Summer Team 05: Visiting Refugees

Summer Team 05: Visiting Refugees

Gaza
July 6, 2005
Fr. David

Once Fr. Peter started juggling and imitating animals (especially his chicken),
Fr. Harry started tossing a frisbee to the kids, and I started playing the
violin, the children basically mobbed us. Several of the boys wanted to try the
violin themselves, but I could foresee disaster if I let it get out of my
hands.

In the beginning, whatever I played, the children sang something else with
great enthusiasm--different words and different melody. They also clapped
a lot.

The most popular song was "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." They had different
words to it than I was used to, but they all sang along.

Every time I tried to put the violin away, several children showed up
insisting that I (a) take it out and play something, (b) take their
picture, (c) let them play on the violin. All of these demands occurred
simultaneously with great energy.

We had stunning views of the devastation from a rooftop. I was struck by
the number of bullet holes in the buildings. The damage was especially vivid
in a white building peppered with black holes. I also photographed a
swiss-cheese wall with laundry hanging out -- an indication that the owner
would not be intimidated.

I got a good photo of a young boy standing by a railing. In the railing
behind him are three bullet holes which you can see light through.
The photo makes it clear how large the holes are in relation to the boy

On the rooftop I played MacFerson's Lament in honor of all the suffering
that has occurred there. Then I played "Hine ma tov u-ma nayim shevet achim
gam yahad" hoping that some IDF soldier in one of the watchtowers might be
listening. The Hebrew words mean "Behoold, how good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity." The melody is distinctively Jewish.

Then I played the Ashokan Farewell, thinking that the suffering here and the
inter-family rivalry (Jews and Arabs being family members) resembled that of
our civil war. I prayed silently that the hatreds generated here might be
healed and the community restored.

Since others were taking their time, I also played "Tis a gift to be
simple," "Amazing grace," and a few other songs.

Finally we were able to move on, but not after being served tea by one of
the families in the building. A young man studying to be a nurse spoke of
the devastation in the area.

On our way back to the apartment we stopped off at the translator's home.
His family is living in one room and porch of his parents' home since his
home in Block O was destroyed by bulldozers.

I'll send this now in case we lose electrticity before we get done.
At the end, just before we returned to our apartment, I folded an origami
bird with flapping wings for the children.

As we left, the children urged us to come back "tomorrow."

Fr. David
MPT summer peace team member