Natalia's message

Hello to you all,
It’s a great honor to be allowed to visit and publish in the HHNA Bogrim Hypersociety blog…

This would be a rather peculiar way to introduce myself here and be involved in your discussion, but Michal convinced me that it will be much more practical and useful if you would hear this “report” in first hand and not through her mediation.

I feel a little weird about integrating my thoughts here without formally knowing you all but, since I’ve heard so much about you, I would assume you heard some things about me as well… so anyhow, briefly- my name is Natalia, from Pelech, I’ve been meeting with Jane, Michal, Yael ofer (from time to time Dave and even some of you people there- overseas since October) and I’m glad I have the opportunity to be accompanying this project you all are doing and planning. Besides being a madricha, I’m also a part of “Kvutzat Mifratzim” in pelech, teacher, and environmental education facilitator in school and with people of special needs. Besides that I think I am a caring, loving human being, in a constant process of learning about this world, myself and besides that I try to do something about it.

Michal,
Is this an OK way to introduce myself?

Regarding Deir El Assad project, I’ve met this week with Mamoun (the Teacher that accompanied us around the village last week) and Mai (who’s a friend and works in “Link-for the Environment” NGO (http://www.envirolink.org.il/ ) who also lives in the village.

Actually, it was through the conversation with Mamoun that the idea for the project came up and so the idea was to make partnership with Mai and Mamoun for the implementation of the project, addressing the different relevant bodies and authorities together with them.

They both were enthusiastic about the idea and had also additional information and connections to make the idea work.

Mai told us that she has met the engineer of the village (or of the regional municipality, I’m not quite sure) and he told her that Deir el Assad is in the process of raising money for the rehabilitation and restoration of the monastery.
This is very good because it means that it won’t fall on them like an idea “out of the blue” if we come to them with this, it rather shows that this is relevant and we could join and be important partners of this initiative.

Also, their idea (as far as Mai knows) was to recruit the money and rehabilitate the monastery for tourist aims eventually, but I believe this doesn’t hurt the ideas of the project as Michal and Jane presented to you on the blog because it addresses a need of the village and something that could have great effect anyhow, if it will be the youth of the village, you, and people from pelech working on it together.

Mai has promised to meet ASAP the engineer (he’s abroad now for 10 days) and get from him the relevant information.
Mamoun called a friend of his at the “Authority of Antiquities” to get more information about the place. His friend said that the place is formally under the care of this body indeed, but the land on which the monastery is located is owned privately and so he also promised to meet him face to face soon with more information.

Anyhow, since this project would be a really big one, it is important to create all the needed partnerships here in terms of authorities, money raising, advising and more.

I assume that in the coming month we will have the information to understand whether this is possible (with a lot of money raising)…

Besides that, Mamoun and Mai were glad to hear the idea of you volunteering in the village and promised to help in anyway.

Regarding the living issues: I brought it up with them as well. They said that it would be good if families’d host you. The idea of you living in an apartment as a kvutza there seems to be more complex because of the conservative tradition there. You wouldn’t see their young women and men living together. Young people leave home only if going to study elsewhere and they would be living separately men and women.
They did not reject completely the idea of you renting an apartment there and living all together but it seemed to me as something done for politeness.

They also said that you could live in pelech and be hosted in the village by families for weekends or different occasions.

Mamoun also offered to teach you Arabic, Islam and more.

For now, there is a lot of background work to do in order to make the monastery project a possible one. If this could work it will be one of the greatest things happening in the village life- for sure. Since there is some politics to do in order to make it work- it will take sometime until we have the final answer. If it will be accepted, there’s going to be a massive money raising work to be done at NA and here. Rehabilitating a place like this is an expensive project.

So, this is my report for now, I’ll write to you more once I know newer information.

Shabat Shalom, Be well and continue with the good work.

Natalia