Page 35 - Holyland Magazine - 2015 edition
P. 35
modern chapter in the town’s history. During the
1936 disturbances, her father was taken hostage
Jong, who immigrated to Israel from the
Good Neighbors E lisabeth van der Berg and Gabriel de
by Arab rioters who, word has it, were planning
Netherlands in 2001, are some of the
to do away with him when the Druze of the
newest Jewish residents of Peki’in. Margalit
town stepped in and saved his life. The story of
Zenati is the oldest, with family roots going
Margalit’s father was turned into a Hebrew play
back to before the destruction of the Second
Temple. The Zein al-Din family, Elizabeth and
and staged in the town. In the wake of the riots,
Gabriel’s neighbors down the hill, are among the
few others eventually returned.
leaders of Peki’in’s Druze community. Together
with a small number of Christians and Muslims, the Jews left Peki’in, although the Zenatis and a
they are part of what makes the mountain village The Druze and the Jews share a bond that
of Peki’in so special. predates Israel’s establishment, after which the
members of this 1,000 year-old faith decided to
tie their fate to Israel and send their sons to serve
It might be an exaggeration to say that this
town of 12,000 – of which 70% are Druze, 20% in the army alongside their Jewish compatriots.
Christians, 9% Muslim, with the Jews represented The Christians now live mainly in their own
by the Van der Berg-de Jongs, Zenati and four neighbourhoods, called Makhoul, although their
other families – is a study in co-existence. But church is near the town center, and the Muslims,
humming in the background is down-to-earth a minority here in contrast to their overall numbers
among Israel’s non-Jews, attend a mosque in the
good neighborliness that crisscrosses ethnic
neighbouring town of Rama.
lines. It means, for example, that when the Druze pita bakers and
youngest of Elisabeth and Gabriel’s two sons, spice merchants ofer
their wares.
One regular stop on the touring map is the cave
Rafa, was born, the Zein al-Dins showed up Above: Margalit Zenati
next to Gabriel and Elisabeth’s house, where
bearing cooked Druze delights for the family, inside the Peki'in
synagogue. Photos:
according to tradition, rebel and sage Rabbi
and that the younger Zein al-Dins came to Amit Shaa
the synagogue to celebrate the bar mitzvah of Simeon Bar Yochai led from the Romans and
Gabriel’s brother. hid for 13 years with his son. During that time he
is said to have authored the mystic work of the
It also means that visitors, both local and foreign, Zohar, while miraculously nourished by a single
carob tree and a mountain spring. Carobs still
feel comfortable touring the city, where they
come to enjoy its spectacular mountain vistas shade the cave, and the spring emerges below
and walking down the main street, stopping in to in the center of town at a picturesque pool, which
meet Savta (“Grandma”) Jamila, an enterprising is best taken in while lingering over Arabic-style
Druze matron who manufactures soap from a cofee or tea at the outdoor café next door.
secret recipe based on olive oil that she swears
is good for just about everything that ails. Visitors A walk through the town takes visitors past the
can also explore the ancient synagogue to enjoy gate to the Druze place of prayer, marked with
a star bearing the ive colors of the Druze lag,
warm, fresh-baked pita that they can watch
being made on an old-fashioned sadj (a kind of and the local church, down to the synagogue.
Grape vines as thick as tree-trunks wend
upside-down wok) and buy souvenirs. In Israel’s
highly charged atmosphere, that in itself is a story their way in and out of the windows of some
worth telling. abandoned buildings; carob and pomegranate
trees sprout from jumbles of stones of once-
Peki’in relects the entire complicated chronicle elegant courtyards, and everything is daubed
with the brilliant vermillion of wild bougainvillea
that is Israel. Its history goes back to at least
Second Temple times, when it is irst mentioned running riot in unexpected places. But the village
by historian Josephus Flavius. According to a charm – and its architectural potential – cannot
Jewish traveler in 1602 the mainstays of Peki’in’s be hidden.
economy in those days were the raising of silk The synagogue in the center of the village was
worms for the textile industry centered in nearby built in its present form in 1873 thanks to a
Safed. An 18th-century traveler describes the contribution by one Rafael Halevi from Beirut,
city’s “abundance of lemons and sweet apples, “may God protect and save him,” says a plaque
and milk, along with butter, cheese and honey on the wall. In 1956, announces another plaque,
that is sent throughout the land of Israel,” and a large menorah was placed atop the building
observed that it was “inhabited by some 20
when the State of Israel restored it. The plaques
Jewish families, born in the land, who are
inside, however, of a menorah and a Holy Ark,
shepherds of sheep and goats, and have a small are far more ancient: According to local lore they
synagogue.” were brought from the Temple in Jerusalem and
placed there by Bar Yochai himself.
That same tiny synagogue is one of the highlights
of a visit to Peki’in – that is, if Margalit Zenati, Peki’in’s unusual intertwining of ancient and modern
Israel and its many diferent cultures and religions is
the keeper of the key, is around to open the
door. Margalit’s family lived through a precarious, well worth a trip of the beaten track.
