Stories from Jerusalem / Al Quds

A guided tour from Bethlehem towards Jericho with a visit to the Good Samaritan Inn and Maqam Nabi Musa. An episode with history, stories from the 'holy land' and the reality of life in Palestine today.

I study the tour guide program at the Bethlehem Bible College.  As part of our studies we make excursions to the historical sites. Our tour guide is a Christian Palestinian called Kamal Mukarkar. In this podcast I will take you on a road trip and share with you what I learned. Unfortunately the audio we recorded of Kamal was not of good quality, except for the visit to Maqam Nabi Musa, so keep listening, he comes in around 23 minutes into the podcast.

For the transcription of the podcast and for some more links and photos, you can visit: https://storiesfrompalestine.info/2020/11/11/on-the-road-to-jericho/

If you appreciate the podcast I would be very happy if you wanted to contribute and buy me a coffee (or a falafel) on the Ko-fi platform page:  https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree:
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The music in this episode is by Zaid Hilal and by Nizar Rohana. You can find both musicians on Soundcloud. 

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Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

What is dabke dance, how did this traditional Palestinian dance came into existence and what role does it play in the Palestinian society?  I talk to Sharaf DarZaid, a dancer, choreographer and arts manager.

He is also the choreographer of the new Palestinian Jerusalema dance challenge video that was published  a week ago on Monday 2 November.  Watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbuJ61WBdpo

The Jerusalema dance challenge went viral on social media with the hit song 'Jerusalema' by Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode from South Africa.  Many people from all over the world shared dance videos on social media. 

130 Palestinian dabke dancers from Jerusalem, Gaza, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jenin cooperated with the Popular Art Center to produce this dance video that highlights their love for Jerusalem, the city that most of them are denied access to due to the Israeli military checkpoints and the separation barriers.

Sharaf is known for developing the “Afrodabke” style, a fusion of traditional African dance moves (Cameroonian) with Palestinian folkloric dance (Dabke)

Follow Sharaf on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/sharaf.zaid

https://www.facebook.com/PopularArtCentre

https://www.popularartcentre.org/

If you appreciate the podcast I would be very happy if you wanted to contribute and buy me a coffee (or a falafel) on the Ko-fi platform page:  https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree:
https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

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Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

The olive harvest is still going on in Palestine, until mid November. Last week I took you on the fields to experience the harvest. This week we learn from Maissoun Sharkawi about the history of the olive tree and the importance for the Palestinians as part of their cultural heritage and economy. Maissoun  is a researcher and lecturer. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Lorraine- Nancy. For the Masar Ibrahim walking path from north to south of Palestine she developed a trail that passes by old olive groves, oil presses and olive oil soap factories. If you are interested to read the report (which I can recommend!) you can find it here: https://www.myheritage.ps/researches/522.html

To learn more about the hikes with Masar Ibrahim visit their website : https://www.masaribrahim.ps

At the end of the episode I mention the Star Bazaar online gift shop of the Bethlehem Bible College where I study for the tour guide diploma. You can find beautiful hand made gifts from local artisans on https://starbazaar.bethbc.edu/

The donations for this week's podcast episode on https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine will be donated to students of the tour guide program who have financial difficult situation due to the Covid19 pandemic.

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree:
https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

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Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Join me on the field for a day of olive picking. An annual event that takes place from mid October until mid November. The olives are harvested manually, mostly with family members and friends, and the olive oil is for home use, sold at the local market and what remains is exported. We went out with some friends to help Daoud on the land of his grandfather. You can hear the typical sounds of the olive harvest, the olives dropping on the tarps, the buckets being emptied in the bags, the pruning, the lunch and the olive press. And of course, as usual, at the end of the episode, you can learn some Arabic words from my children. This time of course related to the olive harvest!

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree:
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If you are enjoying listening to the podcast you can support with a donation on
https://.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

This is a special episode about the olive harvest in Palestine in the Dutch language. For the English version go to episode 10

Op verzoek van Stichting Plant een Olijfboom heb ik een speciale Nederlandstalige episode gemaakt over de olijfoogst in Palestina. Sinds 2016 heb ik geen enkel jaar de olijfoogst periode in Palestina gemist. Het is mijn favoriete tijd van het jaar. Families en vrienden gaan met elkaar het veld in om de oogst binnen te halen. De olijfolie productie is van groot belang voor de Palestijnse economie en voor eigen gebruik. Veel boeren worden door de huidige politieke situatie helaas negatief getroffen. De Stichting Plant een Olijfboom bied op verschillende manieren hulp aan de Palestijnse boeren. Je kunt meer over hun werk lezen op www.planteenolijfboom.nl Daar kun je ook een olijfboom sponsoren en meer lezen over mogelijkheden om naar Palestina te reizen en mee te helpen met de olijfoogst of aanplanten van olijfbomen.

