Final Reflection

Now I am home and it is time to end this blog. I chose in this year’s not to include my last week in Jerusalem. It takes time to write things up and get pictures ready and even just to think about what might be interesting to write about. But that leaves me with a few experiences, pictures and thoughts that I think are worth sharing.

One of the important places that I visited in Jerusalem was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is considered by several different religious groups to be the place where Jesus was buried and rose again. Pilgrims from all over the world travel to this spot to worship.  Priests from the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches along with several other Eastern Orthodox groups maintain the church.

While we were there a procession of Catholic priests started in one of the chapels. They chanted and proceeded around the various important parts of the church with clouds of incense. As they proceeded more and more people followed until they finally ended up at the location of the tomb.

I also noticed lots of people coming to the location of the tomb and lighting some special candles from a certain flame and then snuffing the candles out and putting them in a bag. I watched for a while and finally the Professor went and asked someone what it meant. Maybe you already know this, but candles that are lit at the site of the tomb are special and so when people come and visit they light a candle and snuff it out so that when they get home they can light it again. When they light it again at home it retains the special character of a candle lighted from the flame at the tomb.

One thing that made me sad while going through Jerusalem and especially visiting this important holy site was that my friends from Bethlehem could not easily come and visit it even though it is only 15-20 minutes from where they live. They have to apply to get permission to go there and it is often turned down. So sad. 

In Jerusalem we also visited several museums (The Shrine of the Book, Vad Yashem, The Citadel or Tower of David) that were extremely well designed and informative, walked around the ramparts of the old city, watched films at the Jerusalem Film Festival (in the heat of the afternoon), and even looked at an archaeological site on the side of the old city. 

I am glad I started out by visiting my friend Ruty and then had the great chance to stay with friends in Bethlehem. I am lucky to have a chance to get to know so many different people from different places. I hope I can be a bridge between them all.  

Final Reflection

Now I am home and it is time to end this blog. I chose in this year’s not to include my last week in Jerusalem. It takes time to write things up and get pictures ready and even just to think about what might be interesting to write about. But that leaves me with a few experiences, pictures and thoughts that I think are worth sharing.

One of the important places that I visited in Jerusalem was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is considered by several different religious groups to be the place where Jesus was buried and rose again. Pilgrims from all over the world travel to this spot to worship.  Priests from the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches along with several other Eastern Orthodox groups maintain the church.

While we were there a procession of Catholic priests started in one of the chapels. They chanted and proceeded around the various important parts of the church with clouds of incense. As they proceeded more and more people followed until they finally ended up at the location of the tomb.

I also noticed lots of people coming to the location of the tomb and lighting some special candles from a certain flame and then snuffing the candles out and putting them in a bag. I watched for a while and finally the Professor went and asked someone what it meant. Maybe you already know this, but candles that are lit at the site of the tomb are special and so when people come and visit they light a candle and snuff it out so that when they get home they can light it again. When they light it again at home it retains the special character of a candle lighted from the flame at the tomb.

One thing that made me sad while going through Jerusalem and especially visiting this important holy site was that my friends from Bethlehem could not easily come and visit it even though it is only 15-20 minutes from where they live. They have to apply to get permission to go there and it is often turned down. So sad. 

In Jerusalem we also visited several museums (The Shrine of the Book, Vad Yashem, The Citadel or Tower of David) that were extremely well designed and informative, walked around the ramparts of the old city, watched films at the Jerusalem Film Festival (in the heat of the afternoon), and even looked at an archaeological site on the side of the old city. 

I am glad I started out by visiting my friend Ruty and then had the great chance to stay with friends in Bethlehem. I am lucky to have a chance to get to know so many different people from different places. I hope I can be a bridge between them all.  

Even More Questions about Bethlehem!

Our friends from Wisconsin wrote a few more questions. I am now sitting in a hotel in Amman, Jordan and reading them. I have a few more posts with pictures of Bethlehem which I want to put up, but I will answer these questions first.

I am sorry that I am not with my friends in Bethlehem who would be the experts on the answers.

What types of beds do people sleep on?

The beds in the house that I stayed in was very similar to our beds. I think that maybe it did not have a box spring underneath and the mattress was harder. One difference was that instead of blankets and sheets like we are used to there was one blanket wrapped in a sheet (that was made sort of like a pillowcase. It was too hot to use this, so I mostly slept without covers.

If there is a shortage of water, what do people do for showers? For cleaning and washing dishes?