On left: Lush grape arbors shade Peki'in rooftops. Photo: Hanan Issachar 35
1936 disturbances, her father was taken hostage
Jong, who immigrated to Israel from the
Good Neighbors E lisabeth van der Berg and Gabriel de
by Arab rioters who, word has it, were planning
Netherlands in 2001, are some of the
to do away with him when the Druze of the
newest Jewish residents of Peki’in. Margalit
town stepped in and saved his life. The story of
Zenati is the oldest, with family roots going
Margalit’s father was turned into a Hebrew play
back to before the destruction of the Second
Temple. The Zein al-Din family, Elizabeth and
and staged in the town. In the wake of the riots,
Gabriel’s neighbors down the hill, are among the
few others eventually returned.
leaders of Peki’in’s Druze community. Together
with a small number of Christians and Muslims, the Jews left Peki’in, although the Zenatis and a
they are part of what makes the mountain village The Druze and the Jews share a bond that
of Peki’in so special. predates Israel’s establishment, after which the
members of this 1,000 year-old faith decided to
tie their fate to Israel and send their sons to serve
It might be an exaggeration to say that this
town of 12,000 – of which 70% are Druze, 20% in the army alongside their Jewish compatriots.
Christians, 9% Muslim, with the Jews represented The Christians now live mainly in their own
by the Van der Berg-de Jongs, Zenati and four neighbourhoods, called Makhoul, although their
other families – is a study in co-existence. But church is near the town center, and the Muslims,
humming in the background is down-to-earth a minority here in contrast to their overall numbers
among Israel’s non-Jews, attend a mosque in the
good neighborliness that crisscrosses ethnic
neighbouring town of Rama.
lines. It means, for example, that when the Druze pita bakers and
youngest of Elisabeth and Gabriel’s two sons, spice merchants ofer
their wares.
One regular stop on the touring map is the cave
Rafa, was born, the Zein al-Dins showed up Above: Margalit Zenati
next to Gabriel and Elisabeth’s house, where
bearing cooked Druze delights for the family, inside the Peki'in
synagogue. Photos:
according to tradition, rebel and sage Rabbi
and that the younger Zein al-Dins came to Amit Shaa
the synagogue to celebrate the bar mitzvah of Simeon Bar Yochai led from the Romans and
Gabriel’s brother. hid for 13 years with his son. During that time he
is said to have authored the mystic work of the
It also means that visitors, both local and foreign, Zohar, while miraculously nourished by a single
carob tree and a mountain spring. Carobs still
feel comfortable touring the city, where they
come to enjoy its spectacular mountain vistas shade the cave, and the spring emerges below
and walking down the main street, stopping in to in the center of town at a picturesque pool, which
meet Savta (“Grandma”) Jamila, an enterprising is best taken in while lingering over Arabic-style
Druze matron who manufactures soap from a cofee or tea at the outdoor café next door.
secret recipe based on olive oil that she swears
is good for just about everything that ails. Visitors A walk through the town takes visitors past the
can also explore the ancient synagogue to enjoy gate to the Druze place of prayer, marked with
a star bearing the ive colors of the Druze lag,
warm, fresh-baked pita that they can watch
being made on an old-fashioned sadj (a kind of and the local church, down to the synagogue.
Grape vines as thick as tree-trunks wend
upside-down wok) and buy souvenirs. In Israel’s
highly charged atmosphere, that in itself is a story their way in and out of the windows of some
worth telling. abandoned buildings; carob and pomegranate
trees sprout from jumbles of stones of once-
Peki’in relects the entire complicated chronicle elegant courtyards, and everything is daubed
with the brilliant vermillion of wild bougainvillea
that is Israel. Its history goes back to at least
Second Temple times, when it is irst mentioned running riot in unexpected places. But the village
by historian Josephus Flavius. According to a charm – and its architectural potential – cannot
Jewish traveler in 1602 the mainstays of Peki’in’s be hidden.
economy in those days were the raising of silk The synagogue in the center of the village was
worms for the textile industry centered in nearby built in its present form in 1873 thanks to a
Safed. An 18th-century traveler describes the contribution by one Rafael Halevi from Beirut,
city’s “abundance of lemons and sweet apples, “may God protect and save him,” says a plaque
and milk, along with butter, cheese and honey on the wall. In 1956, announces another plaque,
that is sent throughout the land of Israel,” and a large menorah was placed atop the building
observed that it was “inhabited by some 20
when the State of Israel restored it. The plaques
Jewish families, born in the land, who are
inside, however, of a menorah and a Holy Ark,
shepherds of sheep and goats, and have a small are far more ancient: According to local lore they
synagogue.” were brought from the Temple in Jerusalem and
placed there by Bar Yochai himself.
That same tiny synagogue is one of the highlights
of a visit to Peki’in – that is, if Margalit Zenati, Peki’in’s unusual intertwining of ancient and modern
Israel and its many diferent cultures and religions is
the keeper of the key, is around to open the
door. Margalit’s family lived through a precarious, well worth a trip of the beaten track.
On left: Lush grape arbors shade Peki'in rooftops. Photo: Hanan Issachar 35
