Cardin School Updates

Bedouin Experience - January 1, 2007

After casually going the wrong way, we finally made our way to the Bedouin tent. Leaving the bus we encountered the cold darkness, but we found the warm tent very inviting. These tents were a small complex of large, open spaces surrounded and covered by heavy wool cloth and other coverings. The dirt floors were covered with mats and rugs and small, colorful mattresses for sitting and sleeping. These tents are prepared for tourists, however; there were modern heating units installed turning out plenty of warmth. After settling in, we moved to the dining tent, where we were served a copious amount of food. A roasted chicken, humus, tehina, salad, rice, and potatoes were brought on a large metal platter by the Bedouins. It was both amusing and liberating that we had to eat with our hands and without plates, although some of our staff cheated. The evening continued with baklava and Bedouin tea and coffee along with Israeli dancing and music.

Along with some classmates, we gave a presentation on the misconceptions of the Bedouin people. Using activities that showed that we do not know each other as well as we think we do, we showed that we cannot stereotype the Bedouins. This helped prepare us for our encounter with the Bedouin teens in Rahat, a Bedouin city near Beersheba. Rahat is a city established by the Israeli government for the Bedouin. Urban living replaces the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Bedouin.

After a night in the Bedouin tent, we awoke and had a musical Tefillah. Upon entering Rahat, the principal of the school we were visiting gave us a tour of the city. The encounter with the Rahat teens was enlightening and captivating. It was surprising to find that beyond the language barrier between us (they spoke Arabic and Hebrew) we are very alike. While talking about hobbies and friends, they seemed like average teens, but we find that our cultures have different values. For example, we were fascinated to learn that the girls we were talking to had the possibility of growing up to become one of as many as four wives of their future husbands. Also, the strict separation of boys and girls was striking to us.

Leaving the school, we went into the shuk, an open market, where we saw a lot of typical Arab merchandise. We are sure it will be interesting to compare this market in Rahat, which is Arab and based on the city’s needs, to one in Jerusalem, which is Jewish and aimed toward tourists. After visiting this minority group, we traveled to Ashkelon to reunite with our Israeli friends.

- Max Lifson and Vadim Kashtelyan