Cobblestones, shopkeepers and family history in the Old City: Nazareth
From the pastoral and serene heights of Mt. Gilboa we descended to the valley below. Making our way past the significant archeological site at Beit She’an (unfortunately past closing time), farmland, factories, and a few large prisons, we circled Afula and ascended the steep hills to Nazareth where we entered another world entirely. Our introduction to this fascinating and complicated city was a massive traffic jam that seems to be a permanent feature of the narrow and crowded roads. Lacking adequate street and route signage to guide us, we called the Fauzi Azar Inn, our destination in the Old City. We kept the young volunteer receptionist on the phone to help us navigate as we crawled along. She recommended we park on a narrow alley near Mary’s Well and sent down another volunteer who led us on foot, with backpacks and luggage in tow, through the twists and turns of the cobbled walkways to the inn in the heart of the Old City. Bending through the low outer door, we entered the courtyard of a partially restored 200-year old Arab mansion originally owned by a prominent Christian Greek Orthodox family who emigrated from Syria many generations ago and established deep roots in the community. Fauzi Azar, grandfather of Suraida Nasser, the young dynamic manager of the inn, was the last family member to reside in the mansion. In its heydey, the upstairs rooms housed the prosperous family while the lower level contained their very popular bridal shop where local brides were able to completely outfit themselves with clothing, jewelry and everything they might need to complete their trousseaus. At one time the family owned many small shops in the lanes of the Old City but a generous patriarch of the clan kept giving away properties to the Church. After Fauzi died protecting the mansion during a fire, Suraida’s grandmother moved elsewhere and since then the other family members have chosen to live either in more modern parts of the city or have left the area or even the country (one of Suraida’s sisters lives in Los Angeles). Suraida herself lives in Nazareth Illit, a modern suburb where the Jewish population (including numerous FSU-former Soviet Union- immigrants) resides. She sends her son to a Baptist (said with a distasteful expression) school and takes advantage of the better amenities and housing options available in the Jewish area, in contrast to the older, overcrowded sections of Nazareth that have been neglected and lack resources. Recently, the family entered into a partnership with an Israeli, Maoz Inon (see Inn's website above for his story) who facilitated the mansion’s restoration in order to create a very unusual and enchanting inn/hostel/guest house. Suraida told us that when rumors appeared in the press that they had sold the property to a Jew, there was an outcry. Suraida shared with us her family’s history, her love for the mansion, and her views about difficult situation of Arab Christians in Nazareth. She conveyed the deep anger, sadness and sense of injustice she feels about the appropriation of her family’s land after the creation of the State (her grandfather refused to accept compensation so as not to validate the legitimacy of this action). Pointing to the towering new court building that dominates the hills of Nazareth Illit, she expressed her resentment at this in-you-face reminder of the State’s desire to solidify its domination. Yet she feels a deep connection to this place and would never want to be elsewhere. She feels that as a citizen of Israel she and her children should receive the same rights and treatment as Jewish citizens and not be subjected to discrimination in employment, access to education or investment in the city’s infrastructure. She resents the designation on her identity card that indicates her non-Jewish staus and makes like more difficult for her, especially when traveling. She also explained the anxiety the Christian community feels about the rise in the political strength and the increasing militancy of the Muslim population. The Arab Christians seem to be between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Yet, she maintains friendships with several Jewish friends as well as her business partner, whom she clearly values.
What will happen if such a vivacious, smart and talented woman, her family and community is left out of plans for the future development of Nazareth and Israel? Nothing good, I am afraid.
Although Nazareth gets heavy traffic from visitors to the Christian sites, most tourists simply follow a trail from one site to the next without really exploring the town or getting to know its inhabitants. We chose the latter option. The evening of our arrival we set out on foot to walk down the main road through which we had arrived at the Old City. We asked a shop keeper for a dining suggestion and chose Tishreen, not far from the Inn, for a fabulous meal in a charmingly picturesque but hip setting. Nazareth is known for several of its very excellent restaurants. After dinner we lounged on the comfortable couches in the outdoor courtyard living room, digesting our meal and comparing notes from our guidebooks about the city. Then we retired to our rooms, ours perched at the top of the house was reached by climbing up a steep, stone staircase. Lew fell asleep immediately but I was not so lucky. I listened to some young men chatting and singing on the patio beneath our window until around 12:30 or 1 pm, followed by volley of firecrackers (probably to celebrate a wedding). I inserted ipod earphones to listen to my audiobook and some quiet music and after a considerable time I finally began to drift into a light doze. At 4:30 a.m. I became aware of the peeping of birds and, suddenly, I was jolted wide awake by the spine-tingling cry of the muzzhein’s call to prayer (recorded at this hour, but live during the daytime). The White mosque in the Old City, to which we paid a visit the next morning, is a stone’s throw from the inn but I’m sure the piercing sound carries far and wide. Perhaps I achieved another few hours of sleep before rising for the day. We descended to the lower level breakfast room, the former bridal shop, for a tasty and abundant spread---eggs, cheeses, tomatoes and cucumbers, olives, pitas with zattar (wild thyme) and some other spices and tea with nana (mint). Here Suraida joined us and began sharing her family stories which she later continued as she gave us a tour of the common room and adjoining guest rooms graced with the original beautifully painted ceilings. Then she turned us over to Sara, a charming young Dutch woman who is volunteering at the house during her six week stay in Israel between finishing college and beginning a master’s program in archaeology. The Inn attracts many such young people who fall in love with the unique spirit of the place. We spent the next several hours exploring the small shops, market stalls and other special places in the Old City. We enjoyed tea with cinnamon and nuts ground by hand in a mortar and pestle by owner and part-time DJ, Weesam Abo Salem, who inherited the shop from his father. We were served in the small front room while in the back room numerous older men were hanging out—drinking Arab coffee or tea, reading the paper, schmoozing or playing backgammon. Sara, with her bubbly personality, has gotten to know many of the residents of the area. Even though she was warned, as a blond European attractive single woman, to be a bit careful in the streets, she has gradually become known in the neighborhood and has developed special relationships with the shopkeepers (as well as the greeters at the mosque and a small church) to whom she guides guests of the inn. With Sara providing the introductions, we also visited the coffee and spice grinder; the Elbabour mill--- multi-generation purveyors of spices, nuts, grains, dried fruits; and a small restaurant where the proud owner served us nut and cheese-filled pancakes with strong Arab coffee before rushing off to the mosque for afternoon prayers (leaving his store open and untended; Sara returned later to pay for our meal). The Inn encourages volunteers to offer these tours and lets them keep the money they earn from the small charge (plus tips!). Sara is using the income to help feed herself as she only gets room, not board, while she is at the Inn. From our point of view, we were only too happy to help her out as she provided us with an invaluable experience of the daily life in Old Nazareth we would not otherwise have seen. We hope the Pope has as good a time as we had on our visit to Nazareth. If a recent article in the Washington Post (quoting Suraida) is a reliable forecast, it’s likely to be somewhat contentious. Last time a Pope was here the government invested some money in upgrading the streets on his route, displacing some of the shopkeepers in the process during the two years the construction dragged on. I’m not sure what benefits will accrue from this visit but clearly the city needs a tremendous amount of work on its infrastructure, not only to accommodate the tourists but also to improve life for the residents.
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