Category: Uncategorized

What is What?

On By srflagleIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today we talked a lot about Israeli stereotypes and what it means to be Israeli. Israel was established as a religious homeland for the Jews, right? So next we have to decide: “what does Jewish mean?” According to the Israeli government you have to be at least 1/8 Jewish because that was the rule for Nazi persecution of the Jews during the Holocaust. For some it means you have to study the Talmud and devote yourself to Judaism. And for others it might mean you go to temple once every week. The definition for what is a religious Jew varies from person to person. Some people in Israel aren’t religious at all and use Jewish as a racial identifier. From that racial identifier stereotypes are developed; Jews have big noses, curly hair, etc. Then I can’t help but think “was Israel established as a state for a specific race?” That doesn’t seem fair to me. No where else in the world is there a state for a specific race that isn’t perceived as an oppressive society. This type of conversation continued throughout the day. How is Israel so radical and stubborn about its own policies towards another people when they don’t even know who they are? The man that we met and talked with about all this, and more, today was named David Mendelsohn. He is a professor at a local university and teaches linguistics. His voice and opinion was amazing and opened up more doors to the conflict than I had previously considered.

The next question that was forced upon me was “What is Palestinian?” Many, as they are called, “Israeli-Arabs” live in Israel with full Israeli citizenship even though they would consider themselves Palestinian. They were “trapped” in Israel when the wall was constructed in 2002. Palestinians had to choose between their current families on one side of the wall and their extended family on other side. Even today there are villages split on the green line. One half of the town is considered West Bank and the other Israel, but there is no wall between them. Today we visited a village Barta’a where this situation is most prevalent. Half of the town is in Israel with Palestinians living in it. The streets are clean and the houses have tiled roofs. We literally walked over a water grate and passed into the West Bank and the change was immediate. The roads were bumpy, there was trash everywhere, and the houses were rather undeveloped. The Palestinians on this side of the water grate were in quite the predicament. They were technically still in Israel based on the borders created by the wall, but also technically in West Bank based on the border set by the green line. So here were these Palestinians who were living in limbo. The village was in fact a hub of stores because they don’t have to pay any taxes. The Palestinian government can’t get to them to collect taxes and the Israeli government is too lazy to collect taxes because they technically aren’t Israeli citizens. So here were these Palestinians who didn’t know who they were. Once again I cannot stress how hard it is to describe what I’m learning in words and my time restraints. So the question that I was left with was who is who and what is what?

-Sam

Looking at Equality (or Lack Thereof)

On By Meg Seeking PeaceIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The emotional gravity of the topics we are dealing with is more heavy than I anticipated. The areas of tension can be sparked by something as seemingly small as raising a flag in Jerusalem or in the ancient olive trees. I noticed the extreme contrast in quality of life today, I also noticed the subtle mockeries that can come out. For the first time on the trip, I saw the two different peoples and the inequality that they live in.

For example, we visited a beautiful settlement on the top of a hill in East Jerusalem. It was fenced in with high walls and barbed wire and military means of security. They had many pools, a man-made lake and ancient olive trees at every round-about. This settlement hung their flag high. Points of tension that an outsider might not realize: The pools and lake are a luxury that the Palestinians who lived in a slum bellow couldn’t comprehend. Even the wealthy Palestinians only have access to water a few times a week, and those times when they do, they have to pump a lot to storage to get them through the rest of the week. The olive trees that the Israeli settlers use as decoration, were dug up from Palestinian olive groves. They were their mothers’ trees, and their mothers’ mothers trees, a means by which Palestinian families made their livelihood, now in a round-about as a decorative accent. Finally, the raising of a flag, despite the fact that they are in Palestinian land, is illegal for Palestinians while  Israeli settlers boast their flags high. In a way, not recognizing Palestine at all, claiming that land as their own.

Point of clarity: The building of settlements is ILLEGAL according to international law, and they will continue building regardless of this fact.