If people do not have water they cannot shower OR wash dishes. People definitely shower less often and in the house where I was staying (and I am guessing in most houses) they had a bucket in the tub so that you could save all of the water instead of it going down the drain. That water could be used to flush the toilet or to water plants outside. 

Most of the time people have some water, but there is not much pressure, so it trickles out. Now and then when there is NO water they have to buy water in big gallon jugs or maybe they have a family member in another part of town that has water and they can go fill up jugs there. At least then they can wash dishes and do sponge baths.  

Do people have air conditioning in their houses?

Most people do not have air conditioning. I did visit a house that had some air conditioning. I doubt that anyone has air conditioning in the whole house. If they have it they only have it in the living room. Some people have fans.

What types of jobs do people do in Bethlehem?

Lots of the jobs that I saw were people who had little shops that sold things or fixed things. For example, the brother of the woman I visited had a small shop fixing watches and he also sold new watches. There are jobs doing construction although not much construction is approved in Bethlehem and so there are not many paying jobs doing this. Some make things and sell them to tourists. There are hotels who employ desk clerks and people to clean rooms. There are taxi drivers, bus drivers, and tour leaders. There are restaurants with cooks. There is a university, so there are professors and schools with teachers. 

I have heard that unemployment is really high. I think that many of the jobs in Bethlehem depended upon tourists visiting and now that less people are coming there it is not easy. Most tour agencies stay in Jerusalem hotels and only come to Bethlehem for a short time. 

I did not see many beggars or any homeless people. 

Do families have pets? If so, what kinds of pets?

There were not many pets that I saw. However, one of the people I know has two bunnies in an outdoor cage. Some people have chickens. I think that those are more for eggs than they are pets. I did see cats and dogs, but they seemed to be outdoor animals that people fed outside.

Do people there have TVs? If so, what shows do they watch?

Everyone has a TV. The couple I stayed with were older, so I am not sure if the shows that they watched would be the same for everyone, but the TV was on most of the time. They turned it on first thing in the morning and even though they weren't watching Catholic masses were going on in the background of everything they did. They also liked to watch the news and what looked to me like soap operas or maybe ongoing adventure shows. These shows were made in Turkey mostly. They said that Egyptian shows had been more popular in the past, but now Turkish TV was better. Lots of people were watching the World Cup whenever a game was on. 

One thing that I thought was interesting was the observation that when you watched old Egyptian shows or movies from the 50s women were not wearing head coverings and the society seemed more open (men and women were relating more openly), but now it is different. Women in shows wear head coverings.

What American sports do people there know of? How do they know about the sports? Do people there watch the Olympics?

I wish I could give you a better answer for this. The couple I was staying with were not very interested in sports. Since the Olympics were not happening I am not sure if they were followed with as much interest as the World Cup of Soccer. 

What kinds of stores do people go to and what do they buy there? We are especially interested in what the kids buy.
This picture from http://www.radiofreepalestine.co.uk

shows what the downtown shopping place looks like.

 Stores are smaller than what we are used to. Most food is bought from the outdoor market. This might be like the Farmer's Market if you have one. However it is bigger. There are all kinds of things that you can buy there including household goods like sponges and pots and pans. There is also goat meat hanging in shop windows and lots of eggs and chickens. 

In the outdoor market there are lots of boys with shopping carts (some like we have and others home made). They will take people's groceries from the market to their homes or maybe to a taxi. Most people walk from their home to the market and if they buy a lot it is hard to get it all home. They pay a small amount to these boys and get their groceries home that way. In this picture from http://cache.virtualtourist.com/2443587-Bethlehem.jpg you can see the boys with carts in the back.

What I saw kids buying was candy and soda. There are lots of small markets, like our mini-markets around and kids had pocket money and went to buy snacks. Junk food is becoming a problem there. Kids really like it and it is easier for parents to give them a little money than it is for them to fix a healthy snack. Does that sound familiar? 

Do any Americans ever come to visit or stay in Jerusalem? Only 2 of us have ever met anyone from Israel, so we are wondering if people there meet any Americans besides you?

I am not in Jerusalem yet, but I think that there are LOTS of Americans in Jerusalem. Many are tourists, but there are also Americans who have come to live in Jerusalem. 


This map shows how close Bethlehem and Jerusalem are. Jerusalem is in the yellow part (Israel) and Bethlehem is in the green part (Palestinian Territories) 

Even More Questions about Bethlehem!

