Considering that this was the first week of the summer camp, it was a very tiring week. Though I had a great week, it's been a long time since I've had to run after a large number of young kids. That didn't stop us from using the weekend for a trip though, as well as going to a lecture on Wednesday night...
My position at the summer camp has been solidified as Wi'am's professional unqualified photographer. Because I am floating around taking pictures, I have also made a role for myself being the energy and discipline guy. This last week we spent four days at Wi'am - running different stations - and one day at a swimming pool. I really love the summer camp; it reminds me a lot of my found memories of Camp Squeah. Language is the biggest issue, but many of the kids are almost conversational in English and my limited Arabic helps me get by. Without trying to sound cocky the kids really love me; I was wondering if it would be different in other cultures but it seems that kids all around the word like a 21 year old that acts like a child.
The lecture was given by a Jewish American man. He highlighted a few very good points. First, the explained the Jewish mentality that supports the creation of things such as the separation wall. He told us how he grew up learning that "there is a tyrant in every each which seeks to end (anihiliate) us." Second, he made the connection between Christian antisemitism, the Holocaust and subsequent unquestioning support for Israel. He posited that mainstream Christianity, rather than dealing with its guilt for providing the principles for the Holocaust and changing its theology, only shifted its theology to place the significance of the Jew on an unnecessary pedestal. Third, he said that he hopes he can see the day when "Christians don't need a Jew to give them permission to be proper Christians," in the sense that they need to accept the struggle of social justice.
On Sunday, we went to Jericho. It was the hottest day of the year so far, ranking in the middle 40s. It was a pretty incredible day that included the Mount of Temptation, the Zacchaeus tree, and the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea was my favourite, especially since it was the first time I was successfully able to float on any body of water - I failed Aqua Level 4 because of my BMI. The sea is even more powerful than I imagined, as I was able to float in a kneeling position (the hardest part is keeping your balance). I would have tried to see if I would float while trying to 'stand' in the water, but the beach we went to did not let us get deep enough to try. I also rubbed the famous mud wherever I could and let it dry, making me the softest I've ever been since I had to wear overalls because my pants wouldn't fit. It wasn't all fun and rubbing mud on each other; at one point one of the guys got hit by a wave, which renders you blind due to the salt. Luckily there were showers right beside the shore.
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