Who does the Wall Separate:
-Palestinian students from their university
-Muslims from their mosques
-Palestinians from their career
-Palestinians from their relatives
-Palestinians from their history
-Palestinians from their LIVES

This may seem radical, but the wall is not separating Palestine from Israel. It is separating Palestine from their history.

-Meg

What Have I Gotten Myself Into!

On By pennmedmattIn Uncategorized3 Comments

I finally began to realize what my daily life would look life during my Senior Projects. Wake up at 6 am, leave the house at 6:45 before the sun rises, arrive in Philly at 7:50 and begin work immediately, leave work at 5:15, take the 5:29 train home, drive home after the sun has set, arrive home at 6:20 for dinner, go to sleep, then start all over again. Lather, rinse and repeat. This is going to be a long four weeks. I hope that I can make it. During the past three days, I have worked almost 30 hours, spent five hours in transportation between my house and Philly, drank almost 100 fluid ounces of coffee, and helped to raise $1,500 for patients. I am on track to raise (and maybe even surpass) my goal of $10,000. Nevertheless, I am having a great time. This is a teaser of what the life of a resident or doctor is.

Yesterday and today, I met more of the other volunteers that I will be working with. For the most part they are nice and I plan to get along with them all just fine. That is always a good thing. I met with more patients and heard some amazing and terrible stories. One patient was from Liberia and has personally witnessed militant activity. This has left him scarred with post traumatic stress disorder. I also met with a number of people who have no means of income whatsoever and are left to pay outrageously expensive medical bills for their necessary cancer treatment. However, there is always light in the darkness. Despite all of the sadness there is still some humor and some laughter. I saw a small sticker that had a picture of Wile E. Coyote holding a sign that said health tip. It said, “If you can’t afford a doctor, go to an airport – you’ll get a free x-ray and a breast exam and; if you mention Al Qaeda you’ll get a free colonoscopy.” All of the doctors and residents that I have met are always cheery and positive. I am fortunate enough to attend a catered luncheon conference every Wednesday, where all of the interdisciplinary doctors come together are discuss their more difficult patients. They come to an educated decision on the best course of action to take. I am able to learn about cancer and the entire radiation oncological field of medicine. I am also able to meet with surgeons and ask them my questions. One of the patients that I am looking after will be getting a esophagectomy to treat his esophageal cancer. I learned that they stretch the stomach after removing the esophagus. This is really interesting to me but may seem disgusting to you. Sorry.

Today, when I was leaving work I realized how tired I was. I was standing on the train because there were no available seats. I forgot that I wasn’t holding on to anything and as the train began to stop, I began to lose my balance. However, I did not realize that I was falling, so I didn’t catch myself. Then when I was about to fall over, I finally caught myself, but unfortunately I slammed my heel into a small woman’s foot. I apologized profusely and then when she had left, I went to sit down and forgot I was holding a drink. So I spilled my cream soda all over the floor. Ugh. I’m going to need a second spring break after this spring break.

-Matt

The Friendliest People in the Entire World

On By Jordan GhanaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Before I got here, I heard that the people in Ghana are the friendliest people in the world. That is one of the truest statements that I have ever heard.

So we started teaching at Heritage! Copp and I have been having fun teaching music and rhythm to our classes. The only problem that we are having is that we feel like we don’t have enough material to keep them interested for a whole hour. The school is amazing. The kids are so adorable! The little ones are so cute. They walk around holding hands and they look at us like we are aliens. They have warmed up to us a lot though. One little girl, maybe 6 years old named Lisa, sat on my lap for about an hour today. She actually would not let me put her down. The kids go CRAZY over the cameras that we have. I was the first to pull it out and they attacked all of us! They keep asking us to take their pictures so that they can see it. It is really sweet, but when I tell you that they go crazy, I mean it! The pictures will probably be proof, and you will all see the pictures when I get home.

