March 25, 4p.m. (9a.m. CST)

This morning after breakfast and team worship time, we went upstairs (from the CPT apartment) to where Zleeka (a long time friend of CPT Hebron) has a kindergarten. She told us about how she started her work:

During the second Intifada, when curfew was imposed about 3 or 4 out of every five days (which means the Palestinian residents could not leave their homes), the children could no longer go to school. But they could go up on the rooftops (which are mostly flat, and often connect from house to house), and Zleeka, who had been a teacher, would gather with them and try to organize and teach them and give them useful things to do. For example, she had them bring old refridgerators up onto the roofs, and fill them with soil to make gardens. She encouraged each child to plant a tomato plant or something, and water it and take care of it... in order to have hope and imagine that things would be different someday, that things would get better. (I am telling this as closely as possible to the way she told it.)

Then some of the parents asked her to start a kindergarten, which she currently runs for about 35 children (approximately 5 of whom come for free because their parents cannot afford it). They are ages 3 to 5 1/2, and learn basics like the English and Arabic alphabets, to prepare them for school. The goal of her school is not only for the children's education, but also for their social well-being - encouraging them not to be afraid of the soldiers, and doing social-work with them and their families to help overcome the problems of daily life under the Occupation. Zleeka also hopes to encourage families to stay and live in the Old City of Hebron, which they are much more willing to do if their children can safely attend school within the Old City (living here is difficult because of the nearby Israeli settlements and, therefore, the extra military presence and checkpoints).

We also met today with the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, which is doing amazing work at restoring old buildings in the Old City. (The building which houses their office is considered "new" - it is only 200 years old.) This really is a beautiful area. (You may be able to find pictures on the HRC website? www.hebronrc.org) This afternoon we had free time to walk around and shop. Sarah and Cat and I visited various little shops, and had falafil, fresh-squeezed pomegranate and grapefruit juice, dessert and tea... all for 10 shekels or less per person.

Everyone is so hospitable here... when we bought tea at the Freedom Coffee Shop, the man brought out fruit for us to eat (and later, little cups of coffee), and sat and talked with us (his English was fairly good, and also Sarah was able to use her Arabic). One of the shops we visited sold items made by the area women's cooperative. Another was full of silver jewelry handmade in Hebron, as well as other jewelry made by Bedouin people. We are glad to be able to shop here and support the local economy - which has struggled much since the military closed over 500 shops in the area, and the main market street, Shuhada street, is entirely closed to Palestinians. And I can't get over how cheap food is - when David and I had to shop and cook dinner for the team yesterday, we spent less than $1 per person for a great meal of vegetables, lentils, bread and hummus.

Tonight the team is split into two groups to go spend the night with families in nearby villages. Tomorrow we will head back to Bethlehem.

Salaam!