Temple Mount --> Lakia --> Dead Sea

October 3, 2011

Happy Birthday Steve!

Oh, what an exciting day! As many of us wished were possible, we finally experienced a visit to the Temple Mount, thanks to Nurit’s connections and to the relatively small size of our group. Steve, Evelyn, and I had hoped to visit the Temple Mount during our free time, but Nurit had said that was not possible because non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the area. Nurit, however, was able to get permission from our group to enter right away in the morning, a gift for all of us, especially Steve on his birthday! Amatai drove us as close as he could get, then we walked the remaining distance.

Al Aqsa mosque

Lakia (B), route from Jerusalem

When we re-connected with our bus (thanks to Nurit and Amatai arranging a rendezvous point), we sadly left Jerusalem but excitedly anticipated a visit to Lakia. OAT travelers regularly visit Lakia village, established to encourage Bedouins to settle in one location so that the people could have the stability of location so essential for education of their children and adults. Those of us who traveled in Jordan had learned that King Hussein had provided support for Bedouins to settle in villages for this purpose, believing that literacy is essential for successful states/countries.

In Lakia the Bedouin Association for the Improvement of Women’s Status was established in 1986 to help women and young girls learn new roles now that they no longer need to provide as much manual labor as Bedouin women and girls do when they live in desert camps. That includes becoming literate in Arabic and English, attending school to study various subjects, and learning a skill to produce products to market. In Lakia and in other villages, women and girls embroider items for sales. Grand Circle Foundation (the parent of Overseas Adventure Travel) provides support, as do other organizations. Several websites provide information, the first of which describes very well what we travelers experienced; in the video you will see Sarah who demonstrated the old ways of spinning, weaving, embroidery, and cooking, but also learn the association’s projects and progress.

Sarah

Bev and Sarah

We travelers met Sarah, a Bedouin woman, in her home. Sarah is 67 years old and spoke about her life with humor, with translation by Nurit (our guide) and Odeah, a young woman of the Bedouin woman’s association in Lakia. Sarah served Arabic Bedouin coffee (with cardamom) and showed us how she and other women card and spin wool from the sheep they raise, dye the wool, and use it in embroidered clothes and other products. Several of us (Evelyn, Bev, Steve) modeled completed clothing. Sarah (who has 22 grandchildren) showed us the churn she uses to make cheese, and demonstrated the making/cooking of thin pita bread (only flour, salt, and water). Bev volunteered to try shaping the bread!

We also learned about the Lakia Women’s Association from Hiseen Al Sana, one of the founders who was approximately twelve years old when it began. Again, Nurit translated for us with some chatter (for clarification) with our speaker. (Please enjoy the YouTube video, "Stitching Their Dream.") We were served hot tea (with mint, rosemary, and thyme) before a full lunch of an upside down meal of rice, chicken, potatoes and onions. We learned about the embroidery project, how the work is done, and how the women are compensated with knowledge, skills, and money. Eve (last name unknown), an American-born from New York is an Israeli citizen (since the 1970s), lives on a kibbutz, and works at the Lakia Women’s Association once/week in fundraising, grant writing, and website development, doing additional work for the association from her home other days of the week. We then visited the embroidery store, purchased some products, and presented our gifts for their literacy work.

Additional sources:

• http://www.grandcirclefoundation.org/get-involved/invest-in-a-village/help-young-bedouin-women-discover-their-self-worth.aspx
• http://www.israel21c.org/social-action/weaving-a-new-life-for-the-bedouin-women-of-lakia
• http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=2135&ed=140&edid=140
• http://dinaisrael.blogspot.com/2010/08/beduin-womens-embroidery-cooperative.html
• http://www.lakiya.org/#/our-story/4556000122

Following our wonderful experience in Lakia, we continued our journey to the Dead Sea, probably via route #31 east to Arad and Neveh Zohar (approximately).  Arriving at the Leonardo Dead Sea Hotel (“solo”) a little before four o’clock, we had plenty of time to change and take the shuttle to the beach for fun, relaxing time floating IN (or is it “ON”) the Dead Sea. Nurit was there taking pictures of Larry and Sue, Evelyn, George and Pat, Steve and me, Jeanne and Jim, Edith and Dick, and Molly (the latter on shore). What marvelously weird feeling to float so easily! Steve was elated by his buoyancy, and said “what a birthday to remember” – the Temple Mount in the a.m. and floating in the Dead Sea in the later afternoon!