to my surprise), I had passed!

Rosh haShana & Ramadan

2010-09-17T12:04:00.000+02:00

Over the weekend, the promenade at Tiberias has been thronging with Arab families, celebrating the end of Ramadan. While not all Moslems fast for the month, many do, and I could see how some of the staff at the Hotel really suffered during the August heat, not even able to take a sip of water from dawn until sunset – a long time. So there was none of my usual Arabic coffee at the Maintenance Office, where Ahmed hopes to go on the Haj this year!

The end of Ramadan coincide this year with Rosh haShana, the Jewish New Year. Someone gave me a jar of honey, and I cut up apples to dip into the honey, which is typical for this time of year, a desire that the year to come will be a good and sweet one. Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, the most holy day in the Jewish year follows ten days later, and these 10 days are called the yamim nora’im, the ‘terrible days’ as someone translated it, or the ‘Days of Awe’. This is a time for introspection, to look at where you are and where you are going in life’s journey. It is also a time to reflect on mistakes made, those whom we may have offended and those who may have offended us, so there is an air of forgiveness and reconciliation. A friend of mine says that Tiberias has a special atmosphere during these days, and I have certainly noticed an air of goodwill. If only it would continue..!
It is always good to witness the festivals of other faith groups, and I always feel there is much to learn from them as Christians.

House of Grace

2010-08-17T11:57:00.000+03:00

Sunday, after church service at St Luke’s Anglican church in Haifa (and the inevitable lunch thereafter), we went to the business district where, surrounded by tower-blocks, government offices and roadworks, stands the House of Grace.

Just walking into the compound, one feels a sense of peace. The old church was once the Greek Catholic cathedral, but has now been restored to a most beautiful and serene sanctuary. One of the ikons was gifted by a drug addict who inherited it from his mother, but was terrified he would sell it to feed his habit, so gave it to the church! And that is maybe a clue to what else goes on here, for the house was set up 28 years ago by Agnes Shehade and her late husband Kamil as a half way house for prisoners, released from prison but with nowhere to go. This rehabilitation work continues to today, with the prisoners, Jew and Arab, living with the family in the house. The centre has had various emphases over the years, and today supports over 400 needy families and works to empower young people at risk. It also inspires the youths to volunteer in other projects.

The house is usually closed on a Sunday, but we were welcomed into Agnes’ living room, given juice and fruit and Arabic coffee and were just so overwhelmed by the hospitality and grace shown by this remarkable woman. Her four sons and one daughter were brought up in the house with the prisoners and the needy and amazingly all of them are still involved, giving of their skills. I was tremendously touched by what I had seen – it truly is a house full of grace.

August update

2010-08-10T13:31:00.000+03:00

A Wedding in Cana
Earlier this month I was privileged to be invited to the wedding of the daughter of Husni, one of the maintenance workers. Husni is from Cana and a Muslim (he was on the hajj to Mecca last year), so, unlike the wedding Jesus attended there, there was definitely no water into wine at this one. Interestingly the sexes were segregated, with the men sitting apart from the women in a separate hall – too bad, as the women seemed to have all the music and dancing. When the groom arrived he was hoisted on the shoulders of his friends and carried to the bride, and they danced together.

Disco on the Lake
I was visited by two friends recently, and for the first time in my 9 months here, I went out with them on a boat into the centre of the Sea of Galilee. We had rather expected a quiet spiritual experience, but we hadn’t reckoned with the arrival of a busload of acutely disabled children along with the young people looking after them. Suddenly the disco music started and the peace was shattered, but it was wonderfully touching to see the young helpers enthusiastically manoeuvre their friends in wheelchairs in the disco! And fascinating to hear the Birdie Dance in Hebrew!! (I am afraid we didn’t join in.)

Heat
Tiberias is sweltering in the August heat. We are into the 40s, but the ‘perceived temperature’ (taking into account humidity) is nearer 50. Even showers, turned to the coldest setting, are hot. I am surprised anyone comes to Tiberias at this time, but there are a lot of orthodox Jewish families around. We have also had a lovely group of about 30 young people from an Anglican church near the coast, who have been having seminars on prayer. It excites me that they are able to have access to the hotel and its facilities through the subsidy scheme (which comes out of the hotel profits). It also gladdens my heart to see such enthusiastic young people in the church.

2010-07-13T15:49:00.006+03:00

St. Andrew’s Galilee
Just back from Church. Yet again a fascinating group of people. A couple from Germany, a woman from Poole in Dorset (fortunately a good singer, who knew the hymns I had chosen), a couple of Armenian seminarians (one with a rich Canadian accent). It is always touching to stand round the Table with people from different countries and traditions. It is a must, apparently, for Armenian priests to have beards, so the Canadian seminarian wondered why not all protestant ministers are bearded (though admittedly I have stubble!!). If he stays in the Middle East, he will have to remain celibate, whereas if he returns to Canada, he can choose to marry.

For a tiny congregation, a lot seems to happen, and a few weeks ago, we had a special service admitting Andrew Donohoe to the eldership. He had been ordained in Dumfries about 25 years ago, but now that he has come back to Tiberias permanently, it seemed good to utilise his leadership skills. The following week was Shirley’s last Sunday with us. A Mennonite and Director of Nazareth Village, she has been coming faithfully to St Andrew’s for about 5 years, but now it is time for her to return to the States and to Maryland. She has been a good support, and it is sad to lose her, but exciting that she is moving on to new things.

Banners
We have been moving things around in the church. There are some bare walls, so we decided we needed some banners to add a splash of colour. We are not quite up to making any yet, so if anyone has some spare banners lying around, they would be most welcome! Also, one of the local scout groups in Sakhnin have a pipe and drum band, and are desperately looking for old bagpipes...!

