Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. Not too much stuff to report back until now. But here are a few updates:
Things that have happened this week:
1. Had my first big tour group come through! They were BYU students who were studying in Jerusalem. There were nearly 90 people there, which was one of the biggest groups so far. It was also exciting because I went for the first time to an unrecognized Bedouin village. For those who don't know, unrecognized villages are different because the government hasn't recognized their rights to build there. Essentially with the creation of Israel in 48, the state assumed much of the Bedouin land even though people have lived there for centuries. In these villages, the government provides no services such as water, electricity, or public transportation. It was certainly eye opening to see, and learn about.
2. Somehow I have started working on web design. If any of you have seen the Lakiya Weaving/Sidreh website: it's a mess. We're using a program to help us build the website. I'm focusing right now on photos and creating a catalogue. For all you Americans(which i think is almost everyone..), we actually have a distributor already. www.bedouinweaving.com Check it out if you get a chance!
3. There's a plan right now to force the relocation of thousands of Bedouins in the Negev. Huge numbers of Bedouins live in unrecognized villages in the south and or unrecognized parts of villages (parts of Lakiya aren't recognized... it's complicated). The government wants to relocate these unrecognized villages to other townships. They will be given alternative lands, but only up to 50% of their current claims. As of now, their claims make up only 2.7% of the Negev. Click here to read about it from Haaretz.
Bedouins have ever right to be skeptical of this plan: in the past, replacement lands that have been given to Bedouins aren't as good farming lands as previous lands were. Their lands were taken and given to Jewish Kibbutzes, or the JNF (the planting trees people). There's stiff opposition in the community, and a huge protest earlier today. Don't worry: no violence, no police, just hundreds of people standing in front of a government building in Beer Sheba protesting this plan. It was amazing to see, and extremely hot. I'm hoping I didn't get burned!
That's life right now and here are a few upcoming things:
1. looks like I'll be taking a class at Ben Gurion Universtiy! Their fall courses don't start til after Sukkot aka end of October. I can take a course through their Middle East Studies MA which is in English. I'm going to try and stop by their office next week and fill out the paper work.
2. Going to Herzeliyya with my boss, Nicole for Yom Kippur. It's about 1 1/2 hours north of Lakiya. Might be going to a modern orthodox shul for services. I'll let you know how that goes. Nicole is very nice, originally from Columbia, and I can't wait to meet her family.
3. Update: looks like I'll also start working in the school starting soon. Meeting with them sometime next week. I'll let you know what happens with that.
I'll try to keep up writing frequently.... Sometimes I forget that everyone else doesn't live my life with me.
Much Love,
KAS
Things that have happened this week:
1. Had my first big tour group come through! They were BYU students who were studying in Jerusalem. There were nearly 90 people there, which was one of the biggest groups so far. It was also exciting because I went for the first time to an unrecognized Bedouin village. For those who don't know, unrecognized villages are different because the government hasn't recognized their rights to build there. Essentially with the creation of Israel in 48, the state assumed much of the Bedouin land even though people have lived there for centuries. In these villages, the government provides no services such as water, electricity, or public transportation. It was certainly eye opening to see, and learn about.
2. Somehow I have started working on web design. If any of you have seen the Lakiya Weaving/Sidreh website: it's a mess. We're using a program to help us build the website. I'm focusing right now on photos and creating a catalogue. For all you Americans(which i think is almost everyone..), we actually have a distributor already. www.bedouinweaving.com Check it out if you get a chance!
3. There's a plan right now to force the relocation of thousands of Bedouins in the Negev. Huge numbers of Bedouins live in unrecognized villages in the south and or unrecognized parts of villages (parts of Lakiya aren't recognized... it's complicated). The government wants to relocate these unrecognized villages to other townships. They will be given alternative lands, but only up to 50% of their current claims. As of now, their claims make up only 2.7% of the Negev. Click here to read about it from Haaretz.
Bedouins have ever right to be skeptical of this plan: in the past, replacement lands that have been given to Bedouins aren't as good farming lands as previous lands were. Their lands were taken and given to Jewish Kibbutzes, or the JNF (the planting trees people). There's stiff opposition in the community, and a huge protest earlier today. Don't worry: no violence, no police, just hundreds of people standing in front of a government building in Beer Sheba protesting this plan. It was amazing to see, and extremely hot. I'm hoping I didn't get burned!
That's life right now and here are a few upcoming things:
1. looks like I'll be taking a class at Ben Gurion Universtiy! Their fall courses don't start til after Sukkot aka end of October. I can take a course through their Middle East Studies MA which is in English. I'm going to try and stop by their office next week and fill out the paper work.
2. Going to Herzeliyya with my boss, Nicole for Yom Kippur. It's about 1 1/2 hours north of Lakiya. Might be going to a modern orthodox shul for services. I'll let you know how that goes. Nicole is very nice, originally from Columbia, and I can't wait to meet her family.
3. Update: looks like I'll also start working in the school starting soon. Meeting with them sometime next week. I'll let you know what happens with that.
I'll try to keep up writing frequently.... Sometimes I forget that everyone else doesn't live my life with me.
Much Love,
KAS
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