December 12, 2001

Christmas Party, Crafting Gifts

Schools are closing now for the Christmas break in Bethlehem. Today I attended the final session of the year for the Joy House Kindergarten! Joy House is a Korean Presbyterian project school located near my home. The students had a short class and then partied in a big way. They invited their parents to attend a Christmas performance with singing, clapping, dancing, saying parts and even Santa. Santa passed out lots of presents. Mothers were proud. I think everyone had a good time.

After that I visited the International Center's (ICB) artisan workshop. A few highly talented artists were there putting the final touches on some of their commissioned Christmas items. The giftshop is filled with beautiful pieces of their work. I like it all, but I especially love the mosaics. I think they have a real look and feel of old Palestine. I think that the postal system in the West Bank is on hold now, so I'm not sure if gifts will be passed back and forth or not. I hope so. It would be a shame for people not to receive these beautiful works of art.

Later Carol (from ICB) and I walked the streets to find photos appropriate for setting a "Traditional Bethlehem/Palestinian Christmas" mood. She remarked that it's hard to find images of Christmas in Bethlehem. She's right -- "images" of Christmas are hard to find. I guess I don't know what a traditional Palestinian Christmas is like. Time spent together with families, time in church, big feasts maybe? I think those occasions are captured better in the heart rather than on film.

(As I was posting this, I heard the terrible news that Palestinian gunmen killed eight in a settlement bus attack in the West Bank, and an Israeli helicopter gunship strike killed four Palestinians. When will it end?)