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Kehillah 2007 Updates
July 31st, 2007 - A Cultural Encounter in Rahat
and Kaseifeh
Dear Nesiya Parents and Friends,
It's been an intense and special week for your children since I last updated
you. On Sunday, all three groups gathered in Tel Aviv to continue their
exploration of the meaning of "place," questioning the role that Tel Aviv has in
modern Israel and Judaism. Each group followed its own schedule in Tel Aviv, but
I'll provide an overview of their activities.
The visit to Tel Aviv included an introduction to modern Israeli and Hebrew
culture, with educational tours of Neve Tzedek, one of the earliest
neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, and the historic town of Yaffo. Kehillahs Two and
Three continued their exploration of Tel Aviv as 'the first Jewish city' at
Independence Hall, where David Ben Gurion signed Israel's Declaration of
Independence in 1948.
The groups were also exposed to the contemporary history of the area, with a
visit to Rabin Square, and a session about social diversity in Israel. They
viewed an award-winning film entitled “James’ Journey to Jerusalem”, which
depicts foreign workers in Israel. A meeting with the movie’s director and
scriptwriter Raanan Alexandrovitch helped the group understand the nuance of
being a stranger in a foreign land. Additionally, Kehillah One toured the Neve
Sha'anan neighborhood with Mesila, an organization that provides support and
legal aid to foreign workers in Israel.
To balance the serious focus, the groups spent time at either the beach,
enjoying the beauty of the Mediterranean, or Yarkon Park. Their visit to Tel
Aviv concluded with free time on Sheinkin Street, the hippest spot in the city,
where the participants enjoyed sidewalk cafes, chic fashion boutiques and time
to relax.
The Tel Aviv experience ended Monday afternoon, when all three groups drove
south for their multi-day cultural encounter with Bedouin youth. Kehillahs One
and Two went to Rahat and Kehillah Three to Kaseifeh.
Rahat (in Arabic, the word means 'a group of people living together') is
situated in the northern Negev and is the Negev’s largest Bedouin city. Although
K1 and K2 slept in the Beit Yatziv Hostel in Be'er Sheva, they spent their days
in Rahat itself, gaining an insider's view through their interaction with
Bedouin youth. Nesiya coordinates the encounter program together with a public
high school in Rahat with whom we have established a close working relationship
over the past six years. This is the first year Nesiya participants have spent
time in Kaseifeh, a small Bedouin city near Arad, where we are working with a
special program for exceptional students from the Al-Faruq High School. During
the experience, the K3 teens slept at the Arad Youth Hostel. Groups of teenagers
from Rahat and Kaseifeh joined the Nesiya groups to explore their commonalities,
differences, and questions of identity and community.
The first day focused on introductory games and activities, and the groups
successfully hurdled the challenge of communicating in three languages! The
issues raised were addressed through arts activities and discussions; some of
the creative exercises included making collages and texts projects outlining
opportunities for a shared dialogue. On Monday evening the Nesiya groups learned
about the customs of the Bedouin people (the name is reminiscent of 'badiya',
one of the Arabic words for desert, which greatly influences their way of life
and beliefs), with hospitality paramount among the traditions. It was a living
lesson, as all of the Nesiya participants were invited into the homes of members
of their respective communities. Although kosher food was always provided, the
participants were able to taste homemade laffa (large pita), cous cous and other
Bedouin delicacies! Additionally, in Kaseifeh, the group had the fortune of
visiting during wedding season, and was able to drop in on the beginning of a
wedding where they enjoyed music and treats.
More interaction followed on Tuesday, when the Rahat groups enjoyed the colorful
shuk (market) experience, where they interviewed local residents to learn more
about their lives. All of the teens worked in pairs with a Bedouin peer to
create collages from newspaper clippings that expressed both individual identity
and that of a larger group. Later, the teens regrouped according to individual
nationalities to ‘let it all out’ – express things that they perhaps were not
comfortable saying in the larger mixed setting. In these groups they discussed
how their self-perceptions are changing after meeting with teens of different
backgrounds and brainstormed questions to ask the other teens. After meeting as
only Americans, Israelis or Bedouins they reorganized back into the tri-national
groups, where they asked each other questions about religion, popular culture,
army service, cultural expectations, the status of women, food, pastimes, etc.
Tuesday afternoon, the participants of all three groups visited villages that
are not recognized by the Israeli government, where they spoke to local leaders
and residents about the tension between tradition and modernization in Bedouin
life today and the role of the Israeli government in navigating this tension.
Kehillah Three joined with their Bedouin peers to paint the exterior of a school
in the unrecognized village they visited, and were rewarded for their hard work
with camel rides, henna designs, a soccer game and popsicles!
This morning, the groups had a textual based program about the three cultures.
The walls were covered with different holy texts, poems, articles, readings and
other texts about nationhood, peoplehood, and land representing each culture.
The participants were asked to choose a line or text that they felt reflected
their identity and then to present their selection dramatically before the
group. This led to a powerful discussion about cultural identity. The
participants also worked together to construct pieces of an international peace
quilt. The quilt squares will later be sewn together to symbolize global peace
and international understanding. To conclude the experience, smaller groups of
Nesiya and Bedouin teens met to teach each other traditional songs and dances to
present in a celebratory 'happening.' The exchange ended with a closing circle
in which the Nesiya and Bedouin participants reflected on what the experience
has meant for them. Your children spoke eloquently and sensitively about their
appreciation for the opportunity to meet with Bedouin peers and their hope that
this exchange and others like it can begin to break down some of the barriers
separating the communities.
It has truly been a meaningful time for those involved. Although there were
moments of tension between the teens, especially when discussions veered into
the realm of politics, the staff has been overwhelmed by how open, respectful,
thoughtful and interested all of the teens have been towards each other. Over
the course of the three days, the young people gradually opened up to one
another and formed meaningful connections.
As I write the groups are journeying back to Jerusalem, where they'll be until
Sunday. More on that to come.
Shabbat shalom,
Mollie
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