Time to go

Dear friends,

Since my last e-mail, I have experienced a few things worth writing about. In addition, I would like to share with you some concluding thoughts on my year abroad.

In this issue:

1. Rhodes
2. Israel’s Birthday
3. The West Bank
4. Summing Up

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1. Rhodes

The decision by my friends and me to go to Rhodes was largely serendipitous. The travel agency made us an offer we couldn’t refuse: airfare and three nights in a five-star hotel with breakfast and dinner included for a total of $400. As it turned out, the five-star hotel was no Ritz, but was likely state-of-the-art when it was built in the 1970s.

The Island of Rhodes, like many in the Aegean Sea, is full of exquisite views and ancient ruins. The old city in the town of Rhodes was built by the Knights of St. John after the crusades, and its architecture looks a great deal like the old city of Jerusalem. During our second day, we visited the town of Lindos, which holds the nicest beaches on the Island, as well as an acropolis. Finally, on our final day in Rhodes, we rented a car and explored the western side of the island. My pictures tell the story in far more detail.

2. Israel’s Birthday

In Israel, Independence Day is actually celebrated in two ways. The first day is called Yom Hazikaron, the Day of Remembrance. This day is meant to remember the soldiers who have died protecting this country. Once in the evening (Jewish celebrations go from sundown to sundown), and once the following morning, a siren sounds across the country. For those two minutes, everything stops. People step out of their cars, assembly lines shut down, and people stand at attention, in complete silence, to remember the fallen. During the morning siren, I went to the Shuk—the Jewish Market—to see how this siren really affects the flow of life. What I saw seemed surreal. It was as if God hit the pause button. As the siren wound down, life again wound up. It was perhaps the most moving and powerful display of national unity I have ever, and will ever see in my entire life.

As the sun sets on Yom Hazikaron, the celebration of Israel’s independence begins with a bang—literally. Fireworks blare across the country, Israeli’s fill the streets in song and dance, and families barbeque like there is no tomorrow. I went to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv with some friends from home to see a few performances and watch some fireworks of my own.

Of course, not everyone celebrates this holiday. The Arab community, on both sides of the Green Line, refer to what happened in 1948 not as a great independence, but as the 'nakba'—the disaster. It was during this war, and in the six months prior, that many Arab residents left their villages in what is today Israel, because of fear or force, and mostly settled in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria, or Lebanon. We say that history is written by the victors, and there is no doubt that the Israeli narrative holds sway in this country and among most of the Jewish Diaspora. However, we must not forget that there is another story here, and the catastrophe that befell the Arabs of this land must not be forgotten.

3. The West Bank

I decided to take up an invitation to visit the major Palestinian cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem. Ramallah, the bustling capital of the Palestinian Administration, seemed like any other medium city I had seen. We ate lunch at a very nice restaurant before heading out to see Yasir Arafat’s former compound. Arafat was the long-time iconic leader of the Palestinian people until he died in 2004. Now his compound is used by the current President Mahmoud Abbas. A mausoleum is being constructed atop Arafat’s grave within the compound as well. I am not a fan of Arafat, but it was cool to see a place so crucial to recent history.

The next day I went with some friends to Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. Next to Bethlehem is one of the refugee camps mentioned above. Dheisheh camp holds over 15,000 residents in an area of one square kilometer. The camp is no longer rows of tents. It looks like a small, poor town with cinderblock houses and narrow paved alleys. A young man named Isam gave us a tour of the camp, where he was born 23 years ago. Isam is an excellent English speaker and an advocate of coexistence between Jews and Arabs. At the same time, he talked about one day returning to the village south of Jerusalem from which his family fled or was forced out of in 1967, during the six-day war. I wish I could tell him that that dream will someday come true, but I am a pragmatist, and I know that the chances of this happening are not realistic.
4. Summing Up: From Cairo to Jerusalem

For me, this year has truly been a tale of two cities. Cairo was a trip into the heart of the Middle East—a country desperately trying to modernize, but still plagued with the societal problems of much of the Arab world. Jerusalem was a journey into the heart of one of the world’s most unsolvable conflicts, and needless to say, it was a place that was close to my Jewish soul. Both cities sparked introspection, both awed me with their splendor, and both played heavily on my fears. The fruits of this year are yet to be determined. Absolute inner growth is hard to measure when you are constantly comparing yourself to those whose experiences mirror your own.

I am going to miss this place, but I have so much to look forward to when I get home. There are people who I have not seen for a year, and will not see until I return to school in August. I am sad to leave, but ready to go. The Middle East has successfully worn me out for now, and I need a break from talking politics. Camp should be a nice recharge.

For those of you who stayed current with my travels, I hope you took some time to look at my pictures. They tell the story far better than my words, which I have tried to keep as brief as possible.

Time to go,
Josh
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How to contact me:
e-mail: jeadland@brandeis.edu
AIM: joshlands
Skype: joshlands
Cell Phone: 011-972-52-598-4511
Web site (with pictures): http://joshadland.blogspot.com