Our friends from Wisconsin wrote a few more questions. I am now sitting in a hotel in Amman, Jordan and reading them. I have a few more posts with pictures of Bethlehem which I want to put up, but I will answer these questions first.

I am sorry that I am not with my friends in Bethlehem who would be the experts on the answers.

What types of beds do people sleep on?

The beds in the house that I stayed in was very similar to our beds. I think that maybe it did not have a box spring underneath and the mattress was harder. One difference was that instead of blankets and sheets like we are used to there was one blanket wrapped in a sheet (that was made sort of like a pillowcase. It was too hot to use this, so I mostly slept without covers.

If there is a shortage of water, what do people do for showers? For cleaning and washing dishes?

If people do not have water they cannot shower OR wash dishes. People definitely shower less often and in the house where I was staying (and I am guessing in most houses) they had a bucket in the tub so that you could save all of the water instead of it going down the drain. That water could be used to flush the toilet or to water plants outside. 

Most of the time people have some water, but there is not much pressure, so it trickles out. Now and then when there is NO water they have to buy water in big gallon jugs or maybe they have a family member in another part of town that has water and they can go fill up jugs there. At least then they can wash dishes and do sponge baths.  

Do people have air conditioning in their houses?

Most people do not have air conditioning. I did visit a house that had some air conditioning. I doubt that anyone has air conditioning in the whole house. If they have it they only have it in the living room. Some people have fans.

What types of jobs do people do in Bethlehem?

Lots of the jobs that I saw were people who had little shops that sold things or fixed things. For example, the brother of the woman I visited had a small shop fixing watches and he also sold new watches. There are jobs doing construction although not much construction is approved in Bethlehem and so there are not many paying jobs doing this. Some make things and sell them to tourists. There are hotels who employ desk clerks and people to clean rooms. There are taxi drivers, bus drivers, and tour leaders. There are restaurants with cooks. There is a university, so there are professors and schools with teachers. 

I have heard that unemployment is really high. I think that many of the jobs in Bethlehem depended upon tourists visiting and now that less people are coming there it is not easy. Most tour agencies stay in Jerusalem hotels and only come to Bethlehem for a short time. 

I did not see many beggars or any homeless people. 

Do families have pets? If so, what kinds of pets?

There were not many pets that I saw. However, one of the people I know has two bunnies in an outdoor cage. Some people have chickens. I think that those are more for eggs than they are pets. I did see cats and dogs, but they seemed to be outdoor animals that people fed outside.

Do people there have TVs? If so, what shows do they watch?

Everyone has a TV. The couple I stayed with were older, so I am not sure if the shows that they watched would be the same for everyone, but the TV was on most of the time. They turned it on first thing in the morning and even though they weren't watching Catholic masses were going on in the background of everything they did. They also liked to watch the news and what looked to me like soap operas or maybe ongoing adventure shows. These shows were made in Turkey mostly. They said that Egyptian shows had been more popular in the past, but now Turkish TV was better. Lots of people were watching the World Cup whenever a game was on. 

One thing that I thought was interesting was the observation that when you watched old Egyptian shows or movies from the 50s women were not wearing head coverings and the society seemed more open (men and women were relating more openly), but now it is different. Women in shows wear head coverings.

What American sports do people there know of? How do they know about the sports? Do people there watch the Olympics?

I wish I could give you a better answer for this. The couple I was staying with were not very interested in sports. Since the Olympics were not happening I am not sure if they were followed with as much interest as the World Cup of Soccer. 

What kinds of stores do people go to and what do they buy there? We are especially interested in what the kids buy.
This picture from http://www.radiofreepalestine.co.uk

shows what the downtown shopping place looks like.

 Stores are smaller than what we are used to. Most food is bought from the outdoor market. This might be like the Farmer's Market if you have one. However it is bigger. There are all kinds of things that you can buy there including household goods like sponges and pots and pans. There is also goat meat hanging in shop windows and lots of eggs and chickens. 

In the outdoor market there are lots of boys with shopping carts (some like we have and others home made). They will take people's groceries from the market to their homes or maybe to a taxi. Most people walk from their home to the market and if they buy a lot it is hard to get it all home. They pay a small amount to these boys and get their groceries home that way. In this picture from http://cache.virtualtourist.com/2443587-Bethlehem.jpg you can see the boys with carts in the back.

What I saw kids buying was candy and soda. There are lots of small markets, like our mini-markets around and kids had pocket money and went to buy snacks. Junk food is becoming a problem there. Kids really like it and it is easier for parents to give them a little money than it is for them to fix a healthy snack. Does that sound familiar? 

