April 20, 2010

Generosity Beyond Comprehension

Posted in Uncategorized at 2:44 pm by Keren

I first learned about Palestinian generosity from my American Palestinian friend, Nabila Taha – she taught me by example, without even knowing that she was teaching me, that one should give, to the best of one’s ability, generously and unconditionally. Since then, I have spoken often of the generosity of Palestinians, especially here in Nablus. I have been the recipient of countless gifts of fresh produce, coffee, tea, lemonade, Tamar Hindi (a wonderfully delicious drink made from tamarind and served cold [I can easily drink 3-4 large glasses of this each day]) and Kanafe – from complete strangers, shop keepers, and neighbors. I have also been invited home for dinner (exquisite dinners) by complete strangers. And this is from people who are not wealthy in the least, to the contrary, most of them have very little. The highest rate of poverty and unemployment in the West Bank is in Nablus.

I have regularly spoken about Palestinian generosity as a characteristic that is unmatched anywhere. Today I learned about a generosity that is beyond comprehension. Read the rest of this entry »