Lutheran Young leaders
At the end of June we hosted a group of 20 young people, mostly from the Lutheran churches in the West Bank. It was touch and go whether they would be granted the necessary visas, but to our relief they were. They could never afford to stay at the Hotel on normal rates, but we are able to subsidise some groups (though the budget soon runs out!). It was a joy for them to see the Sea of Galilee (they can only dream of the sea in the West Bank) and visit the sites associated with Jesus. Bishop Munib, who is such a wonderful person, was there facilitating, which I found very encouraging, as sometimes leaders don’t associate with the youth. During their worship, their hymn-singing drew some of the Jewish and Moslem members of staff, and their excellent behaviour won the praise of all.

Jaffa & Bethlehem
Schools have broken up for the summer holidays, and Tabeetha was no different. I travelled down for the graduation ceremony, as the 6th formers said their goodbyes. I was amazed at how mature they were and also excited by their dreams for the future, which they so ably put across by video, as well as by speech. A good evening, and fortunately far cooler in Jaffa than Tiberias.

The next day I went with George (minister in Jerusalem) and Lindsay (a student on summer attachment) to Bethlehem to visit some of the projects supported by Sunbula. The one which stood out for me was the Ma’an Lil-Hayat project, which is based at the L’Arche community. It aims to ‘bring together people with and without intellectual disabilities, who share life through work, celebrations and mutual relationships of friendship and trust. They aim to ‘ celebrate the unique value of every person and recognise the need for one another’. As one of my friends at the Hotel commented, if only everyone in Israel-Palestine thought the same! It was so good to see how the wool was carded, then made into felt – and suddenly caterpillars and ladybirds and nativity scenes were created. There was lots of excitement as well, as the group had just been to a swimming pool, the first time for most of them. After the visit to Ma’an Lil-Hayat, we spent the afternoon with Usama at Wi’am, the centre for Reconciliation and Dialogue. He took us into the Aida Refugee camp, which was right next to the Wall which seems to encircle Bethlehem. A more chilling end to the day.

Samir

2010-06-18T13:37:00.001+03:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have been invited to visit the homes of some of the members of staff, and yesterday I went to Mughar, a Palestinian village which has a mixed population of Christian, Moslem and Druze. I had visited Ayman a few times, accompanying him to his church, but this time I visited Samir, one of the maintenance workers at the hotel. Samir is Druze, a Moslem sect with many members in Lebanon and Syria. The Druze are unusual for Moslems, in that they always support the state of Israel and participate in the army. However, like all Palestinians, there is a longing to visit relatives in Syria and Lebanon, many of whom they have never met, because there is no peace between these countries and Israel.

Samir lives in one of the nicest houses I have visited in Israel, beautifully decorated with antiques and with commanding views over the Galilee hills. Like many of the Arab houses, there were flags flying from the roof (in Samir’s case, an Argentinean one) – an indication of which team the family were supporting in the ‘Mondial’ (World Cup).

Scots Festival

2010-06-15T18:28:00.005+03:00

Every year in May there is a celebration of Scottish culture at the Hotel. This year it coincided with the departure of the General Manager, but the managers (departmental heads) are real professionals, and they pulled it off.

There was a superb closing concert, set in the hotel gardens overlooking the Lake and with wonderful music (admittedly Irish rather than Scottish), and other events such as a whisky seminar, a study of Macbeth through drama, opera and film and an evening of Scottish songs.

A Scottish chef (above) also appeared in a workshop, demonstrating how to cook Scotch Broth - not a patch on my mother’s! -and stovies, and then trifle (with jelly!).

Tension

2010-06-14T17:42:00.003+03:00

The siren sounded throughout the country, and people immediately rushed to their shelters. It was an air-raid practice, and I was at my Hebrew conversation class. So the 8 of us trooped downstairs to the designated room and joined all the others from the educational centre. Fortunately it only lasted a few minutes, as the room was full of junk – the thought of spending any length of time there something not to dwell on.

The following morning, quite early, I heard the boom of thunder from the Golan Heights, but it wasn’t thunder: rather the army testing their big guns! Rumours of possible war were suddenly rife in my Hebrew group!

Then to cap it all, there was the incident of the flotilla of ships bringing aid to Gaza, which resulted in several deaths and the almost universal condemnation of Israel. At the Hotel there is a policy (official/ unofficial?) not to talk about politics, and the Arab staff members were reluctant to talk about the incident, apart from in private, whilst the reaction of the Jewish members of staff varied considerably. ‘Why does everyone in the world hate us?’, one of the younger members asked me.

Baptism and Mourning

2010-05-18T13:41:00.006+03:00

Rather excitingly, we had a baptism on Sunday evening. Given the small numbers of the congregation here, it is not something which happens regularly – in fact, no-one can remember the last time a baby was baptised here! However, Adeck Mba, the father, is a professional footballer, playing for one of the teams here in Israel – and is a Presbyterian from Cameroon (The Basle Mission were active in that part of west Africa), his mother being an elder. So it was a privilege to baptise little Riya. Also a relief that there was a reasonable congregation of 18 there to witness it and offer support.

Having witnessed at the baptism the joy of new life a baby brings, a very good friend of mine from the hotel, Moshe (photo right), has just been through a very different experience, with the death of his father. Jewish burials take place usually within a day of the death happening different from Africa, where we often waited for days for family to arrive), after which the family hold shiva. This means that the family sit in the funeral house for 7 days. Mirrors are covered, and the family sit on the floor (or very low seating). They also rip their clothes as a sign of mourning. During shiva, a memorial candle is kept alight, and friends call for short visits. Men are not allowed to shave or have haircuts for 30 days, while women do not wear makeup.(At the hotel, the male staff are supposed to shave every day, but Moshe has been exempted for a month). After 7 days, a person can resume work, but in Moshe’s case, work at the hotel is combined with prayers three times a day (early morning at 5.30, late afternoon and evening) – and in Judaism, you need at least 10 people to pray, so it is not a case of rattling through some prayers in private, but of going to a synagogue for at least an hour.

Mourning for a parent actually lasts for a year, and during that time, the mourner is not supposed to go to parties or entertainment, nor is able to invite anyone for meals. Even music is avoided. Of course, many people do not necessarily keep all of this, but the religious would, and Moshe comes from quite a religious family.

