It is a bit overwhelming right now but thankfully the material is generally quite interesting!
So, what material am I learning?
One of my classes is 'history of the Middle East'. We've studied Islamic modernist apologetics regarding democracy, Pan-Arab Socialism, Islamism, Muslim Brothers, and some elements of radical Islam. We've switched our focus away from the Arab/Muslim side the last couple of weeks to look at Zionism and the creation of the state of Israel.
Yesterday we went on a field trip!
We visited the kibbutz of one of the founding fathers of Israel, the first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. Apparently he is known for standing on his head? There is also a statue on the beach in Tel Aviv of Ben-Gurion standing on his head.
I wonder if George Washington ever stood on his head.
We also visited the largest bedouin settlement/city, Rahat. Bedouins are a minority group within the Arab community in Israel. Due to politics, stricter border control, and modernization bedouins have generally been forced to give up their nomadic lifestyles. There are around 70,000 bedouins living in Rahat today.
I asked one woman if they ever miss the tents. She said that they love going to their "summer home" (a tent) and that her father does miss the nomadic life. I also found it interesting that Rahat neighborhoods are divided by families or clans. They have encountered conflict due to sharing the same space with different clans. As they build new neighborhoods in Rahat they are hoping to mix the clans in order to develop a more integrated city.
We also took a slight detour to visit Mitzpe Ramon - a massive depression in the Negev desert and a beautiful lookout point.
I'll try and give you guys a brief synopsis of my other classes in the coming weeks!
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