Do any Americans ever come to visit or stay in Jerusalem? Only 2 of us have ever met anyone from Israel, so we are wondering if people there meet any Americans besides you?

I am not in Jerusalem yet, but I think that there are LOTS of Americans in Jerusalem. Many are tourists, but there are also Americans who have come to live in Jerusalem. 


This map shows how close Bethlehem and Jerusalem are. Jerusalem is in the yellow part (Israel) and Bethlehem is in the green part (Palestinian Territories) 

Settlements

I am writing this at Bet She’an, which is a small town in the Jordan River Valley with a long history and also a huge archaeological site. I left Bethlehem and rejoined the professor yesterday, but I still have a few things to write about to complete the time spent in Bethlehem. The professor and the group of other professors are off looking at the archaeological site and I am sitting in the shade writing. My first observation is the change in the atmosphere. There is no dust. I didn’t realize how dusty everything was in Bethlehem. Most of the time my hands felt dirty and there was no use cleaning my computer screen because it would just be dusty again in a few minutes. Bet She’an is at a higher elevation and not near the desert. It is also not as dry.

Monday, July 5 was my ‘second to last’ day in Bethlehem and it seems like we did more things than usual because of the lack of time. I wrote in my last blog post about growing up in Bethlehem because I had a chance to listen to a group of about 15 young people (high school aged?). I asked questions and they talked about their lives and hopes for the future.

One story that really stuck with me was the story of one of the teenagers. Her mother was the one who took us on the driving tour I describe below. She has Jerusalem residency. It is where she grew up and her family lives there. Her husband is from Bethlehem and is a resident of the West Bank. When they were first married that was no problem and they lived together and had six children. But in the last 10 years or so they have not been able to live together because she has to stay in Jerusalem or she will lose her residency there. With residency she has permission to travel back and forth in both Jerusalem and Bethlehem, but she can only be in Bethlehem during the day. Her husband and children have to get permission to go to Jerusalem and it is a hassle to get it. Sometimes it is turned down. They have spent years in court trying to get Jerusalem residency for the children so that at least they can stay with their mother. Recently they were very happy that the two youngest of the six were given residency. I cannot imagine trying to raise a family from two cities and not being able to go back and forth easily. The easiest thing would be for the mother to give up her Jerusalem residency, but that seems so wrong to me. Only a 15 -20 minute drive separate the family, but they are a world apart.

My friend took us on a driving tour of several settlements around Bethlehem. A settlement is a place where Israel is building apartments and houses and moving people into them.  The issue is that many of the settlements are taking land from the West Bank, especially around Jerusalem. There are 23 settlements around Bethlehem and 121 settlements in all of the West Bank (according to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_settlement). I am posting a few pictures here so you can see what they are like. They are permanent structures where very nice people live. There are schools and playgrounds. They are affordable for people to move into and Jerusalem is very crowded. The pictures show the Taxis at the Bethlehem side of the wall.

The problem is that they are built on land that does not belong to Israel. The land they are building on usually was Palestinian pastureland for their goats or agricultural area where they had olive trees or other crops. The rule (reported to me as coming from Israel) is that if the land has not been used in 3 years it is up for grabs and Israel can build on it.  However, shepherds are hassled and arrested and the water is controlled, so farmers are not able to water their crops. People have to get permits to build and most of them are denied. There was a lot of new construction in the settlements I saw. Sometimes Palestinians are compensated for their land, but most often it is just declared unused and built on. 

More people means more demand for the scarce resource of water.  I noticed that in the settlements there are no water tanks on the roofs. Water can be counted on and so there is no need to have a back up tank on the roof. I can feel how frustrating it is for people in Bethlehem to see these settlements beginning to surround the city when they are losing their livelihoods and their land and regularly have problems with the lack of water.

I hope you understand that I am writing this from the perspective of someone who has many friends on the West Bank and not for political reasons. The issues seem so obvious and yet I know that there are two sides to everything. If you are reading this and have some comments to make about other sides of the issue they are welcome. Please help me understand what is happening. 



I never felt in danger when in Bethlehem (except maybe from crazy drivers and I have felt that in many cities!). If you have a chance you should come visit and see for yourself. There are a lot of beautiful and interesting things in the West Bank cities and people are so hospitable and welcoming. It is also hard to understand the situation without seeing it.

