Libraries and Estafan

Yesterday, Tuesday the 16th, we drove into Jerusalem around 11:00 and Khitam dropped me near a little cafe that my friend Cotton frequents, run by Mo, a Palestinian-American and his Russian wife. Cotton loves the place because of its proximity to his hotel, its simplicity, good and simple home-style food and because Mo is a very nice guy with an interesting story and a native's take on life in East Jerusalem for a Palestinian. He has to hustle to make it and make sure his books are not just up to date but up to the minute, and he does. After a bite to eat, a veggie schwarma in a wrap which was simple, delicious and healthy, I left with Cotton who then introduced me to the Episcopal cathedral and grounds nearby. I may have walked though the grounds fifty years ago, when Margie and I were first in Jerusalem. If so, I don't remember them and the grounds and buildings have changed. It's a lovely bit of the past on the edge of the much further past. We headed for a small bookstore a few blocks away that specializes in books about Palestine and also serves coffee. Having skipped a coffee at Mo's, I figured a cappacino at the bookstore was okay, and it was. We talked for about an hour, mostly about the Episcopal Church and the unwillingness of the higher ups, particularly here in Palestine, to speak out for the Palestinians. It seems either they don't want to rock the political boat, in which case Israel could make life in Jerusalem and Israel difficult for them; or they want to remain spiritually aloof, unconnected to the worldly issues that surround them. This is Cotton's battle, not mine. Did I write that he is an Episcopal priest? I do understand his frustration; it is the same frustration those of us concerned with Palestine feel whenever we are confronted by the apathy or misinformed response to the issue. Later, Cotton's friend Estafan picked us up to take us for visits to two of the five village libraries they and their supporters have established in Palestinian villages. Estafan has resigned his position as a political and economic adviser to the Palestinian Authority that governs the West Bank and will consult. He is Palestinian, studied in the States, is very bright and well informed and he drives very fast. "It's Palestine," he explains. We talked about the three zones: A under the Palestinian Authoity; B under the joint control of Palestine and Israel; and C, currently under Israeli control. It is next to impossible to get anything done in the Palestinian villages in zone C, he said. If a farmer wants to add a shed, he has to get permission from Israel. If the PA wants to make road improvements, they have to get permission from Israel. Some requests have been on Israeli desks for twelve years. The two Palestinian villages we visited both look pretty prosperous. The first is Muslim village with about 40% of its population in the States or South America. They invest in the village, build large houses, and come visit in the summer, when the population of the village differs. The little library there is flourishing. Boys in their late teens, mostly college students, work hard as volunteers. The library was celebrating the end of a forty day reading passport program that I think some schools in the States offer. Students are given a passport and everytime they read a book, they record it in their passport. Some filled one passport, some one and part of a second. 350 signed up and 170 completed the program. They were celebrating the end of the program when we were there and kids were getting awards for their participation. The energy, joy and pride in the room were palpable. You had to celebrate what was going on. Then we went to Taybeh, a Christian village, where the library is in a room provided by the Catholic Church. Seven or eight young people, including two men in their last year of medical school, met us. We sat around a couple of tables and discussed the library and then Cotton asked them what they would like us to say to people back home. Here are some samples: "Tell them we want our basic rights. Tell them we're not terrorists. Tell them when we see soldiers and settlers, we are reminded that the United States is not fair. Tell them peace requires justice. The village of Taybeh is surrounded by three settlements and a military base. They are bright young people who want to make their way in life and too often their way is blocked, litertally and figuratively. We did some brainstorming about ways to encourage tourists who come to the village to learn more about Palestine. Most tourists who come, and apparently a lot do, are there on Bible tours. I don't know the Biblical references, but the village is lovely and has an interesting history. We talked about dramatizing that history, using a summer camp for young people and casting young and old if they're interested. They're excited about the idea, and we may talk about it more. We got back late, met Khitam and she and I came home while they went on to Jerusalem, where Estafan had a sick boy to take to the doctor. Khitam and I had some dinner, turned on CNN and learned about the Boston bombings. I'm sad for the loss of life and awful injuries and reminded of violence in other parts of the world, all so sad and so misguided.