Je kunt deze podcast ook in het Engels beluisteren. Elke week is er een nieuwe episode met verhalen en interviews uit Palestina. Voor meer informatie, aanmelden voor de wekelijkse herinnerings email of het steunen van de podcast met een donatie, klik hier en ga naar de website.

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Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Every day my husband and I cross the military checkpoint to drive our children to school in Beit Jalla and to go to our Cafe and Bar in Bethlehem.  This time I am taking you with me on the ride for a virtual tour from Beit Safafa to Beit Jalla. We pass through the village, get on the route 60 into the Westbank and pass a settlement, the wall, a checkpoint and we have to make a detour because there is no exit to the Palestinian town. Yalla, jump in the car and explore with me the reality of living between the green line and the wall.

At the end of the episode you can learn, as usual, a few Arabic words from my children Louisa and Hadi.

The music in this podcast is by Zaid Hilal
 https://soundcloud.com/zaid-hilal

There is one short piece of music on the oud just before the Arabic lesson which is from my all time favorite piece called "Emm el Zeinat"  by Nizar Rohana
https://soundcloud.com/nizarrohana

If you want to see the maps of the route, some photos, read a summary of the story and get some links to learn more, then just go to the website https://www.storiesfrompalestine.info

And if you want to support the podcast then I'd be super grateful with a donation towards creating more interesting content on https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree:
https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

During a visit to Aref Sayed, instrument maker, in his workshop in Beit Sahour, I meet ud player Canaan Ghoul who is a professional musician. We talk about Palestinian music instruments, Palestinian music and a new invention that Aref did for the qanun. Canaan improvises on the ud. I also talk to Faris Ishaq about his instrument, the ney, an ancient flute, and with Shafeeq Alsadi about the qanun. And of course they play their instruments.

You can listen to their music online!

Canaan Ghoul (ud)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canaanghoulofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canaan.ghoul/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kan3anghoul
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kanan-el-ghoul

Faris Ishaq (ney)
Social Media and Music Links:  https://ffm.bio/2228b3w
Tripolarity Album Link : https://ffm.to/b42k246

Shafeeq Alsadi (qanun)
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/shafeeqalsadi
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Shafeeq90s
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShafeeqAlsadiOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shafeeqalsadi/

If you want to support the podcast, you can easily do that on https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. All links can be found on the linktree:
https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Jerusalem in English, Al Quds in Arabic, Yerushalaim in Hebrew. The city that is holy to all three monotheistic religions has different names. During its long history it has had many more names. The earliest written accounts date back to the Middle Bronze age when Egyptians wrote the name Rusalim on pottery that they used to smash during a ritual to curse an enemy city. The city has been captured and recaptured by different armies 44 times. There are at least eleven different names found in historical records. Each name gives insight in the history of this 'holy' city.

You can find the transcript of this episode on www.storiesfrompalestine.info

Thanks to the professors at the Bethlehem Bible College for the information.

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree:
https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

This week's episode is an interview with Amer Zahr, a Palestinian-American comedian, activist, speaker, writer and academic. Amer talks and jokes about Palestine, about cultural differences, about American politics and in this interview he calls me out for not giving my children enough chocolate!!! 

Amer uses humor as a tool to educate people on Palestine.  He sees comedy as a way of protest, as one of many forms of art that Palestinians use in their struggle for justice. 

To read more about Amer Zahr you can check out his website www.amerzahr.com

He has a youtube channel with many videos https://www.youtube.com/user/remarhaz/videos

And he is on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Amer-Zahr-249215512733 and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amerzahr

If you enjoy listening to Stories from Palestine podcast, then you can help to continue creating new content by buying me a coffee (or a falafel!) on https://www.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine 

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree:
https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Learning about Palestine should definitely include stories about daily life, cultural habits and traditions. This episode contains a cheerful chat with Najuan, a Palestinian woman who lives in the Netherlands. She lives in my country and I live in hers. We laugh about cultural differences and personal experiences.

How Dutch people always think Najuan dresses her daughter too many clothes while Palestinians used to tell Kristel “Haram, you should dress your kids warmer!” We talk about the differences in hospitality. A Palestinian meal consists of a table full of too much food and your plate will be filled over and over again until you had more than enough, while a Dutch meal is prepared to be just enough for everyone so that Najuan gets a little uncomfortable to take another round. A Dutch friend will tell you “okay, get home safely” when you say you are leaving, while a Palestinian will be like “are you leaving, that's early, stay!” And many more examples that will make you laugh and learn more about Palestine AND the Netherlands.

If you are enjoying listening to the podcast, please see if you can support me to continue.
Buy me a coffee (or a falafel) for 3 dollar on www.ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine
Tourism is down and I have no other income currently.

Thank you so much, it is really helpful and appreciated! I would also love to hear from you, send me a message on facebook, instagram or by e-mail. Become part of the Palestine community!!

More information, photos, links on www.storiesfrompalestine.info

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, follow the YouTube channel and sign up for the weekly e-mail. You can find all the links in the linktree:
https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine