December 07, 2004
Schwartz - Impressions of Latrūn in November
Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salaam is situated on a tel in the heart of the Latrun Region of Israel-Palestine. The Latrun sector is situated in the Ayalon Valley at a very strategic point throughout history. Here, the road from the Mediterranean coast split in two directions, both to Jerusalem: one through Sha'ar H'gay (today the main road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem), the other more northwards, via Beit Horon. It was in this area that Joshua defeated the Amorites (Joshua 10:1-11); King David smote the Philistines; the Egyptians the Maccabees and the Crusaders battled their way to Jerusalem. During the 1948 War, the bloodiest combat between Israeli and the Arab armies took place for control of the route to the beleaguered Israeli forces in Jerusalem. Ariel Sharon was a young platoon commander at the time, and he nearly lost his life upon the slopes I wake up to behold every morning.
Here are some of my meager attempts to capture by photograph the immense ancient beauty of Latrun and its sister hill upon which Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salaam rests, during this past month of November, when the grueling dusts of summer finally yielded to the cool rains of winter.
History and indices:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrun <--an excellent resource
http://www.rc.net/wcc/israel/latrun.htm
http://www.jafi.org.il/education/noar/sites/latrun.htm
http://www.olinfilms.com/latrun/
Maps:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/westbank_central92.jpg
http://www.poica.org/photos/latrun/reloc_checkp.jpg
Click on "continue reading"
Historical note
There are a few theories about the origin of the name of Latrun:
1) a derivation of "Altrun," an ancient Semitic word, possibly pre-classical Arabic. Palestinians in the nearby cities of Ramle and Lud still occassionally refer to the hill and highway junction which are the heart of the region as "Altrun."
2) a corruption of the crusaders' name for a stronghold at the top of hill, "Le toron des chevaliers" (the Castle of the Knights).
3) the name of the stronghold given by the Christian pilgrims, "Castellum bonu Latronis" (the fortress of the good thief), for the thief who was crucified alongside Jesus (Lucas 23:40-43).
The tel (prehistoric hill) of Latrun. The tiny white building with apricot rooftops standing amidst the lines of trees is the French trappist monastery which owns most of the lands in this photograph, and until recently was the landlord of the village's land. At the top of Latrun are the ruins of the crusader fortress. The Jordanian army dug trenches into the hillcrest and successfully defended their position for almost two decades against the Israelis. A miscommunication with the Jordanian high command during the 1967 War caused the Arab units to finally retreat, abandoning their post to their nemeses. Beyond the monastery is the white "mothership" apartment bloc of Modi'in, Israel's "city of the future"; and beyond that lies the West Bank--a mere 20 minute drive from Latrun!
The view after a rainstorm: the forest surrounding Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salaam; the farmlands of Kibbutz Nakhshon; the concrete factory of Ramle; and waaaayy off in the distance, the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv.
Twilight in Canada Park. This natural reserve, which is just a few meters away from my door, was originally the site of several Arab villages that were cleared out in 1948, 1952, 1957 and 1967. The evergreens were planted by the Jewish National Fund, a "reclamation" project financed by the government of Canda; hence the park's name. This land is not haunted by any assortment of ghosts; rather, it is itself a ghost.
Canada Park again. In the foreground is Voltaire's house.
The Latrun sky at twilight.
The streets of Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salaam during a rainy night.
Latrūn Moon
by Christopher Schwartz
At night a great lens hewn from glass of the deepest Atlantean blue encloses the earth.
Here and there one can discern the dents and cracks: the constellations;
and the Moon is an elegant hole punctured through the sleek surface.
Through that hole shines the first silvery flame of the Creation,
sometimes flickering and slithering edge to edge, as though the lens were shifting its focus away then back again.
Astronomers and preachers say I'm wrong: that light should be violet, ultra in its wrath--but I know better,
for I have heard its color in the night wind, and it feels lacey with eros, lonely in its passion.
Perhaps when old father Abraham gazed thoughtfully up at the Moon many millennia ago,
he realized that he was seeing into the iris of the cosmos,
that all the earth is but a cataract in Space and a dream in the pineal gland of Time.
Yes, perhaps as the old prophet gazed yearningly up at the Moon,
he realized that the Life of the universe was staring back at him.
Other photographs
Yours truly prepared for the chilly Latrun night.
Nimair, one of my "Little Ones," a litter of kittens living at the volunteers'. She is the most curious and persistent (she's constantly trying to sneak into my bedroom or the volunteers' kitchen to discover our secrets.)
The hotel crew cleaning up a flooded bathroom: (from left to right) Haddas, Ya'el and Makhfusa.
