Islam

We live in a country with a large Muslim minority, surrounded by Muslims from all sides, yet how much do we really know about their culture? About the tenets of their religion? So I decided to change that and at the height of the month of Ramadan I joined a tour and an 'iftar' meal at the end of the fast with a kind family who hosted me and a few other interested guests who came like me to the village of Jasser al Zarqa. In this village we pass quickly as we drive along the coast road. On a tour conducted by a local association, we learned about the complexity of life in a village that is closed by the coastal road to the east,  and established settlements to the north and south, and all that is left of them is a small strip of beach. The settlement suffers rejection in Arab society itself. At the meal we learned something about the customs of the holiday and the fact that millions of believers are obliged to fast for an entire month from sunrise to sunset. A month in which those who adhere to the Koran are committed to introspection, getting closer to God, modesty and restraint.  

A few years ago I discovered the Sufi current - this is the mysticism of Islam.  When I joined the interfaith meetings and study that took place at the home of Rabbi Roberto Arbiv (a member of the traditional movement and director of 'Midresht Eyon'). Through those meetings I learned about this wonderful movement and met people who connect worlds, thus I was exposed to the published dances and the mesmerizing poetry of the great Sufi poet - Rumi