Visit to Jenin

2010-05-06T19:02:00.003+03:00

The very mention of the West Bank town of Jenin seems to set alarm bells ringing with many of the people here. The incursion of the Israeli army into Jenin was one of the flashpoints of the Intifada, and a number of lives were lost, especially on the Palestinian side. The town was ‘closed’ for some time, and even now I doubted how easy it would be to get in (when I mentioned I was going, one Palestinian friend said I was a brave man!). As it was, there was nothing simpler than getting through the checkpoint (though the vehicle and our luggage were thoroughly searched on the way back!), and Jenin itself was a friendly, bustling town.

I had gone there with Runa Mackay and Janet Powney from Edinburgh, and our main contact was Yousef at the Jenin Cultural Centre, which organizes drama, workshops for children, English lessons and computer classes among other things. [The photo is at the Cultural Centre at Jenin. From left, Yousef, Ahmed, Mohammed and me.] It was interesting to see the children’s paintings, which had been full of violent images of soldiers, tanks, blood, people being arrested. However, the more recent ones are of more peaceful scenes, including the sea – though this is something which can no longer be seen with ease on the West bank. It was also good to visit the Refugee Camp, which had borne the brunt of the fighting during the Incursion, and see the sculpture of a horse, made out of bits of cars (and even an ambulance) which had been blown up during the fighting. Again, taking something negative and turning it into a positive.

We stayed at Yousef’s home in the village of Burqin, and I was excited to find an old Orthodox church there, set in a peaceful garden full of roses. It is reputedly the site of the healing of the 10 lepers, and a church was built there in the 4th Century. The Christian population is small, but there seems to be a good relationship between the Moslems and Christians. Also near Burqin, is a centre for fair trade products (Canaan Fair Trade). There seem to be about 40 farms involved, seven of which are organic, as well as 6 women’s co-operatives. Farmers are given a good price for their goods, and the quality seems to be excellent (I bought some olive oil and some soap). A lot of the produce is sold to Europe and America, and I felt encouraged that the fragile Palestinian economy could be boosted by an organization seeking to benefit women and men in this rural community.

A good visit, and one which re-enforces in my mind both the goodness of people on all sides of this conflict, but also the dreadful injustices being borne by the Palestinians in the West Bank. But ultimately I left feeling more hopeful for the Palestinian people.

Bir’im

2010-04-21T17:36:00.002+03:00

Bir’im was a bustling village near the Lebanese border, with a population of Maronite and Melkite Christians. In 1948 the villagers had to leave, hoping that they would return, but it never happened. Many moved to the nearby village of Jish; others went into exile. Their case was taken to court, and the ruling was that they be allowed to return – except ‘for security reasons’ this has never been implemented. Though, interestingly, the people of Jish still bring their dead to be buried at the cemetery in Bir’im. (On Good Friday it is the custom for Christians to visit the graves of their loved ones, and I hear that at 6 o’clock in the morning, several hundred people had made the journey from Jish to Bir’im to continue this custom).

The area is now a national park, as there is an ancient synagogue there, but you can still see the ruins of the houses, though the stone crosses on the lintels seem to have been taken away. The Maronite church is still there, however, and services, hitherto held only once a year, will apparently be held there every Saturday. While I was there, a group of American Christians were looking at the synagogue and had spent 45 minutes there. When we mentioned about the church being just 50 metres away, their guide said it was time for lunch and quickly moved them to their bus. Perhaps the sight of the ruined village would have led to some awkward questions. Out of sight is out of mind.

Though, for the Jews, this is the time to remember, and there have been two memorial days, one for the victims of the Shoah (holocaust) and the other for soldiers who died in wars. A siren sounds over the land, and everyone and everything stops and stands to attention. Looking out my window, I could see vehicles stopped in the middle of roundabouts, with the drivers standing still beside them. This must have been broadcast widely, as I received a text message from the North-western province of Zambia, asking why it happened.

Blog down for 2 weeks

2010-04-01T17:58:00.002+03:00

Please note: This Blog will not be updated for the next 2 weeks. Normal service will be resumed on 20 April.

Weaving women, Passover and Easter

2010-03-31T12:33:00.012+03:00

Kafr Manda is a sizeable Arab village in Western Galilee and is home to a basketry project, in which 9 Arab women, the oldest 53 and the youngest 22, weave baskets. In doing so, they keep alive an ancient craft. The project is run by Sindyanna, a fair trade organisation, which works mostly with the Arab community, but which seeks to promote co-existence between the different groups in Israeli society. In fact, the next basketry course will have 10 participants, 5 Arab and 5 Jewish women, which I find exciting. Even as it is, the workforce is mixed. The project seeks to empower the women, providing them with employment and thereby with money, but also giving them a space away from their home environment where they can chat and share problems. The baskets themselves are works of art, all individual. Needless to say, I bought two for the church in Tiberias! The women also make lunch for groups, so anyone planning a trip to the Holy land should consider stopping off there!

Passover
The Monday night of Holy Week – but also this year the beginning of Passover (or Pesach, in Hebrew). I had been invited, along with two friends from Scotland, to the Seder meal at Kinneret kibbutz just south of Tiberias. It was a wonderful experience, with over 300 people of all ages gathered in the kibbutz dining hall. This was the 96th time the Seder had been celebrated at Kinneret, and different families had their own bits of the ‘liturgy’ to read, as the story of the Exodus and the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt was recited. All this was interspersed with singing led by a band of musicians. The walls were also decorated by paintings by one of the artists from the kibbutz, using the ‘Exodus’ theme.

I found it an incredibly moving experience and was struck by a sense of continuity with the past, both immediately (some of the readings were read by children of the first settlers on the kibbutz), but also realising that this meal had been celebrated for all these centuries. I was also struck by the strong sense of community and oneness on the kibbutz. As a Christian, I could identify strongly with the Passover, whose message of liberation from oppression has meant so much to churches throughout the world.