Settlements

I am writing this at Bet She’an, which is a small town in the Jordan River Valley with a long history and also a huge archaeological site. I left Bethlehem and rejoined the professor yesterday, but I still have a few things to write about to complete the time spent in Bethlehem. The professor and the group of other professors are off looking at the archaeological site and I am sitting in the shade writing. My first observation is the change in the atmosphere. There is no dust. I didn’t realize how dusty everything was in Bethlehem. Most of the time my hands felt dirty and there was no use cleaning my computer screen because it would just be dusty again in a few minutes. Bet She’an is at a higher elevation and not near the desert. It is also not as dry.

Monday, July 5 was my ‘second to last’ day in Bethlehem and it seems like we did more things than usual because of the lack of time. I wrote in my last blog post about growing up in Bethlehem because I had a chance to listen to a group of about 15 young people (high school aged?). I asked questions and they talked about their lives and hopes for the future.

One story that really stuck with me was the story of one of the teenagers. Her mother was the one who took us on the driving tour I describe below. She has Jerusalem residency. It is where she grew up and her family lives there. Her husband is from Bethlehem and is a resident of the West Bank. When they were first married that was no problem and they lived together and had six children. But in the last 10 years or so they have not been able to live together because she has to stay in Jerusalem or she will lose her residency there. With residency she has permission to travel back and forth in both Jerusalem and Bethlehem, but she can only be in Bethlehem during the day. Her husband and children have to get permission to go to Jerusalem and it is a hassle to get it. Sometimes it is turned down. They have spent years in court trying to get Jerusalem residency for the children so that at least they can stay with their mother. Recently they were very happy that the two youngest of the six were given residency. I cannot imagine trying to raise a family from two cities and not being able to go back and forth easily. The easiest thing would be for the mother to give up her Jerusalem residency, but that seems so wrong to me. Only a 15 -20 minute drive separate the family, but they are a world apart.

My friend took us on a driving tour of several settlements around Bethlehem. A settlement is a place where Israel is building apartments and houses and moving people into them.  The issue is that many of the settlements are taking land from the West Bank, especially around Jerusalem. There are 23 settlements around Bethlehem and 121 settlements in all of the West Bank (according to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_settlement). I am posting a few pictures here so you can see what they are like. They are permanent structures where very nice people live. There are schools and playgrounds. They are affordable for people to move into and Jerusalem is very crowded. The pictures show the Taxis at the Bethlehem side of the wall.

The problem is that they are built on land that does not belong to Israel. The land they are building on usually was Palestinian pastureland for their goats or agricultural area where they had olive trees or other crops. The rule (reported to me as coming from Israel) is that if the land has not been used in 3 years it is up for grabs and Israel can build on it.  However, shepherds are hassled and arrested and the water is controlled, so farmers are not able to water their crops. People have to get permits to build and most of them are denied. There was a lot of new construction in the settlements I saw. Sometimes Palestinians are compensated for their land, but most often it is just declared unused and built on. 

More people means more demand for the scarce resource of water.  I noticed that in the settlements there are no water tanks on the roofs. Water can be counted on and so there is no need to have a back up tank on the roof. I can feel how frustrating it is for people in Bethlehem to see these settlements beginning to surround the city when they are losing their livelihoods and their land and regularly have problems with the lack of water.

I hope you understand that I am writing this from the perspective of someone who has many friends on the West Bank and not for political reasons. The issues seem so obvious and yet I know that there are two sides to everything. If you are reading this and have some comments to make about other sides of the issue they are welcome. Please help me understand what is happening. 



I never felt in danger when in Bethlehem (except maybe from crazy drivers and I have felt that in many cities!). If you have a chance you should come visit and see for yourself. There are a lot of beautiful and interesting things in the West Bank cities and people are so hospitable and welcoming. It is also hard to understand the situation without seeing it.

The Graduation

The Women and their Diplomas

I will post pictures as soon as I can. I was not able to take them because I was involved in the celebration. My friend Laura took pictures and will be sending them to me.

The Diplomas

One of the Women shows her Diploma

Gift from the Kids

This was a fantastic celebration. I can’t believe that I was only here two weeks and it worked out so well. USAID was very supportive of the computer class. This is a United States Agency for International Development and they have contributed to the Wi’am Center. They provided the computers and the desks and were very supportive at the graduation. They provided framed certificates for each of the women who completed the course and brought a sound system for the graduation. They also took lots of pictures and filmed the event.

