Outing of the kehilla


Father Nicola wrote this report of the outing of the Jerusalem kehilla that took place on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16, 2015.

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With great enthusiasm and joy, on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16, a group of members of the Jerusalem kehilla set off on their annual outing. This was a group of 35 people, made up those young and those not so young as well as a number of children who brought joy all through the trip.

On Friday morning, when we were about ready to set off, it was lovely to see each one arrive with his or her suitcase, the young ones a little sleepy and the older ones anxious not to forget anything, especially for the evening and night, which was going to be spent in a Bedouin khan.

Our first stop was Beit Jemal, in the convent of the Sisters of Bethlehem, a place steeped in spirituality and warm hospitality. One of the nuns came out to greet us and told us about their community life. Then we were able to visit their convent, to appreciate the beauty of the environment, its simplicity and to admire the handwork of the nuns on display and for sale in their shop.

After that we traveled on southwards, in the direction of Beer Sheba in order to visit the archaeological site of Tel Sheva. There one can see the remains of the ancient settlement and with that as a backdrop we could bring to mind the impressive character of Our Father Abraham. After a picnic in the park next to the visitors’ center of Abraham’s Well, we travelled on to the Bedouin town of Laqiyah in order to meet a woman from there in a workshop that produces carpets and other objects from the Bedouin tradition. This woman showed us examples of her wonderful art and produced things while we were watching. She also explained about the association of Bedouin women that runs the workshop and thus supports their entire community.

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In the evening hours we reached the Nabatean city of Mamshit, the place where we would sleep. Cecile guided our visit here and after wandering through the ruins of the ancient city, we celebrated mass next to one of the two ancient Byzantine churches as the sun was setting. In the evening, we arranged ourselves in the huge Bedouin tent for the night. The children played inside and out, while the experts among the adults prepared the barbecue. The night passed peacefully, under a sky lit up with brilliant stars.

In the morning, we returned to Beer Sheba and ate in the house of the kehilla, hosted by Father Piotr, and we could appreciate the renovation work that has been carried out in the past months. The morning hours were spent in the local Science Park and everyone, especially the children, enjoyed the fact that they could touch a wide range of instruments and execute interesting experiments. The heat became intense by noon and some of us could not restrain themselves from having a water fight alongside the pools of the park.

After having pizza for lunch. We boarded the buses to return to Jerusalem. Thanks to all those who organized these two wonderful days that provided an opportunity to share our joy and get to know one another better. Thanks expecially to Father Rafic, Cecile, Michal and all those who helped in one way or another.

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