شكر Thanksgiving

Bless us, O Lord and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty

Salloom and Joanna Shreydeh and Adele Ralston

This must have been one of the more memorable Thanksgivings I have ever experienced. Never in my wildest imagination would I have envisioned being on Palestinian soil celebrating America's manifest destiny. The parallels to the Israeli Occupation are obvious: land grabbing, ghettoizing people according to different religious beliefs and practices, establishment of frontier settlements - all justified by biblical rhetoric. But that is a conversation for another day.

Cooking the Thanksgiving meal was quite the challenge here in Bethlehem. Many of the key ingredients are not readily available. Turkey is not part of the diet here and this seemed to momentarily stub the resourceful Iyad. His favorite phrase to my many crazy requests is, "Give me 20 minutes. I know a guy." His poultry broker didn't have whole turkeys but his buddy Johnny thought I might be able to find them in East Jerusalem. The problem was that I was avoiding the checkpoints while the cease fire was being negotiated with Gaza. Going to East Jerusalem wasn't an option. So here it was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I didn't have the centerpiece to this American feast. What to do. Of course I turned to facebook! I don't know why I thought my California friends could help me find a turkey in the West Bank but the request went out! There were lots of suggestions but the best one came from right next door. Ashraf, a Palestinian pastor friend, suggested the "butcheries."

a buthcherie near Manger Square

Butcher shops are not like those in the supermarkets in the States. In fact, there is nothing resembling a supermarket in the West Bank. More like the markets in Europe, each small shop specializes in either meat, poultry, fish, dry goods, spices, or produce. At the butcherie, the entire cow and lamb is hung from the ceiling and cut to order. This is probably a boon to those of you who are chefs, but to be honest, I'm a bit baffled by the concept. I'm used to labeled cuts of meat beautifully displayed in a glass case. So I confess that I have avoided buying meat of any kind, preferring hummus, eggs, and dairy as my main proteins.  

When I began talking to the butcher, it was clear that the language barrier was going to be a problem. Ever try describing a turkey with just your hands? I was relieved when he nodded, indicating that he understood. But then he told me he had one that weighed 33 kilos (77 lbs). He thought this crazy American woman had ordered a pig! After another round or two, I remembered I had my iPhone with me and an internet photo solved the problem. He then spent about 20 minutes of the phone wheeling and dealing with his suppliers until he finally found a turkey which he arranged to be slaughtered and delivered within the hour. That's what I call fresh!

with all the fixings!

Since I don't have a working oven in my apartment, Claudette helped me cook the feast in hers. We made the typical accompaniments for the meal: mashed and sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and a version of cucumber and tomato salad that is so popular here. My hunt for pumpkin came up short so it was apple pie for dessert.

It was interesting to watch the reactions of folks as we sat down to eat. Iyad's family looked a bit skeptical as many of these dishes were new to them. "Gravy" got lost in translation and was only embraced when we finally came to the mutual understanding that it was sauce. Gazing at the traditional fare, my American friends, Sarah Miller Ralston and Jes Steinberg, enthusiastically exclaimed, "It looks just like home!"

And it was like home in many ways. While food may evoke memories and traditions, it is the people around the table who make it home for me. Good conversation, playful teasing, and children scrambling around are among the many things that bring me joy.

I am blessed with the good fortune of time away from Berkeley and the time here in the West Bank. This sabbatical gift allows me to savor each moment in this unique place among these wonderful people. Of course I miss my family and friends back home - more than you can imagine. But on this Thanksgiving day, I am content, I am happy and I am grateful.  

Baraka!

Iyad carving up the bird