On the morning of the celebration Wi’am was able to get a shade sail to cover a big portion of the back patio (see the picture). Since all summer it is so dry and hot it is like adding another room onto the building! Zoughbi Zoughbi, who is the director of the center, wanted to put up a shade sail, but he was concerned about having the funding. A few days ago he decided to go ahead and buy it and trust that the funds would come. Before he even had a chance he received notice of grants and donations that more that pay for the shade sail as well as helping out with the summer program. It was terrific to experience this all coming together.

Hedy making comments

Lorette Making Comments

I really enjoyed seeing the proud faces of the women were at receiving certificates and to talking to them. They felt that they had learned SO much. Some who had no email address now have email addresses and most of them have Facebook accounts and are my friends on Facebook! The kids were also there and presented me with a really nice gift, which is pictured here. They were also proud of the videos they made. I was able to present the Flip Video cameras to Wi’am and let them know they were a donation to the Center from the Austin Mennonite Church. I was really glad for that because I didn’t want to leave them with the idea that they were all from just me.

At 12 the Taxi came to get me and took me to the wall where there is a checkpoint from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. There is a way that people can walk across so that they can meet a car at the other side and also a gate for cars to drive through. When going on the settlement tour we all had to take a ride (often people take a taxi) to the gate. Then we had to walk through and meet another car at the other side. This time Carmen wanted to see if they would let her drive me through. She apologized and said that most of the time she is not allowed to take passengers across, so they have to walk and meet her again at the other side. She wanted to try to see if they would let us through first and so she took my passport (it was a benefit to be 55 for once!). We were allowed to go through, but only after one of the soldiers at the gate came with his gun and approved what had already been allowed. Then we had to stop so that they could look in the trunk and they had me open my suitcase.  What a crazy ordeal.

Now I am on to the next part of the trip. I am in Israel, but later today we will cross over to a different country, Jordan and see several interesting things and then a few days later it is back to Jerusalem before heading back to Austin.

The Graduation

The Women and their Diplomas

I will post pictures as soon as I can. I was not able to take them because I was involved in the celebration. My friend Laura took pictures and will be sending them to me.

The Diplomas

One of the Women shows her Diploma

Gift from the Kids

This was a fantastic celebration. I can’t believe that I was only here two weeks and it worked out so well. USAID was very supportive of the computer class. This is a United States Agency for International Development and they have contributed to the Wi’am Center. They provided the computers and the desks and were very supportive at the graduation. They provided framed certificates for each of the women who completed the course and brought a sound system for the graduation. They also took lots of pictures and filmed the event.

On the morning of the celebration Wi’am was able to get a shade sail to cover a big portion of the back patio (see the picture). Since all summer it is so dry and hot it is like adding another room onto the building! Zoughbi Zoughbi, who is the director of the center, wanted to put up a shade sail, but he was concerned about having the funding. A few days ago he decided to go ahead and buy it and trust that the funds would come. Before he even had a chance he received notice of grants and donations that more that pay for the shade sail as well as helping out with the summer program. It was terrific to experience this all coming together.

Hedy making comments

Lorette Making Comments

I really enjoyed seeing the proud faces of the women were at receiving certificates and to talking to them. They felt that they had learned SO much. Some who had no email address now have email addresses and most of them have Facebook accounts and are my friends on Facebook! The kids were also there and presented me with a really nice gift, which is pictured here. They were also proud of the videos they made. I was able to present the Flip Video cameras to Wi’am and let them know they were a donation to the Center from the Austin Mennonite Church. I was really glad for that because I didn’t want to leave them with the idea that they were all from just me.

At 12 the Taxi came to get me and took me to the wall where there is a checkpoint from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. There is a way that people can walk across so that they can meet a car at the other side and also a gate for cars to drive through. When going on the settlement tour we all had to take a ride (often people take a taxi) to the gate. Then we had to walk through and meet another car at the other side. This time Carmen wanted to see if they would let her drive me through. She apologized and said that most of the time she is not allowed to take passengers across, so they have to walk and meet her again at the other side. She wanted to try to see if they would let us through first and so she took my passport (it was a benefit to be 55 for once!). We were allowed to go through, but only after one of the soldiers at the gate came with his gun and approved what had already been allowed. Then we had to stop so that they could look in the trunk and they had me open my suitcase.  What a crazy ordeal.

Now I am on to the next part of the trip. I am in Israel, but later today we will cross over to a different country, Jordan and see several interesting things and then a few days later it is back to Jerusalem before heading back to Austin.