Easter
The scouts are an interdenominational group in the Arab town of Reine, and their band beat the drums and led the procession with banners at the Palm Sunday procession, where we moved from the Anglican church (our partners) to the Melkite (Greek Catholic) church to the Latin (Roman Catholic) church, waving our palms and olive branches. A meaningful occasion!

On Thursday, we will hold our feet-washing and communion service, while on Good Friday we will have a series of meditations, as we move around the hotel garden and down to the church, remembering all the events of the day. A dawn service and communion on top of the Migdal in the hotel garden on Easter morning will be the culmination of our activities.

I hope and pray that Easter will be a blessed and meaningful time for all of you, wherever you may be.

Yanoun

2010-03-16T15:41:00.002+02:00

We drove up from the Jordan Valley through the rain and fog to find the small road leading us to the town of Aqraba and on to the village of Yanoun in the West Bank. Yanoun is surrounded by Jewish settlements and became a flashpoint in 2003 when settlers drove the inhabitants from their homes.

This reminder of the expulsion of Arab populations in 1948 caused Jewish Peace activists to protect the village from being taken over by the settlers, and since that time there has been an international presence in the village, though a few of the houses are still sadly left empty. As it is, shepherds cannot take their sheep up the hillsides to graze, in case of confrontations with the settlers, nor can children play or explore.

I had gone with a friend to visit Jan Sutch Pickard, who is there for 3 months with EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel). Their role is really just to be a presence in the village. Our visit coincided with that of a theatre group, Clowns without Borders, whose programme is called Laughter without Borders. They were spending just over a week in Palestine, before spending a few days in Israel playing to mixed audiences.

In Yanoun numbers were intimate, but it was so good to see the children laugh – there must be precious little of that. It was a happy day and the village seemed almost idyllic – until you noticed the looming presence of the settlements on the surrounding hills.

Meeting the Bedouins

2010-03-11T11:42:00.012+02:00

I had an early start to join Clarence and Joan Musgrave & the visiting Guild group as they visited projects supported by the NGO, Rabbis for Human Rights, among the Bedouin of the Negev, the large desert region in the south of the country (turned green with the rain). In the morning we visited a Bedouin village, where we heard of the work of the Pre-Military Academy, which takes young people who have just completed school for a 10 month stint before they start their army service. Their presence seems to have made some difference in the village, in that some facilities had been provided and some women have been learning Hebrew, so they can communicate (though how many of the young people learned any Arabic is another matter), and the women could now read, for example, health pamphlets (which should have been provided in Arabic anyway, as an official language, but which rarely are). The young people from the Academy came from privileged backgrounds in the Centre of the country -unfortunately there didn’t seem to be any Arabs on the programme, but then not many Arabs do military service - and their interaction with the Bedouin had obviously had an impact on them, and I could see that they had had a positive mind-shift, appreciating more about minorities in Israel.

The men in the group were taken round the local primary school. The headteacher bemoaned the lack of resources, but it seemed a lot better to me than many schools in Zambia, so it is all relative. The Head himself was a local Bedouin, but most of the teachers seemed to come from the Arab communities in the Galilee, as few of the Bedouins seem to go in for teaching. Again young people from the ‘Academy’ teach some courses, and thus present a different view of Jewish Israelis to the Bedouin pupils, who are more likely to associate Israelis negatively with the police or army. I was certainly impressed by the young man who took us round and felt that, despite some initial reservations, that the programme was a positive one.

What the Bedouin are associated with is their hospitality, and the morning finished with a lunch of rice, potato and chicken from a communal dish.

Purim

2010-03-08T16:54:00.000+02:00

Dressing up, face-painting, parties and presents! Purim is a fun festival – and the only Jewish festival which apparently obligates you to get drunk, in order that you are completely happy!!! It focuses on the Book of Esther, which is probably my least favourite book in the Bible (apart from the wonderful character of Vashti!), as its ending encourages vindictive vengeance and slaughter. However, this seems to have been air-brushed out of the versions of the story I have read here, so obviously others are uncomfortable with it too. Indeed most people would be unaware of it.

Evictions in Jerusalem

2010-02-26T16:15:00.004+02:00

Recently I have had to travel to Jerusalem several times. Strangely I have not visited many of the churches or shrines, preferring to wander through the narrow lanes of the old city or the bustling streets of East Jerusalem, getting a feel of the place. The old city is fascinating, with every twist and turn revealing spice shops or jewellers – or, to my consternation, groups of soldiers with their loaded rifles. This is more evident in the Moslem quarter of the city and near the Damascus Gate.

I suppose they are a normal occurrence for most people, but to me it was a stark reminder of the tensions within the city and also that the old city is occupied territory. Saying that, I also noticed that some of the houses are now occupied by religious Jews, with the Israeli flags provocatively hanging outside. This seems to be a determined strategy, as many Palestinians are being evicted from their homes and the religious Jews move in. A major flashpoint is the area of East Jerusalem called Sheikh Jarrah, where several families have had to move out of their homes, to be replaced by extremists. One family have lived in their house since the early 1950s, after they had been expelled in 1948 from their original house. Now they seem to be being expelled again!

The one slightly positive thing is that many Jews have joined the protests against such actions.

Ulpan - my Hebrew lessons

2010-02-25T17:26:00.002+02:00

The place where I go for my Hebrew lessons is also a centre for the neighbourhood, and last week I was invited to join a group of elderly people, who meet every day for tea and talk.

A group of handicapped children from a local school had come to act out how to prepare for the Shabbat meal. Many of the elderly people were obviously quite poor and came from the Sephardic community, Jews from Arab countries like Morocco or Yemen or Iraq, who often ended up in poorer jobs and were subtly discriminated against by the Ashkenazi (European) Jews.

Fortunately this situation has changed over the years, but there still seems to be a distinction between the various groups. Now there is another group, the Jews from the old Soviet Union, over a million of whom emigrated to Israel in the 1990s.

Half of my Ulpan class comprises of Russians who have never quite mastered Hebrew. Others come from Argentina, Hungary and France, along with a couple of Brits. Most are older than me and l have been in the country for far longer.

