Vol. 1 No. 20, December 2024, Kislev 5785
- Spirit of the Galilee
- Dec 31, 2024
- 10 min read
Hanukkah-Christmas Gatherings in the Galilee
This year, the first night of Hanukkah and the first day of Christmas (except for the Greek Orthodox), coincided, which made for a beautiful opportunity to celebrate together. SOG members took advantage and organized interfaith events around the Galilee – amongst ourselves, within our separate communities, and connecting communities of different faiths. Below are some inspiring and hopeful examples:
Sharing our Dreams in a Christmas Atmosphere: SOG Monthly Meeting in Ibelin
A few days before Christmas and Hanukkah began, SOG spiritual leaders met for our annual gathering in the northern Arab town of Ibelin, hosted by SOG co-director Father Saba Haj – an SOG tradition. This year especially, as the war continues, our spirits were lifted when we drove up to the huge tree in the center of the town beside the Greek Orthodox church where Abuna Saba is the spiritual leader.
Ibelin is a special place all year round, but especially during the Christmas season, when, for the days leading up to the holiday, the streets are decorated and lit-up for the holiday, and free food stands and entertainment line the streets and alleyways. It is hard not to be uplifted by the holiday spirit, even in times like these.
But before going out to enjoy the fair, we met in the space of a special organization, Nadi El Mahaba (Club of Love), where we participated in an art and sharing workshop about following our dreams, facilitated by SOG member Dr. Sohil Haj, one of the founders of the organization and Abuna Saba’s cousin.
Sohil shared with us the story of how, on a night with a full moon, after the tragic suicides of two young men in the town, he and some friends sat outside talking about how to create a better future for the town’s youth. They came up with the idea to found this organization, which would cultivate future leaders for the town and provide them with skills, knowledge, and hope. And thus the organization was born and their were dreams fulfilled. (See below for a member spotlight on Sohii).
We then shared in small groups our own dreams for the future of Israel-Palestine, and, together, we walked out into the dreamlike atmosphere of Ibelin at Christmas time.
Festival of Lights Interfaith Jezreel Valley Gatherings
On the 5th night of Hanukkah and the 5th day of Christmas, SOG joined forces with Standing Together’s Nazareth and Jezreel Valley circle, the Jezreel Valley Regional Council, and the Jezreel Valley Museum to organize a festive yet low-key (because of the war) interfaith and intercultural holiday event.
There was singing, packing packages for those in need, and arts and crafts for the kids. The event opened with words from SOG co-director Rabbi Leora Vered-Ezrachi, Sheikh Khalil Shedafna, and Bishop Rafiq Naharah – all SOG members. “As a rain storm raged outside, we prayed for peace, the return of the hostages, the end of this war, good neighborly relations, and an increasing of the light,” said Rabbi Leora.
The packages were sent to two schools in the area. In November, a beloved teacher, Safaa Awaad Qaat, was killed by a Hezbollah rocket while in her safe room in her home. Participants packed packages for the school, to bring the students a bit of cheer and let them know they are not alone.
The second school, Renanim, is in Kiryat Shmone, a city that has been evacuated for over a year, since October 2023. Renanim is a school for children with various development challenges – Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze – and is unique in its multi-cultural nature.
Said SOG member Muslim activist Ghdair Hani ,who participated in the event: “For over a year we have not allowed ourselves to feel joy in our hearts. Today, I felt, we let some joy in. We deserve a little joy. It was wonderful to see the children from the Bedouin villages of Manshia Zabda and Beit Zarzir, and the elders from the surrounding kibbutzim, all enjoying being together.”
The next night, SOG member Rabbi Yoav Ende, head of the Hannaton Educational Center, organized a similar interfaith candle lighting evening at the Center, where he, Bishop Rafiq Naharah from Nazareth, Muslim Sheikh D'iah of Shefa-Amr; and Druze Sheikh Maged Aedel Ibrahim shared stories of miracles in their respective faith traditions. There was food, fun, song, and festive activities for all ages.
Said Rabbi Yoav, “We wanted this event to be mostly for the Hannaton community, not for the regulars from the area who usually come to these types of events. We wanted to bring this into the community for the residents here, especially the children and youth who wouldn't otherwise be exposed to the diverse religious life here in the Galilee.”
