Zaytoun Za’atar: smells like home

The goodenough college is celebrating Arab Cultural week. Last night there was, among other things, a sale of Zaytoun products, as a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian people. I’m a big fan of fair trade, and my sentiments on the Palestinian issue are known. So I bought a jar of Za’atar. This morning I opened it and was stunned by a strong wave of sensetions. Just cracking open the lid filled the kitchen with scents of my childhood. As if in a time warp, I saw myself walking in the Judea hills, smelling the wild theme rubbing against my shows. Feeling the dry thisle scratching my knees. I remembered saturday walks in the old city, dad buying us “Beigale” with Za’atar rolled up in little newspaper cones. My Jerusalem in exile. 

The Jerusalem of my childhood may have never existed: the thisle grows on ruins,  my Beigale is really Ka’ak, and that says it all. But there’s no denying the smell of Za’atar. It has its right of self-determination. It catches me unawares and takes me where it will.

Anyway, I had a look at the label. It says “produced by Palestinian farmers from the Gallilie”. Oh well, I thought, I gusess I just pays a little bit VAT to finance Netanhayu’s goverment.

All Nations cafe’ @ Ein Haniya, Friday May 9th

This from All Nations Cafe:

Last December, before the winter, we had our first Ein Haniya Fair. Ever since then, farmers and conscious consumers have been waiting for the fair to return.

Next week on Friday, May 9th, starting at 10 am:

Local farmers’ and shepherds’ organic produce, home made food, arts and crafts, and live music.

It’s all happening at Ein Haniya Spring, on the Wallaja/Har Gilo road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Getting to Ein Haniya Spring

Coming from Jerusalem, you go to Malha train station, near the shopping mall (which is easily reached by Jerusalem city buses 4,5,6,17,18,24,31,160-167,440) turn to the railway station and follow the Wallaja road to Gush Etzion. After crossing the railway line you can either hike a few kilometers or easily hitchhike with any car going in that direction. About a kilometer after passing a checkpoint you will see a dirt road on your left hand – the spring market is a few meters up that road.

Coming from the West Bank and from Gush Etzion, you go from Beit Jala and Har Gilo towards Wallaja and Jerusalem. Down the steep road to the bottom of Refa’im valley, you see Ein Haniya spring on your right.

Contacts

For people interested in selling/presenting at the fair, call:
Timna: 052-8669170  (email:  tim_shar@yahoo.com)

For All Nations Cafe and general matters call:
Nimrod: 050-2600590,   Abed: 052-2458216

In Jerusalem, Who controls the past, controls the future

Mira writes it so well:

In Israel’s simple proportional representation system, far right religious groups can muster a lot of influence. This may be part of the reason the Israeli National Parks Authority gave the settler group El’Ad (meaning ‘eternal God’) so much control over archeological excavations in the village of Silwan, the site of Jerusalem’s old City of David.

(digg story)

But wait! don’t just shake your head and sigh. Sing the alt-arch petition, or better yet let Benjamin Kedar, Tsipi Livni, Mike Turner and their friends know what you think.