Haggis-tasting, parties ... and a room for quiet

2010-01-25T17:40:00.011+02:00

Living in Israel/ Palestine is certainly very different from living in Zambia. In Zambia several months could pass before a visitor from Britain passed through, but in Tiberias it seems that people come every week, and always very interesting. Another difference is that here there are Burns Suppers! The other day I was called to the hotel to taste chef Oded’s haggis – artichoke stuffed with haggis, haggis in pastry, etc – and give it the OK. Only problem is that I don’t think I have tasted haggis for 16 years! The hotel supper is next week, but on the 22nd I was invited to another Burns Supper on a kibbutz. Coming from Ayrshire, I was a bit of an outsider, as almost all the others were from the Southside of Glasgow, and still had the accents to prove it.

On a miserably wet January evening, the staff party was held in one of the local restaurants. I went along thinking I would ‘show face’ for 30 minutes, then leave BUT it was so good I stayed almost till the end. I was so impressed by the strong sense of togetherness and camaraderie among the staff. They are a real mixture of Arab and Jew, Moslem and Christian and Druze, but cooperate (and party) so well together. Lots of eating and music, and the dancing was traditional dancing often occurring at Arab weddings, which was wonderful. A real celebration, and a thank-you to the staff for all their work through the year.

‘Migdal’ is the Hebrew word for ‘tower’, and we have now turned the tower in the herb garden (part of the old Ottoman town walls) into a Quiet Room for meditation and prayer. It is quite simple with whitewashed walls, but with a rich Turkish rug (well, made in Belgium) and some Ottoman-style tables and lots of shelves and alcoves for books and candles.

I am absolutely thrilled with it and will use it as my base at the hotel. Hopefully it will be used by people of all the Faith communities - though I am becoming very possessive of it!

Christmas Part Two!

2010-01-13T11:55:00.005+02:00

Christmas seems never to end here! Last week, on 7th January, the Orthodox Christmas was celebrated, and I attended the service at Sakhnin. It was held in a new church they are building (memories of Zambia!), and they needed it, as I would estimate 350 people attended of all ages. Quite something, as technically it was a working day. It was a lesson in fashion, as everybody seemed to be in sharp suits and figure-hugging dresses. I felt distinctly informal in my sports jacket. Black was the predominant colour for both sexes. The service lasted for hours, but, as in Zambia, people were arriving at any time. After communion, everyone rushed to the back for the most wonderful cakes, leaving the poor priest finishing the service alone.

I was touched over Christmas and New Year by all the greetings of ‘Hag sameach’ or ‘Kol aam oul ento bkheer’ (happy holiday) by Jews and Moslems, and one of my high points was to receive a Christmas gift from Moshe and Tareq, two of the members of the hotel staff – one Jew and one Moslem (a plate with a picture of Santa and Rudolf in the snow. It is still up, while the other decorations have been taken down).

Another high point was being invited to the Baptist Church Christmas party in Haifa. Along with the bible quizzes (fortunately I was not part of a team, as I would have done very badly), there was the most wonderful Arab music and then a glorious spread of Arab food. Santa also appeared – and it seems that he plays a big role in the celebration of Christmas in the Arab communities.

At some point over Christmas, Galilee turned green – something to remember in the hot, arid months of summer. Amazingly while Europe freezes, Galilee glows with sunshine. Good for my guests at the weekend – Victor and Blessing from South Africa and Carol from the States, who have just finished the EAPPI programme, accompanying Palestinians on the west bank, as they sought to get through the checkpoints. A very different experience from mine, and I admire them tremendously. They have finished their three month stint, and a new team has just arrived. I feel I can offer hospitality away from their daily tensions.

Wishing everyone a good new year!

Christmas in Tiberias

2009-12-22T11:05:00.003+02:00

Tiberias is one of the lowest places on earth. Coming from Nazareth, there is a sign proclaiming ‘Sea level’, after which the road rather dramatically plunges down about 650ft to the lakeshore. It means that it is often hot and muggy. Last Wednesday was an incredibly clear day, however, and Mount Hermon appeared so visibly to the North, covered with snow. It was so wonderful to look at – an early Christmas present. Certainly to be savoured, as the next few days were horribly dreich – cold, grey and wet!

Tiberias is, of course, a Jewish town, so you have to look very hard for any sign of Christmas (unlike Nazareth, where there are Christmas parades).The Scots Hotel is, however, rather tastefully decorated for Christmas, as are the church and manse – Joanna my elder came with a bootful of holly, ivy and pine-cones. At the church we began our Christmas services with Lessons and Carols on Sunday evening – interesting, as half the congregation were Jewish! On Christmas Eve, we’ll have a carol service, and it will be interesting to see who turns up to that. After it (or after the mulled wine at the end) we’ll join our friends at St Peter’s Fransciscan Church for a meal. There is a new priest who is very keen on ecumenical links. There will be a communion service on Christmas morning.

Christmas is about God’s commitment to humankind, and I continue to be touched by people’s commitment to justice issues. Yesterday I visited Sindyanna, a fair-trade organisation run from Cana in Galilee by a remarkable Jewish woman, Hadas, which seeks to empower the women from the local Arab villages. They market soap from Nablus, as well as local herbs and olive oil. They are also just about to open a visitors’ centre nearby, where women are involved in the most marvellous basketry, talk about their experiences and offer a ‘Palestinian’ lunch. A good place for tours!

Wishing everyone a peaceful and joyful Christmas and a blessed 2010.

Hanukkah

2009-12-11T12:37:00.004+02:00

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival, celebrated in the middle of December, celebrating how the Temple light was miraculously kept alight, even though the oil had run out (from Macabees). In practice, most Israelis would light a candle each evening on the menorah for 8 days.

At my Hebrew class, we had to learn two songs about Hanukkah, and I was also invited to a Hanukkah party in the church. The school which meets above the Church is for the children of messianic believers (Jews who accept Jesus as the Messiah), so they held their party which included acting out a version of the story, and of course there was special food at the end. Most are part of the Peniel Fellowship which has 450 members.