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SOG Members Use Seed Grant to Organize Hanukkah-Christmas Events at Arab-Jewish Galilee School
Rabbi Sigalit Or and social activist Sokina Taoon organized together three Hanukkah-Christmas events at the bi-lingual Arab-Jewish Galilee School where Sokina works as community organizer and Rabbi Sigalit is an active community member (her family were among the founders of the school). SOG gave the pair a micro grant for these events, which were well attended by students and their families.
SOG was delighted to help support these events, as part of SOG's micro grant program, to encourage joint activities between different faith communities in the Galilee. These grants are given to pairs of SOG who work together to organize programming to connect communities in the Galilee who might not otherwise meet.
SGO will grant five micro grants this year, with the goal of expanding SOG’s influence in the area.
SOG Members at Jezreel Valley Shared-Society Conference
SOG members were invited to participate in a unique and hopeful conference in the Old City of Nazareth this month, organized by the Jezreel Valley Regional Council and the Abraham Initiatives. The conference's goals were to highlight the ongoing inspiring work being done to cultivate shared living and good neighborliness among Arabs and Jews in the Galilee, and to think together how to support one another and work together to further lift up these initiatives.
Spirit of the Galilee was featured in a short film screened at the conference that highlighted a series of inspiring shared society initiatives in the area. Rabbi Leora Vered-Ezrachi and Father Saba Haj spoke in the film about the importance of religious leaders in the area working together to bring an alternative religious voice to the extremist ones dominating the current discourse.
The conference was held in the historic Michel House in the old souk of Nazareth, decorated for Christmas this time of year – although not in the festive spirit of years past before this war. Before the conference, participants met for a walking tour of the Old City, which included a visit to the Greek Orthodox Church on the city’s central square. There we met with Father Bashara, who has been the spiritual leader of the church for decades.
SOG Members Play Key Roles at Jerusalem Interfaith Human Rights Conference
SOG members left the Galilee for the day to participate in an intimate conference at the Swedish Theological Institute in Jerusalem (located in the Tabor House, designed by renowned German architect and missionary Conrad Schick, who lived in the house until his death in 1901). The conference was organized by SOG member Rabbi Sigal Dabach Asher in her role as interfaith coordinator for Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR), and was held in English, Hebrew, and Arabic, with simultaneous translation.
We began the day with a panel of three – Rabbi Tamar Elad-Applebaum (rabbi of Kehillat Zion in Jerusalem); Amir Muhammed Sharif Oudeh (head of the Muslim Ahmedi community in Israel); and Reverend Sally Azar (the first Palestinian pastor in the Holy Land). The topic was Human Rights in Theology, and it was a fascinating discussion.
Next, we broke up into two smaller groups for panels about the protective presence activism being done in the West Bank by various organizations, including RHR and EAPPI (the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel). SOG members Rabbi Haviva Ner-Daivd and Rabbi Noa Mazor facilitated the two discussion groups.
The final part of the day was the screening of the important documentary film, The Shepherds' Keeper, which follows protective presence activist Guy Hirschfeld, who has dedicated his life to protecting Palestinian shepherds in the Jordan Valley from attacks by Jewish settlers in the area.
While it is a hard film to watch (the behavior of the Jewish settlers in the film, in the name of Judaism, is shameful), the dedication of these activists are a ray of hope for this place and for humanity. Following the screening, there was Q&A with Guy himself and with Hadara Oren, the director of the film.
As one participant expressed: Even if we don't “win”, even if we don't reach our political goals, each person we can help, any suffering we can alleviate, and any positive influence we can have on relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims on this land, is an accomplishment.
For spiritual activists, it is not about finishing the work, but about being persistent about doing the work no matter what the outcome, and making the moral choice even if that means going against the grain.
Member Spotlight: Dr. Sohil Haj
Dr. Sohil Haj was born (in 1956) and raised in his beloved town of Ibelin, in the Galilee. He was born in his parents’ home and is the oldest of six. One of his brothers was not well. He could not walk or talk, and he died at age 28. Meanwhile, another sister and two brothers were born. It was not until Sohil himself had two children with these same symptoms, that they understood the family carried the gene of a disorder so rare it does not have a name.
