Verena’s journal: the month of Ramadan.

Verena, the winner of the first Franca Ciccolo scholarship for an internship in WAS-NS, writes about the beginning of Ramadan and primary school’s preparation for the summer holidays (translated from Italian).

“Ramadan kareem!”, is the greeting one hears frequently in recent weeks. Ramadan the month of fasting which is practiced also by many Muslims in the village is underway. On Wednesday June 15, we joined together for an Iftar meal (the meal in which Muslims break their fast) at the Pluralistic Spiritual Community Centre . In the Primary School it is the last month before the summer holidays; on June 29th, the end of year parties will take place for pupils, their families, teachers and the village-community.

During the Iftar meal, many people from the village - Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, came for the dinner and social evening. They also honoured variouis members of the community, such as Dafna Karta Schwartz, who is finishing up her term as director of the PSCC.

It was a very cheerful evening. Many brought potluck dishes, usually traditional middle-eastern fare. Children and young people of the second generation were present. Dafna started her speech with the words “This community was born of the seed of spirituality…” and it is this spirit you can feel during these communal events, the soul of this village.

The Primary school is in its last two weeks before their summer holidays. June was shaped by special activities such as a poetry-workshop together with three other Palestinian schools of Israel, a day was dedicated to mathematics and one to sports, at the village swimming pool. Other thematic events, such as a music competition, will follow.

Last week I passed by the school and saw many children carrying plants. Proudly they showed how much their seeds had grown after planting them together with Voltaire, the ecology teacher at the School. I remembered the words of Dafna, which talked about the seeds of spirituality from which the village had been created; I imagined that these were the seeds of peace, which the children would bring back home, into their families and their communities. The hope remains, that still many other seeds of peace will find fertile grounds and transform the whole land into an Oasis of peace!

Verena

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