We went into the market today to buy material to get clothing made. I got two fabrics, one for a dress, and one for pants. The people there loved to look at us. There is a specific name for a foreigner here and we heard it about every 5 steps. They would just yell it at us while we were walking down the street. One guy told Eva that he “would give her a beautiful baby boy” she declined, but it was a nice sentiment I suppose…? We met some kids in the market that were in love with our cameras so we had a little photoshoot in the middle of the street. There is a dance called “Azotu” and it goes with a little song and some kids taught it to me at school. So when the kids in the market were doing it so I joined in! The people in the market found that VERY amusing. Everyone laughed at me, then NyAsia did it and a guy asked for her number, obviously she did it better than I did.

Ghana is great. I am learning a lot of the language, Fante, and I am in love with the kids. I still miss my mom, and I miss Becca and Jordyn and Chris, but it is beautiful here and the kids are making the time go so quickly.

Oh! I have grown close to the guy that drives our van, his name is Alaska. He was translating for us in the market today and he taught me a lot of cool stuff. Everyone is playing cards and relaxing now so it is time for me to go.

I love and miss you all,

Jordan

Day Two

On By ariinthemiddleeastIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Day 1: We went through a complete second security check at the  gate in the Philadelphia airport to get on the plane. In Tel Aviv, some of us were held up for a bit at customs and asked questions about our group, which has 18 students and 4 teachers. They asked me my father’s and grandfather’s names. From the airport we went to the home of T. Melissa & T. Jon’s friends. At one point they mentioned that there was a huge market for American clothes in Israel. Not surprising, as Israeli consumers are eager just like Israeli business people to emulate their counterparts in America. The father of the household mentioned that with this transfer of industries also came the same negative effects, especially the increase of the divide between socioeconomic classes. Israel is such a young country that for the most part they are experiencing growth in their business sector, but if they continue to follow the model that we know to be unsustainable, then they are blindly following the same exact path on which some say we are too far down. We took the bus to Jerusalem and crashed at the hotel afterwards.

Day 2:  Today was the first full day in the country. We toured Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount. We walked around Old City a lot, seeing most of the Via Dolorosa –  the way of the cross – and went to the church built on the spot where Jesus was believed to be crucified (though there are several spots that are believed to be that). This was one of the most intricate and dark churches I’ve ever seen. It made me realize just how much religion can weird me out. We ate a lunch of shwarma or falafel in a small café. We then listened to a presentation on settlements and house demolition and went out on a bus tour to see with our own eyes these realities. It has been well established by all countries except Israel that the settlements are against international law, yet no one does anything about it. Those who have the power of these laws are the only ones who would ever dare go against them, though even America has looked down upon these practices on paper. In reality, America is not doing anything regarding limiting Israel’s actions in the West Bank. We were talking amongst ourselves on the bus about how a one-state solution is the best way to go for everyone’s benefit, but at this point, there is such a feeling among many Palestinians that they have been wronged to such a level that there is no way for them to assimilate into Israeli culture. On the other side of that, the Israelis would feel that that solution would contaminate their Jewish state. On top of that, there would still be a clear race division that would play a role. Speaking of a Jewish state, that is such a strange concept. I can appreciate a place that is intentionally meant for a specific group, but when it gets to a point where it is hostile to any other group, especially a group that is native to the land, then it gets out of hand. Many believe that Obama is waiting for a second term to more forcefully push any communication between the two parties, so that if and when he hits a nerve in the process, there’s not much anyone can do, since he’ll be out soon anyway.

-Ari

Getting Real

On By CherIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

My biggest surprise when we arrived in Tel Aviv was how familiar it felt. Aside from the Middle Eastern style music playing on the radio and the Hebrew/Arabic/English road signs I felt as though I could have flown into southern California. As we continued to an Israeli friend’s house for dinner, my sheltered feeling didn’t alleviate. Their pronunciation of humus with the stereotypical throat sound was one of the few indication that we had left the United States and entered such a prominent region. As the night continued in conversation about the conflict things continued on a hypothetical and philosophical level. I could hear that they were experiencing intense conflict and had experienced great tragedy and violence in their lives yet I could not see it.