Interestingly,many would not celebrate Christmas, and those who do, might not necessarily celebrate it in December, but in October!

HIV and Aids

2009-12-11T11:42:00.003+02:00

I wear an Aids red ribbon on both my jackets, and it is amazing how many people here stop me and ask what it represents. It makes me aware of the difference between Israel and Africa. In Africa, the ribbon was everywhere and easily recognisable, and everyone was affected by Aids. In Israel/ Palestine it seems that it has a far lower profile.

In early December, just after World Aids Day, I travelled to Shafa Amr, arguably the 2nd biggest Arab town in Israel (after Nazareth), to visit the Galilee Society, whose HIV and Aids work is supported by the Church of Scotland’s HIV/AIDS Project.

The Galilee Society is actually one of the longest established NGO in the Arab community, and I was amazed and impressed to discover a modern building with superb facilities, including several labs and a staff of over 40. The Society has several different wings, including research (into wastewater, for example), environmental concerns and data processing. Their HIV and Aids project is part of the health justice wing, run by Mohammed Khatib. There is no hospital in Shafa Amr, so most patients prefer to go to the hospitals in Nazareth, which are run by the churches (like the Edinburgh Medical Mission Society hospital), though the government hospitals in Haifa are also very good. One problem is that many of the medical pamphlets are written only in Hebrew, and many of the Palestinian women especially do not necessarily read Hebrew, so miss out on advice.

The HIV pamphlets are all in Arabic. Numbers in the Palestinian community who are infected are relatively small - only 10 new cases in the last year - but that doesn’t mean to say that we can relax. Mohammed and his team go out, for example, to schools to raise awareness and try to train young people as peer educators. They recognise that young people in the Palestinian community are more open than ever before to outside (particularly Western) influences and thus more open to infection. They also continue to meet resistance, as the stigma of being HIV+ is still great in Israel.

Travels in the West Bank

2009-12-01T17:10:00.008+02:00

Route 6 takes on a familiar hue when you have been up and down it a few times. It was obvious on the map which road we were supposed to take, but actually finding it was a different matter. Maybe a symbol of how difficult it is to access the West Bank from Israel because of the ‘Wall’. The ‘wall’ is sometimes a fence, and sometimes a wall, but always excludes. Before the wall was erected, thousands of people from the West Bank were able to go into Israel every day for employment, but with the wall, numbers have been cut to a tiny dribble, and always with the uncertainty of whether your work permit will be removed. It was ironic that we were making this journey at the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

We were making for Jayous, where the Church of Scotland Guild is supporting a crèche, which allows mothers the opportunity to have time to work whilst their children are cared for. Jayous is termed a village, but was far bigger than I imagined. After visiting the crèche, we experienced Palestinian hospitality with a wonderful lunch.

After lunch, we were taken down near the checkpoint which is the only way through the ‘wall’ for inhabitants of Jayous, so they can have access to their some of their fields and olive groves. An Israeli jeep was heard approaching (people develop a keen sense of hearing), so we had to retreat back to the village. There is a group of EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniement Programme in Palestine and Israel)volunteers at Jayous. This is a World Council of Churches scheme, whereby volunteers from all over the world (the four we met were from South Africa, Sweden, England and Norway) spend 3 months, accompanying people to the checkpoint and observing, helping to minimise any abuses. The EAPPI volunteers are also a symbol of the World Church standing with the Palestinian people. We sat down with the volunteers for a cup of tea, but almost immediately there was the sound of Israeli jeeps roaring through the town - and then a shot is fired... I think it was just into the air, but it destroys the peace.

It is difficult for me to explain what I have seen to my Jewish friends in Tiberias. Some refuse point blank to go into any conversation about politics, because they know it will prove divisive. Others struggle to justify, saying that the wall has stopped the suicide bombings, which had created such fear among the Israeli population. However, for the people of Jayous, they were unanimous over lunch that they looked forward to a day when everyone would live together peacefully in one state (but who would have the power?). ‘And the lion will lie down with the lamb...’ ?

The name Nablus conjured up to me pictures of the Intifada, and it was with some trepidation that I set off to join friends from Jerusalem, especially as we would drive in cars with Israeli number plate. My fears proved groundless, as it seemed the easiest thing in the world to get there. Interestingly, there were two Israeli women standing at the checkpoint into the city, monitoring any possible abuses – it was good to see. We joined Sheena Boyle from Prestwick, who is involved with a charity, Children of Amal, which seeks to use music therapy with the children in the refugee camps, who are often traumatised by curfews or by the security forces blowing up houses in search of militants.

We were in Balata Refugee camp, which has 30,000 people living in it and is in fact one of the most densely populated places on the planet. The children took it in turns to play the various musical instruments and also to conduct. Then at one point some music was played (In fact, it was ‘Out of Africa’) and the children had to let their imagination run riot. This has apparently led in the past to quite harrowing accounts, but on this occasion they seemed to imagine trips to far away, beautiful countries which. in its own way, was quite sad.

The following day I had been invited out in the evening for a Shabbat meal by Lavi, who works at the hotel and who lives with his wife in a caravan by the lake. It was quite a bohemian setting and a thrill to listen to 5 young Israelis talk and put the world to right. I felt enormously privileged to be part of the gathering. Yet, such a different world from Balata camp.

Incense, icons and co-operation

2009-11-13T16:04:00.007+02:00

The Sunday service in Tiberias is an evening one, so it allows me the opportunity to worship in other churches in the morning. Last week I went along with a friend, Margaret, to her Greek Orthodox church of St George in Sakhnin, a large Arab town, 45 minutes drive from Tiberias. Sakhnin is famous in Israel for its football team, who are the only Arab team in the Israeli premier league (There is a massive stadium, built with money from Qatar rather than Israeli government cash).

The orthodox service is very different from your run-of-the-mill Scottish service. Like in many churches I was used to in Africa, the women sat in a different part of the church from the men. Every space on the walls was covered with icons, and there was wonderful chanting throughout. To me, there was a real sense of the presence of God. The wonderful thing was that all generations were present at worship, with the young especially participating in the processions, etc. A strong sense of identity, I imagine.

