Beyond Jerusalem (Part Two)

I am now approaching the end of my placement at Siraj Al Quds school and I'm going to miss it. Before we left the UK (which seems like a long time ago now), ICS warned us that 3 months were going to go really quickly and we were likely to find ourselves leaving when we were just starting to get into the swing of things.  Although time has flown by in a blur for me here in Jerusalem, a few days in recent weeks stick in my memory.

Last week a few of us visited the beautiful village of Bil'in which has become somewhat of a symbol in peaceful resistance to settlement expansion in the West Bank. We were shown around by one of the residents who was a true gent and gave us a wonderful tour and shared with us some of his experiences relating to the villagers protest campaign. It was tranquil when we were visiting, which made it all the more picturesque, a million miles away from the chaos I know ensues all too often.

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to go on a cooking course hosted by Noor Women's Empowerment Group in Aida refugee camp. Women from Aida and Al-Azzeh camps in Bethlehem created this grassroots project as a means to economically empower themselves in order to provide better care for their disabled children. For minimal cost we enjoyed a day of Palestinian hospitality and were made to feel well and truly welcomed. Thanks to a combination of good guidance and timely intervention, despite some among us possessing less than expert cooking skills, the food we prepared was amazing. When shown around the camp, what amazed me the most was the intricate paintings and graffiti that turned ugly walls and fences into powerful works of art. It was one of the most enjoyable days I've spent in Palestine and it was a pleasure to meet, greet and eat with Noor Weg's family.

On Sunday a group of us went on a Breaking the Silence trip to Hebron. This is an organisation run my x-IDF soldiers who give tours and share their experiences about their time in the army. It was fascinating to hear such different perspectives and the walking tour around Hebron was both tense and informative in equal measure.

I am going to miss the routine here at Siraj, certainly now that I'm becoming a recognised face amongst the students and staff. But at the end of the day I'm just glad to have been of a little assistance to an organisation that is a big help to children and families in East Jerusalem.