More Answers to our Questions

From Wisconsin:  Here are our answers to your questions - we enjoyed thinking and talking about them. :-) We watched the bread baking video this morning and started to answer the questions below. We talked about how the bread looked like giant bagels (is it challah bread?) and the oven was similar to the pizza ovens in restaurants here.


Khader wants to know:


Do you have soccer class at the school? 

No we do not have a soccer class, but we learn to play during physical education class. Many girls and boys like to play soccer for fun at recess. Many students also play on soccer teams after school and on weekends.

Sometimes the boys at our school fight. (The boys who fight get in trouble) Is that the same at your school? 

Yes, students who fight also get into trouble at our schools. They might have to talk to the principal or the counselor, have a time-out, get a write-up which your parents see, or another consequence that the teacher or principal feels will help the student do better.

When school is closed during the summer can you still go to use the playground or is it locked? 

We can go to most playgrounds in our town.

If someone is hurt at school do you have a school hospital? 

No, we have a school clinic with a nurse who helps us when we get hurt or get sick or need to take medicine.

George wants to know:
What do you do in the summertime? 

We are all giving our ideas: go swimming, go to the park, go to day camps, go to parties, go on family trips, play baseball, stay up late, watch movies, play football, go to Water Parks, riding bikes, play with friends, travel, go to the Milwaukee Zoo, sleep late, read, play outside later, play tennis, and go to festivals and fairs.

What are your favorite sports? 

Football, tennis, fishing, baseball, soccer, golf, basketball, swimming, kid-sized motorcycles. 

We are all watching the world cup, are you? 

Some of us are watching the World Cup and some of us are not. Those watching would like Brazil or Spain or Germany to win.

Do you take your food to school with you or not? 

Yes, we do because only middle school and high school have lunch made at school.

Do the people there know about us? 

Yes somewhat because of what we read in the news and see on television.

Danny wants to know:
Do you have scouts or camping? 

Yes, people can join Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts if they like. Some people go to day camps, some go to overnight camps, and others go camping with their families.

Do you watch NBA? 

Some of us watch the NBA games. The team in our city is called the Milwaukee Bucks. A few students like them but most like the Lakers or Celtics instead.

Henriette wants to know:


At school we have sports competitions and field days where we play sports. Do you have field days? 

Fourth and fifth graders can choose to join a field day one afternoon in May after school. They do running races, relays, hurdles, and long jump.

How many minutes do you have for each class? We have 45 minutes here. Do you have the same? 

Classes are different times – they may be anything from 25 minutes to 60 minutes, depending on the subject.

How many children are in each class? 

There are usually about 20-23 students in each class.

4th of July Celebrations: This is a big deal here in Milwaukee and Whitefish Bay! There are fireworks, Summerfest, lots of eating, parades, games, getting ready for guests, and many people have a day off of work or school. Here is a web site with news about the celebration here in Whitefish Bay!

http://www.wfbcivicfoundation.org/ 

Thanks for reminding me of the Fourth of July. It just does not seem like it is coming up. I think tomorrow a friend of mine and I are going to try to do something "American" together. I am not sure what that will be! 

More Answers to our Questions

From Wisconsin:  Here are our answers to your questions - we enjoyed thinking and talking about them. :-) We watched the bread baking video this morning and started to answer the questions below. We talked about how the bread looked like giant bagels (is it challah bread?) and the oven was similar to the pizza ovens in restaurants here.


Khader wants to know:


Do you have soccer class at the school? 

No we do not have a soccer class, but we learn to play during physical education class. Many girls and boys like to play soccer for fun at recess. Many students also play on soccer teams after school and on weekends.

Sometimes the boys at our school fight. (The boys who fight get in trouble) Is that the same at your school? 

Yes, students who fight also get into trouble at our schools. They might have to talk to the principal or the counselor, have a time-out, get a write-up which your parents see, or another consequence that the teacher or principal feels will help the student do better.

When school is closed during the summer can you still go to use the playground or is it locked? 

We can go to most playgrounds in our town.

If someone is hurt at school do you have a school hospital? 

No, we have a school clinic with a nurse who helps us when we get hurt or get sick or need to take medicine.

George wants to know:
What do you do in the summertime? 

We are all giving our ideas: go swimming, go to the park, go to day camps, go to parties, go on family trips, play baseball, stay up late, watch movies, play football, go to Water Parks, riding bikes, play with friends, travel, go to the Milwaukee Zoo, sleep late, read, play outside later, play tennis, and go to festivals and fairs.

