Nabi Ilyas
We arrived at the Baladia (Council) at 10:00. Three adults were waiting for us with the intention of learning English. Brenda made it clear that three is too small a group and it was agreed that English classes will not take place in this format. As we were talking with the women children gathered around the Baladia and their number was growing. The commotion outside was great and so was the disappointment realizing that the children’s English lesson was postponed due to the illness of the teacher. Although they have received a notice of cancellation early in the morning, still about 25 children came equipped with notebooks and textbooks of varying degrees of difficulty. The age range was great too, from age 5 to 13, 14.
Brenda consented to R.’s request to hold a brief meeting with the children, despite her frustration for not bringing materials she usually brings to a lesson with children. We went down to a spacious hall at the Baladia building. The women arranged chairs in a circle and the children (boys and girls) set down in excited anticipation. The encounter began with a brief introduction, followed by a translation of a famous children’s song. Then Brenda sung together with the children, using the appropriate hands gestures. The atmosphere was very cheerful and there were lots of laughs. They needed to see the spelling of the words. One of the women wrote the words they learned in English and translation to Arabic on the blackboard.
Resourceful Brenda managed to organize an impromptu meeting. She captured the hearts of the children. The joy was great and everyone left satisfied.
A-Nabi Elias
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A-Nabi Elias this is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, east of Qalqilia on Road 55, north-east of Alfei Menashe colony and west of Karnei Shomron colony and the Palestinian city of Nablus. As of 2016, the village was populated by 1,458 inhabitants.
Near the village is a maqam (holy site memorializing a sanctified person) - the prophet Elisha. Until 2021 Road 55 crossed the village. Then a bypass road was paved through olive groves that were sequestered from the villagers. Consequently, the farmers were left with small olive groves that they could not access nor cultivate. Inhabitants protested against the road for weeks, supported by peace activists, but nothing helped and the road is now a given fact.
The village's main street had been a shopping center for all residents, including colonists. We even saw a Kashrut (kosher food) inspector in a butcher shop close to the falafel stand… The bypass road, according to tradesmen, has impacted their businesses and clients, while others claim that there are customers now for parking has become easier.
Alfei Menashe and Tzofim colonies nibble at the village lands from the north and south and get closer to it all the time. Colonists of Alfei Menashe have outdone themselves, sending their surplus sewage from the oxygenation pools toward a-Nabi Elias land, even reaching the houses.
The villagers are known as seekers of peace. For years there was no hostility towards Israelis. On the contrary, we were always welcomed warmly and stopped there to enjoy their delicious, inexpensive falafel.
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