After the service was over, the priest, Abuna Saleh Khouri, invited us to his home for lunch (the man sitting next to me had also invited me – people are very hospitable). The priesthood of the Orthodox church in Sakhnin is a family affair, with Abuna Saleh the 6th generation of his family to be priest there. He had been a teacher before his father retired. Interestingly, Abuna Saleh’s son, Fadi, was there, leading the choir, and I wondered if he would also one day be the priest? He has just returned from a 3 year course in Pennsylvania and is an optometrist in Tiberias, travelling from Sakhnin each day.

Sakhnin is a predominately Moslem town, with less than 2000 Christians (Orthodox and Catholic) out of a population of 27,000. However, there seems to be a sense of togetherness, which isn’t always the case in the villages of Galilee, with Moslems contributing towards the massive new church the Orthodox are building, while the Christians bought flowers and organised a feast for those coming out of the mosque at the end of Ramadan. They seem to take a pride in working together, and the priest is shown the same respect as the imam from the mosque.

After lunch, we went back into the church, where the Sunday School was on – not so many children, as families are still involved in the olive harvest, but maybe about 20.

Encounters with some saints

2009-11-02T13:44:00.002+02:00

Almost a month has now passed since I arrived in Tiberias, though in many ways it seems far, far longer. A good sign, as I feel very much settled here. What’s more the unbearably hot weather which has been characteristic of my stay here so far has ended, and the heavens have opened with rain. Not just that, but the wind has been strong, rattling the windows and banging doors all night! The last few years has seen the level of the Sea of Galilee fall drastically, as there has not been much rain, so people are really excited, as a several inches have been added on over the weekend. Maron the reservation manager at the hotel, has linked the weather to my coming, but I think he is just being kind.

I am gradually getting into a routine, with my Ulpan lessons a priority – Ulpan is my Hebrew class, and it is going really well, though with just too much homework. I do try to practise, but inevitably people answer back in English! I always try to be at the hotel, chatting to guests and staff. At the moment I find that I need the staff more than they need me, just to help me feel more rooted here, but saying that, I like the staff immensely and find them incredibly welcoming.

I also spend some time at the office down at the church, which is situated on the road down to the waterfront. I like to keep the church door open, and it is amazing how many people look in. Some are locals who are just curious, but many come in specifically because it is a church. One was a young woman, fashionably dressed, who entered the church and fell prostrate in front of the cross, and stayed in this position for several minutes. Later she told me that she was Russian living in Tel Aviv (one million Russians have emigrated to Israel in recent years: many are Jewish, but some are Christian with a Jewish connection in the family). She was married with a baby, and she said she missed church so much!

Last Sunday, immediately after the service, a young Palestinian couple walked in and sat in a pew. They had been living in Chicago for the last few years, but have now decided to move back to Israel. She was obviously pregnant, and they asked for prayers. Again, a couple of days ago, it was a Japanese girl, working on a kibbutz, who came in. Her boyfriend is Jewish (and from a very religious family) and she needed to talk to him about her faith, because she is a Christian. She was delighted to find a church. Just a few examples, but in these and many other cases, they seemed ‘holy moments’, somehow charged with God’s presence.

It is a different kind of ministry here, in that I talk with so many people, whom I will never see again. Yet to me, there have been many memorable encounters, and I pray that I will somehow be used!

Happily I had my largest congregation to date yesterday (1st Nov), with 40 there. Again, because I left the church door open on the Sunday afternoon, and a few Dutch people came in, found out that there would be a service, so phoned their friends to come (which accounted for just over half the number). It did through me into a panic, as I had to rush to get more bread for communion (it was a bit like Loaves and Fishes, especially with the wine) and print more orders of service. We also need to invest in more hymnbooks! Still, a nice position to be in.

Wee photo gallery

2009-10-29T11:43:00.023+02:00

The Scottish flag flying over Galilee. A view over the Scottie garden. The small turret is part of the Ottoman city walls - I would love to turn it into a small chapel, but we'll see!

The view from my balcony, looking over the southern part of the Sea of Galilee to the Golan.

Tiberias is not the most attractive of towns,but has an earthiness which is appealing.

Shabbat

2009-10-27T11:42:00.005+02:00

The Shabbat (Sabbath) is the Jewish holy day, and starts from dusk on the Friday till dusk on the Saturday. Shops shut, and traffic grinds to a halt. Often it is the day that families join together for a special meal, so I felt really privileged to be invited to join in a Shabbat meal last Friday. I was invited by Joanna, who is originally from Bristol and my sole full member (!) at St. Andrew’s Galilee. She is married to Lenny, who is originally from Newton Mearns in Scotland, and they live on a kibbutz on the Golan, some 40 minutes away from Tiberias, up a road full of hair-pin bends. They had also invited Mary and Paul, an American couple from the Mid-West living in Tiberias and active in the small Catholic Church.

The meal was like any other meal, I suppose, except at the beginning Lenny put on his kippah (skull-cap) and said a prayer over the bread and then another over wine, which we then ate and drank. Only then, did the meal begin with some liver pate, then chicken soup, etc. I found it deeply moving to be part of such a tradition and, of course, reflected on communion.

Last week, I caught the bus to Jerusalem, where I joined my colleague, George Shand (Minister at St Andrew’s Jerusalem), to attend a meeting of the Lutheran clergy, one of our strong partners, for a Bible Study. Towards the end, the Lutheran Bishop in his pastoral role advised us all to be conscious of how we moved and what we said in Jerusalem. I had been aware that Jerusalem was far more tense than Galilee. The Goldstone report had been published on War crimes in the recent Gaza conflict, and there had considerable disappointment among Palestinians over what they saw as the seemingly soft approach of Mahmoud Abbas (Palestinian President) concerning it. As many Palestinians gathered for Friday prayers at the mosque, there seemed some likelihood of the tensions spilling over into violence, but fortunately the imam had cooled the temperature.