Sohil’s family lived on the outskirts of the town, in a small cement house his father, who was a day worker, built next to the town cemetery. According to town lore, the cemetery was haunted, and it was very dark at night, so even after military law was lifted in the Arab towns when Sohil was ten years old, he was afraid to go out. Instead, he did his homework and read many books; he was studious and graduated at the top of his class.
His parents, who had only an elementary school education but could read and loved books, would invite illiterate friends over so Sohil could read aloud to them. That is how he developed his self confidence and speaking skills, he says.
After high school, Sohil wanted to study Arabic and Education at Haifa University, but he was not accepted. Year after year, he was deferred – which was surprising, since he was such a good student. This went on for almost ten years. Finally, when he was accepted, he discovered the reason they had not admitted him.
When in high school, Sohil had participated in a political march without knowing really what it was all about. The school went on strike when former President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser, an anti-Israel pan-Arabist, died, and the students joined a march in the town. Sohil joined, too, because that is what everyone was doing, not because he had strong political feelings.
He discovered later that the Internal Security Service had a photo of him at this march in his personal security file, as all Arab citizens had personal security files in those days. When Menachem Begin became prime minister in 1977, he did away with those personal files, and that is when Sohil was accepted into Haifa University.
After studying Arabic and Education, Sohil became a school principal – until he retired a few years ago and now works part time in education, especially in Nadi El Mahaba (Club of Love), the NGO (mentioned in the article above) he founded with friends in 1993 to build a new generation of local leaders and create more opportunities for youth in the town.
Aside from his two children with special needs – who live in special state-funded frameworks – Sohil has two other sons. One studied veterinary medicine in Russia and returned recently to Israel to find work and live, and the other just completed his bioengineering degree at the Technion Institute in Haifa.
Sohil’s wife died of cancer 14 years ago. He has been focused on caring for his family and keeping them together and connected. “My two healthy sons will have to take care of their brothers when I am no longer in this world,” he says. “I want to set an example.”
Sohil also wanted to set an example for his sons when he went to study for his doctorate in Education in Jordan during the summers, after his wife died. He would drive over the border back and forth in one day, after work. It was exhausting. But he wanted to be an example to his children of continuing to study and contribute to the world at all stages of life.
Sohil did not grow up in an especially religious home. The family did not go to church weekly, but they did go on holidays sometimes, baptize the children, and get married and buried through the church.
Sohil does not consider himself religious, but he does consider himself a very spiritual person. Looking at the world through a spiritual lens helps him deal freely with the big questions – like: “If God is everything, an unlimited power beyond human comprehension, how can we hold God in our hearts?” But God can hold us all in God’s heart he says, which was one of the inspirations for the choice of name for the NGO, Club of Love, he and his friend founded.
This idea was inspired by Khalil Ghibran’s poem “On Love” from his famous book, The Prophet, where he talks about giving from a place of love and thus receiving love in return – another inspiration for the name of their NGO, which is an entirely volunteer organization.
Sohil joined SOG when he met our founder Rabbi Or Zohar through Abuna Saba Haj, Sohil’s cousin and the priest of their local Greek Orthodox church, where Sohil worships when he does go to church. He was organizing an interfaith program for youth in the village and visitors from Germany. He had a priest and an imam but not a rabbi. Abuna Saba suggested Or, who he knew through SOG, and Sohil was taken with the conversation among these three religious leaders. Finally, at the end of last year’s programming, he joined.
“I know the conflict is political,” Sohil says, “but there is also a religious element involved. We should focus on what we share, on our common humanity. Even in the Bible, that comes before everything else. First we hear about the creation of humanity before we hear about the creation of the Jewish People. Then comes the New Testament, and the Quran. We created our differences. We are all born, we all get sick, we all die, We need to build a shared common society, especially in the Galilee. And that is what our group is doing.”
Please consider donating to SOG so we can continue to raise a religious and spiritual voice of peace in our war-torn land
Thank you for your support
We want to hear from you, so please email your comments or questions to Rabbi Leora Ezrachi-Vered, leora@spiritofthegalilee.org or U.S. Liaison Rabbi Haviva Ner-David, haviva@spiritofthegalilee.org.
Until next month, shalom, salaam, peace!
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