Up early on Sunday morning to head to the Friends Meeting in Ramallah. We took a bus ride and it became a little more depressing around each curve. But after the check point, the curtain was lifted back and it was a different world in there. The other side of the wall is full of elaborate graffiti. Everything looks half built, a shambles, rubble. Ramallah was crowded and loud. A big city feel in what also felt like a small place. We walked from the bus station to the Friends School, then down the street - in the street, dodging cars bikes and people trying to keep up with Max - to the Meetinghouse gate. Through the gate and into the walled courtyard was like stepping into an oasis. Olive trees that Max's student group had pruned just this past January term, the garden was green, and the Meetinghouse beautiful.
Two current Guilford students met us before meeting, Walid and Noor. As we settled into Meeting for Worship, Jean Zahru the clerk, gave us a most warm and hopeful welcome. Her steadfastness permeated the room and her warmth showed her to be a gifted host. The familiarness of worshipping in Silence got my attention. Quakers are a bonded group all over the world. Fellow travelers come to expect and rely on the openness and welcome of Friends. I tried to clear my mind of its constant input since we left Raleigh even. It wasn't easy, but it never is for me. I wanted to receive a message that would put this together for me, even just a little bit. I am ready to be feeling something profound spiritually, but I feel more numb than anything. I did though come to ponder the reality that for me being here, anywhere, is dependent and only really understood though relationships. I can't process well if I don't know who people are, where they are from, and more.
Along with a few Ramallah residents, Meeting was sparse but included the new Quaker Voluntary Service person going to Portland, three Ecumenical Accompanists, a relief worker from England. I enjoyed talking with one woman from Scotland who works for the EA. Her work has been to monitor checkpoints to make sure that people are being treated humanely, although I don't know if you could say fairly. She described herself as not being adventuresome! But her gig is to get up at 3:30 in the morning to be at the checkpoints. She's from a farm in Scotland that she described in idyllic terms, and said she can't wait to get back. But here she was, first time in the Middle East doing this work. Let me slowly fade away like a slug now. She was wonderful to talk with.
After Meeting we headed back to American Friends Service Committee office, but not without going back through the checkpoint. The bus stopped and the driver pointed to Chloe and motioned for her to get off the bus. Max and Jane claimed her with our group, and asked if we could all get off together. "NO...45 and younger off the bus, everyone else stays." The first really intimidating moment. They all got through quickly but this shifted our collective experience into a new gear.
We met with AFSC workers, one a Palestinian and one an Israeli. That was enlightening. The Israeli has done jail time for her CO stance regarding conscription. She talked about the militarization of society here, starting as early as possible with children playing and counting and using military symbols to normalize this aspect of life. The juxtaposition of our dinner conversation could not have been scripted better. An American couple who moved to Israel with their 5 young children in 1997 had dinner with us at the guest house. The joy they feel about living here in a settlement, the opportunities their children have (because of of despite the mandatory conscription to the army?) struck me hard. They see the military as important role models for their children "who wouldn't want their children to be like these young people?" They feel closer to God here as Orthodox Jews.
Between AFSC and dinner, we of use went back to try to see the Dome of the Rock. We still couldn't get there but we did go down into the archeological park around the base of the Temple on the other side of the Western Wall. That was spectacular. To be up close to those enormous Herodian stones, to see the street level ruins from Jesus' time, the ritual baths, etc. (not to mention there was a movie set set up there!) was really astounding to see.
We didn't get lost in the maze of the Old City coming back either, a real plus in my book. We wanted to stop and watch the street traffic and get coffee, but that meant that we had to walk by my aggressive bartering jewelry make "friend" from yesterday. He goaded me to come back into the store so he could talk to me "privately!" I resisted and we sort of laughed. He's gotten really good and has way too much time on his hands!
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