We travelled an hour west of Jerusalem to Lod, once the predominately Arab city of Lydda. Now it is a mixed city, with Israeli Jews in the majority. Many Arabs had to flee their homes in the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe). Here we visited an Anglican school called St George’s (St George was supposed to have come from Lydda or was martyred in Lydda.). The headteacher is Christian, but 99% of the pupils are Moslem, but that doesn’t seem to bother anyone. The human side of people of different faiths living together! I was impressed by their obvious desire to learn, as well as the warmth of their welcome.

Religious holidays, driving in Tiberias and learning the language

2009-10-14T18:44:00.002+02:00

This week the Jewish community is celebrating the Feast of Sukkot (or Tabernacles), which lasts for roughly a week. It is a traditional holiday time, so Tiberias is full of holiday makers, mostly religious Jews, who like to come to Tiberias as one of the 4 ‘Holy’ cities in Judaism. Sukkot is a time for families to build booths in their gardens, where they will eat and even sleep. It commemorates the time the Israelites wandered in the Wilderness, and so needed to travel light and with structures that were easily dismantled and put up again in another location. For a Christian, I feel it speaks to us about how we clutter our lives with unnecessary possessions, habits, etc and need to learn to ‘travel light’.

I have now begun to drive. After having a pick-up in Africa, I find the Peugeot here both lower and lighter. I am getting used to both the automatic transmission and also driving on the right. Israelis also have a bad name for aggressive driving, but after 7 years of Lusaka driving, I am used to anything.

I have also found a good supermarket, though Israelis seem to do their week’s shopping in one go, so have their trolleys piled up, which is frustrating if you only have a few things. Most of the packaging is in Hebrew, so it is often a lottery whether you choose the right thing. Certainly, I bought what looked like a butter spread, only to find it was something else completely. Anyway, that should be remedied in the near future, as I start my language lessons at the Ulpan. With so many immigrants, everyone learns the language together, so everything is in Hebrew. You either sink or swim! As Tiberias is a predominately Jewish town (and with my background in Biblical Hebrew), I felt it might be easier to learn Hebrew first, and try to pick up Arabic as I go on (although the alphabets are different, the two languages are related). It is vitally important, not least to converse with the staff.

Shalom from Tiberias

2009-10-09T16:08:00.001+02:00

I am now one-week old in Tiberias, but needless to say, it seems far, far longer! It is SO good to be here, and I have been welcomed so warmly, especially by the staff at the hotel (I am desperately trying to learn names, and am not doing too badly). Already I feel very much at home. Talking of home, the manse is a double storey flat, a 15 minute walk up the hill from the church and hotel (or a 10 minute down!). It is a lovely spacious flat with views over the Lake (Sea of Galilee), so it is good to sit out on the little balcony. THOUGH, we are below sea level, so the temperatures can be quite high. Fortunately there are air-conditioners in the flat – how did I last 15 years in Zambia without them.

The first few days I ate at the hotel – marvellous food, but just too tempting. However, I realised I that I needed to eat at home, so I am trying to remember how to cook. In Zambia, Stephen cooked dinner for me every day, so I have become lazy.

Sunday was my first service. It is held at 6 o’clock in the evening, as Sunday is a working day here. Officially there is only one member, Joanna (I will double the membership!), but often we are joined by visitors to Tiberias. On Sunday, we had eight! Two Dutch visitors (both of whom had marvellous voices and who also knew the hymns), while the rest were all local. The church is situated close to the front, so people are always walking past. Some look in, take a snap and go; others look and stay, which is super. Certainly I was delighted with the way the service went – very informal, with a special atmosphere.

Tiberias has been packed with holiday-makers this week – not necessarily pilgrim groups, but local Israelis. Mostly religious with lots of the Orthodox Jews in their black clothes and prayer shawls. And lots of children! The reason is that it is the Feast of Sukkot, which lasts for just over a week. This is the time when many Jewish families build booths in their gardens – made out of reed-mats, branches, anything which is available. It commemorates how the Israelites wandered in the Wilderness and had to dismantle their homes and put them up again. So they had of necessity to travel light. Lots of good symbolism there for Christians, but also it hit home on a personal level, as I have been giving away various bits and pieces in order to travel light to get out here. Also, regarding Sukkot, the booths have ceilings made of twigs, which means they allow the light in through the cracks (and also the rain!). So, according to my source, God’s love shines unexpectedly on us.

Too much to take in and too much to say!

Tiberias, here I come!

2009-09-29T10:45:00.001+02:00

The bags are more or less packed, but there is always something I have missed which I somehow have to squeeze in. Yesterday I even resorted to buying a bigger suitcase to give me more space (just hope that at 06.30 in the morning, the check-in person will not be awake to just how overweight my case is!). I have of course been in this situation so many times before, but I always seem to end up wearing 2 layers of clothes, whilst my fellow passengers travel wearing T-Shirts!

It really shouldn’t be like this, as the manse at Tiberias is apparently pretty well furnished, with plenty of furniture, bed linen, plates, glasses, etc. It is a far cry from Zambia, where ‘furnished accommodation’ in my first two ‘stations’ meant a steel bed frame and a couple of metal chairs with one piece of foam each to sit on. No wardrobe, so I would just hang my clothes on nails on the wall! No problems like that in Tiberias. In fact, the manse has a walk-in, re-enforced cupboard (a dressing-room, in fact), which doubles as my bomb shelter in case of emergency.

Over the last few weeks I have managed to meet up with a number of people with Tiberias or Israel/Palestine connections, which has been so valuable. Thus, I am filled with a tremendous sense of excitement and anticipation, as I enter this new phase of my life/ ministry, but also almost overwhelmed by the responsibility of it all. It will, of course, be good to return to a place where I was a volunteer 27 (!) years ago, but of course the place has changed and I have changed in the intervening years, whilst the issues of Israel/Palestine seem to have become even more complicated. However, I relish the challenge of being part of the church’s ministry in that troubled but fascinating area.

Your prayers, as always, will be much appreciated!