The next morning, as we toured the Old City in Jerusalem, I couldn’t shake of the feeling that I was a mere tourist avoiding the true purpose of the trip. While the buildings were beautiful and the history so wonderfully rich, the fact that we were in Israel had yet to sink in. That is until the moment I saw the Palestinian neighborhood. I was immediately met with dilapidated houses, hanging laundry, and piles upon piles of trash. Our guide told us the trash had accumulated in every corner because the Israeli government did not provide trash services to the Palestinians. The conflict continued to become a reality for me when we saw the wall up close for the first time. On it was graffiti that said, among other things, “When ignorance reigns, lives are lost” and “Welcome to apartheid”. Seeing these strong and charged words in black and white solidified for me the oppression and injustice the Palestinian people are living with daily. I also realized an Israeli teenager could easily ignore the conflict and occupation now that the wall has been constructed and the “acts of terror” have decreased significantly. A Palestinian teenager, however, lives in constant reminder that they are living are living in an occupation, that they are unwanted by many and unjustly hated by some. I am left with the feeling that as we heard during our discussion on the first night…”Life is complicated in this region.” 

-Cherylyn

AHHH!

AHHH! Just got to my first blog entry today. Sorry for the delay Westtown! Anyway the 10 1/2 hour flight yesterday ran relatively smoothly. Sleep came in fits and bursts, but I still managed 5-6 hours on the cramped plane. When we stepped off the plane into Tel Aviv the first thing that struck me was the different culture. I was surrounded by Hebrew everywhere I turned. In other countries that I have visited there is usually a language spoken that sounds relatively familiar, but Hebrew is completely different in its written form and guttural essence. Anyway, we all managed to grab our luggage, pass through customs, and get on the bus with relative ease. That night for dinner we were invited to Remi and Orna’s, T.Melissa’s friends. The food was AMAZING. Everything was fresh. From the pita, to the cucumbers, to the tomatoes it was all magnificent. And then to top it all off was the best humus I’ve ever had in my life. After dinner we discussed the conflict a little and learned some of the “Jewish” side of it all. The most interesting part of the discussion was when our Arab bus driver chimed in and had a small disagreement with what Remi was saying. Remi and the driver got into a little bit of a spat and it was the first time that I could see the conflict playing out right in front of my very eyes. That night we checked into our hotel and I couldn’t believe it, but I managed to get a restful night’s sleep.

Today we toured Old Jerusalem and met with a man named Jeff Halper. In the beginning of the day the most striking thing for me was when we were walking along the Via Dolorosa and seeing groups of tourists carrying fake, giant crosses down the same path that Jesus walked. There were usually four of them carrying the cross while their group followed and some one would lead in the front reading the bible out loud. It came across to me as an almost extreme way to show faith in your religion and it just wasn’t something I was expecting or accustomed to coming from the States. We also saw the Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock, which were some of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen. The blue and gold of the Dome of the Rock made it stick out from the mostly tan/white hue of Jerusalem. The second half of our day we met with a man named Jeff Halper and learned all about Palestinian house demolition. We then took a tour of East Jerusalem and that was the first part of the trip that has really provoked emotions from me. It’s impossible for me to put into words what I saw and what those things meant. Touring East Jerusalem and seeing the Palestinian desolation in comparison to the Israeli luxury was sickening. One moment we would be in a Palestinian neighborhood and there would be trash everywhere, run down buildings, demolished houses, people begging, and a slew of other awful things. Then we would turn a corner and be in one of the wealthiest Jewish settlements. There were pools, clean streets, working lights,etc. What struck me most was the water. There were Palestinians down the street who barely had enough water to get by let alone thrive, and then there were Israelis who were flocking to pools and abusing their luxuries. It just didn’t seem right. I’ve got to give the computer off now because my fellow bloggers are getting impatient, but I’m eager to see what else this place has to show me. 

-Sam

On By srflagleIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Who is Missing?

