“To be or not to be” asks the rain. The cold and the “lighthouse” have no such hesitation, they just exist. Hayuta, too. Shmulik Nahshi and I too, but all of us, except for the rain, were preceded by Ofek.
Today we planned to meet with two families, one from Netivot and one from Herzliya, just like that, for variety. We hit the target: First came the family from Netivot- Shoham, Lian, Lior and Ma’ayan. Shoham and Lian are a boy and a girl. The family did not flow so much with the coffee, but were very interested in the history of the building and the sulfur plant. Because “the cow wants to breastfeed” (even when the calf is not so interested in breastfeeding), I preceded “History of the structure and the factory”, a short explanation about us (I have a friend who says “Do you have five minutes to listen to me for an hour?” …). Then, true to my promise, I took the father and son for a walk around the factory. Meanwhile Nahshi managed to sneak little Lian a cup of tea. Say thank you and go.
Then a family arrived (according to the plan, yes) from Herzliya. Parents Ayelet and Shani and their children, Maya, Bar and Omer who is just celebrating he’s 12th birthday today and it is beautiful of him to have chosen to celebrate at the lighthouse.
Apparently something in the planning went wrong, because they seemed surprised by the meeting with us, but the coffee definitely suited them. And if the two conditions for the “ceremony” are met (there is a circle and coffee is served) you can start … I introduce us and after, Hayuta.
Hayuta says she comes sometimes, not every week. Enjoy the dynamics of the circle. Regarding Gaza, she adds, her parents educated her to see human beings wherever they are human beings. She said and did not sigh. Next she will read to us three poems by Eva Kilpi.
Ofek says that he has been coming for about three months in a row and the things he hears here are different from what he has heard so far at his parents’ house or school (he is a 12th grader …) or in the media or in his circle of friends. That’s make him come again and again.
Ayelet works in high-tech every day, today she traveled. For her Gaza it’s something scary, like in “fauda” … belongs politically to the left. want peace.
Maya Do not know anything about Gaza. she is 6 years old …
Bar in ninth grade and that’s all he said about Gaza.
Shani says Gaza intrigues him. Dreaming of being able to come in and talk to people. They suffer more than us. Want to communicate with them. Jealous of those who after ’67 could hang out there to experience the encounter.
Omer (12) speaks and expresses his opinion with great confidence. Gaza is scary with the missile issue. 98 percent there are good people and he is in favor of peace.
Shmulik explains the Al Bureij and Nusirat refugee camps. You can see them from here – he points beyond the woods to the north. We have nurtured hopes after the Oslo Accords, he says. We were the breadwinners and after the intifadas things got complicated. The fence is huge and technological, an almost impassable barrier. Before that they would cross job search or hit, but no more. We are all residents of this area. We, at the lighthouse, try our best to have a dialogue. People from all shades of the political spectrum sat with us and the uniqueness of this circle is that it is an “attention circle”. For him, to come and hold this meeting every week, is a vocation.
Nahshi: Grown in the area. It is true that there is 2 percent there as defined by Omer (who defined the good 98 percent) who are making trouble for us and especially for them. Believes better days will come. They will deal with the restoration of their lives and we will help. That’s the least he can do.
David also arrived. A God-fearing man who sought the quiet of Friday in here. Only he rode, his God and the landscape he created. Although he came to ask for help in rescuing his car, which sank in the mud, he listened to Nahshi’s advice for solving problems, “first drink coffee.” David sat down, drank coffee, listened and was judged to have the help of Nahshi, Shmulik and Ofek (God’s messengers) who were traveling with their vehicle to help rescue his vehicle.
In the meantime, I gave the “Herzliya” family a tour and an explanation of the history and environment of the sulfur factory and its daughters … The friends returned with mud-laden shoes and David went to receive the Shabbat before she would gather and leave him outside.
Over a concluding cup of coffee, Ofek asked how Hamas was formed? Shmulik started, I continued, it was four o’clock and the cold came and I shouted the last sentences from the car window …
We were present – Shmulik, Hayuta, Nahshi, Ofek, Ma’ayan, Lior, Shoham, Lian, Ayelet, Shani, Maya, Bar, Omer, David, Oded.
Wrote: Oded.