Ramadan Nights

This year we held three Iftar meals, breaking the fast, during the month of Ramadan. It happened that each week there was also a Jewish or Christian holiday that provided us with an opportunity to have a multi-religious celebration, and it was a joy to see many young or new families joining in.

On Monday, May 13 2019 we enjoyed a meal in the courtyard of the spiritual center. Afterwards we went on a festive parade around the village with the Jafra folk band. About 50 members of the village, adults and children took part. We walked through the village with drums, lanterns, balloons, and glow sticks, singing the songs of the holiday. Residents came out and distributed sweets to the children. There was a wonderful atmosphere.

On Wednesday, May 22, a meal was held at the "White Dove" hall of the Guesthouse. The latter took charge of the organization, setting up tables and a coffee corner. After dinner the diners settled down and developed conversations on various subjects.

On Wednesday, May 29, a very large meal took place in the courtyard of the Spiritual Center. Two monks, Fr. Paul and Fr. Christian came up from the Latrun monastery and spoke the origins of the Al-Ansara (Pentecost) holiday - which is also about to take place - and they sang two songs. After the meal, some of the women prepared and baked holiday cookies, which we took the following morning to hospitals in Israel where Palestinian children from the Occupied Territories and Gaza were hospitalized.

During the month we had also hoped to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Lag b’Omer during one of the Ramadan evenings, but unfortunately had to cancel the planned traditional bonfire due to dangerously hot conditions. Despite our own cancellation the negligence of others resulted in forest fires, which devastated homes and buildings in nearby Kibbutz Harel. The resulting disaster gave us the opportunity to come to the aid of our neighbors and host the kibbutz’s kindergarten in the village till they could renovate their own.

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