On By Meg Seeking PeaceIn Uncategorized2 Comments

The eleven hour plane ride passed quickly. Ben and I sat together in the second to last row of a very long plane. His bubbling excitement was contagious. The standard safety protocol demonstration began, and Ben felt moved to applaud the flight attendants jokingly. Movies, sleep, meals and conversation got our 20 person group through the flight. Once we arrived Melissa flocked us through immigration like a mother goose to her 18 little goslings. 

We had gotten our things and gathered in the lobby waiting to hop on the bus that would take us to Orna and Romi’s house. I said hi to Teacher Susan for the first time on the trip. “Have you noticed who is missing?” She asked me.

“Jax and Rosie just left for the bathroom but I think we’re all together.”

“But look around Meg, on a larger scale.”

I looked around the beautiful, modern airport. I saw yarmulkes, I saw Hebrew signs. I felt more than just an absence of the Palestinian population, I felt an active  un-acknowledgment of it. Who is Missing?

At Orna and Romi’s home the conversation was fascinating about the conflict. (Orna and Romi are Israeli friends of John and Melissa’s with a lot of fascinating and powerful stories to tell about the start of Israel and about their desire for peace). I asked their family how present the conflict was in the average Israeli’s life. They said for two years, when serving in the military, as everyone has to do, the conflict is very present. But other than that, now that the terrorism has stopped mostly, the conflict is as visible as each individual desires. You can choose to pay attention. A question that I choose to keep to myself in that moment, was: do Palestinian’s have that privilege too? To ignore the conflict? How present is it to them?

Who is missing?

 

-Meg

Safe and Sound!

On By Westtown SchoolIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Students and faculty gathered at the airport yesterday evening to travel Israel/Palestine. We have received word that they have arrived safely today!  Stay tuned for more from this program.

Arrival in Barcelona

On By phoebebarcelonaIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Hello again!

After a long seven hour flight, we arrived in Barcelona, Spain yesterday around 9:00 AM. Upon our arrival, we met up with T. Jenny who teaches English in AULA. We then had a short breakfast and set off for our first day in AULA. Needless to say, we were all quite tired due to the jet lag and we passed the majority of our bus ride in silence. Despite the fact that I was so tired, I was inevitably captured by the beauty of Barcelona. Along with the beautiful architecture, Barcelona is situated right next to the Mediterranean Sea and thus the view of the city is mesmerizing.

We arrived at AULA around 11 AM and were given a tour of the school by a few students. Immediately, we were immersed in Castilian Spanish. In Barcelona, most people actually speak a mix of French and Spanish which is known as Catalán. Because we have only been taught Castilian at Westtown, the AULA students speak Castilian with us so that we may better practice the language. At first, I had trouble communicating with the students because I was intimidated by the speed at which they talked. Today, however, it was much easier to understand the teachers and the students. I’m still a bit scared to talk, but the more time I spend in AULA the more my mindset shifts from English to Spanish.

In terms of the school, it was a bit strange arriving at AULA. As we stood in the patio waiting to meet our tour guides, all the students stared at us and I could see them whispering with each other. Our tour guides later clarified that these kids were staring because the majority of classes in AULA don’t change very often. Indeed, most students have been attending AULA since they were only three years old. Given our experience in Westtown where classes change almost every year, this idea was certainly surprising.

After the tour and classes, each one of us went home with our host families for the night. Right now, I am a staying with a student whose name is Juan. Juan’s family lives in an apartment more towards the center of the city. Although I am far away from home, I feel quite comfortable with Juan’s family. They are all incredibly generous and in many ways I almost feel embarrassed by how much they do for me. For example, when I arrived here, I realized that I had forgot to buy an adapter so that I could use my electrical devices overseas. When I told this to Juan’s father, he immediately went and bought me an adapter. I couldn’t be more grateful!

After a long day, I went to bed yesterday around 8 PM and I got a full eleven hours of sleep. I’m pretty sure I’m over the jet lag, but I guess I will truly know later tonight. Tomorrow, our group is going to take a break from classes at AULA and we are going to visit a museum and a few historical sites in Barcelona.

I will be writing again soon!

Phoebe