Stardate: January 29, 2020
Visiting with the Ethiopian Kes was very interesting. I have a vague recollection of the air lift that took place in 1985 or was announced in the very beginning of 1985. I was in college and looking towards graduation but I also was a bit of a news junkie at that point in time. I certainly remember the announcement of this airlift to bring all of these Ethiopian Jews to Israel. What I found interesting in the history that we were given when we were visiting, versus the history that I remember is that my memory says that there was a famine in Ethiopia and the reason for the airlift was directly related to the famine however when questioned about the conditions of their exodus from Ethiopia and coming to Israel that was not the reason offered by the Kes. I found that very interesting and I wonder if that was a bit of rewriting of history, of seeing their progression, their movement to Israel in a different light. I was very struck by the pride of the Kes. In his community, in his heritage, in everything. He had great pride. Even though it seemed to be a long hard road for them to be accepted into the community where they were living, and into the country where they were becoming a part. Like a lot of people I was very unhappy to see the division of the women on one side of the men on the other for prayer. I did hear someone explain that that part of that difference was that the men were required to pray whereas the women were not. That only makes me feel slightly better.
Educators For Change. The high school that we visited, although we did not get to see any students, was fascinating. The things that were being offered to these kids to be able to be a productive part of society was just amazing. It was very joyful to see this, the way that the education was being presented. The high school very much reminded me of a school where my spouse worked under a very similar principle for taking kids and helping them to achieve in society, but what I was hearing was that the success rate was very high in this school. The success rate was not particularly high in and the teaching methodology was not so great in the US school, and I really wish that I could ship some of the administrators from my local school over so that they could learn how to be successful in a very similar type situation. I just want to note that I did record the school bell ringing and want to make a note that it was taken from Saudi TV where it is the sound that they do when they’re taking a commercial break and the school had taken it to use as their school bell. To me the difference in the way that a school bell sounded in that school versus the way that a school bell sounds in an American school went from this rather soothing sound in the Palestinian school and a very harsh sound in the American school. I think that that is a bit of a learning thing that perhaps we in the US need to look at and address.
Perhaps the most meaningful thing on the trip happened this morning. As we left I asked Jared,because I recognized that we were within 20 miles of Mount Tabor, if at any time during the day we saw it off in the distance if he would point it out to me. He said, “It’s so foggy, you will never be able to see it.” I was disappointed but I understand it’s foggy. In the afternoon we are traveling and suddenly Jared is making his way through the bus in a bit of a hurry and he gets to me and he points out the window and he says, “See the kind of rounded mountain that is behind the mountain range?” and I said “yes” and he said, “That’s Mount Tabor.” I immediately pull out my phone to take a picture because, you know it’s Mount Tabor. After we had moved on, and the mountain was gone, I looked at my picture and in the foreground of the picture (which I had not noticed when I was taking the picture) was a train. My father worked for the railroad and so every vacation that I ever went on as a child and many as an adult because I travel with my family, we stop and look at the trains because my dad always stopped and looked at the trains and we are a railroaders family. Trains are very important to our history and to who we are and how we relate to life and in the foreground of this picture when there was a train it was a very emotional moment for me to see that train and Mount Tabor in the background. A very special moment for me, quite possibly the only picture that I sent home to my mom and to my sister and to all my nephews. I mean I sent it to everybody and said, “Here is Mount Tabor and here is this train.” My mom’s response was that my dad would have seen the train first. It was a very special moment for me on this trip.
We went to the kibbutz to spend the night and we had dinner there with the volunteers. Before we had dinner Rami asked and and offered an opportunity for us to go and pray with our Muslim friends. Although there was a part of me that felt that it was almost intrusive, I was very appreciative for the invitation and took this opportunity to go and pray. It’s one of those things that I’m sure I will have to unpack later, how I really feel about it and how it really affects me in my life to be able to be in that space and to pray to Allah.
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