What are your favorite sports? 

Football, tennis, fishing, baseball, soccer, golf, basketball, swimming, kid-sized motorcycles. 

We are all watching the world cup, are you? 

Some of us are watching the World Cup and some of us are not. Those watching would like Brazil or Spain or Germany to win.

Do you take your food to school with you or not? 

Yes, we do because only middle school and high school have lunch made at school.

Do the people there know about us? 

Yes somewhat because of what we read in the news and see on television.

Danny wants to know:
Do you have scouts or camping? 

Yes, people can join Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts if they like. Some people go to day camps, some go to overnight camps, and others go camping with their families.

Do you watch NBA? 

Some of us watch the NBA games. The team in our city is called the Milwaukee Bucks. A few students like them but most like the Lakers or Celtics instead.

Henriette wants to know:


At school we have sports competitions and field days where we play sports. Do you have field days? 

Fourth and fifth graders can choose to join a field day one afternoon in May after school. They do running races, relays, hurdles, and long jump.

How many minutes do you have for each class? We have 45 minutes here. Do you have the same? 

Classes are different times – they may be anything from 25 minutes to 60 minutes, depending on the subject.

How many children are in each class? 

There are usually about 20-23 students in each class.

4th of July Celebrations: This is a big deal here in Milwaukee and Whitefish Bay! There are fireworks, Summerfest, lots of eating, parades, games, getting ready for guests, and many people have a day off of work or school. Here is a web site with news about the celebration here in Whitefish Bay!

http://www.wfbcivicfoundation.org/ 

Thanks for reminding me of the Fourth of July. It just does not seem like it is coming up. I think tomorrow a friend of mine and I are going to try to do something "American" together. I am not sure what that will be! 

More Questions from Bethlehem

We have a few more questions for our friends in Bethlehem. I hope that when they answer they also tell us a little bit about themselves and also send us a picture. You can email a picture to janicef@jfriesen.net and I will put it up on the blog.

More Questions

Khader wants to know:

• Do you have soccer class at the school?
• Sometimes the boys at our school fight. (The boys who fight get in trouble) Is that the same at your school?
• When school is closed during the summer can you still go to use the playground or is it locked?
• If someone is hurt at school do you have a school hospital?

George wants to know:

• What do you do in the summertime?
• What are your favorite sports? We are all watching the world cup, are you?
• Do you take your food to school with you or not?
• Do the people there know about us?

Danny wants to know:

• Do you have scouts or camping?
• Do you watch NBA?

Henriette wants to know:

• At school we have sports competitions and field days where we play sports. Do you have field days?
• How many minutes do you have for each class? We have 45 minutes here. Do you have the same?
• How many children are in each class?

Michelin did not have any more questions. I am wondering which teams you are hoping will win the World Cup if you are following it.

Thanks for answering our questions!

More Questions from Bethlehem

We have a few more questions for our friends in Bethlehem. I hope that when they answer they also tell us a little bit about themselves and also send us a picture. You can email a picture to janicef@jfriesen.net and I will put it up on the blog.

More Questions

Khader wants to know:

• Do you have soccer class at the school?
• Sometimes the boys at our school fight. (The boys who fight get in trouble) Is that the same at your school?
• When school is closed during the summer can you still go to use the playground or is it locked?
• If someone is hurt at school do you have a school hospital?

George wants to know:

• What do you do in the summertime?
• What are your favorite sports? We are all watching the world cup, are you?
• Do you take your food to school with you or not?
• Do the people there know about us?

Danny wants to know:

• Do you have scouts or camping?
• Do you watch NBA?

Henriette wants to know:

• At school we have sports competitions and field days where we play sports. Do you have field days?
• How many minutes do you have for each class? We have 45 minutes here. Do you have the same?
• How many children are in each class?

Michelin did not have any more questions. I am wondering which teams you are hoping will win the World Cup if you are following it.

Thanks for answering our questions!

Wi'am Children's Program

In the summer the children are out of school, but they do not have much to do. At the Wi'am Center they have a program for children where they do crafts and games and play together. These girls are some of the older ones. They are making a mosaic out of glass.

 They just put in some playground equipment and it is in constant use! Kids from the neighborhood even climb over their fence to get to it. So far they have not been able to put any sand or ground cover for safety under all of the equipment. They are hoping to find a grant or donation that will pay for it. I think like many non-profit organizations they are always needing donations to keep going.