The Swimming Pool

There is something about the relaxed atmosphere of a swimming pool (and perhaps the fact that bathing suits are a great equalizer) that allows people to overcome their differences and speak to each other.  Some know very little about NSWAS, and would not be a natural target population for any kind of encounter work.  But when they come here, their curiosity gets the better of them and they begin to ask about the village, and the quality of life here.

People from all around ? from Ramle to Ramallah - have been visiting the pool, and an increasing number have been taking out seasonal subscriptions.  The Palestinian population in Israel, not to speak of the West Bank, particularly suffers from an absence of swimming pools, whereas some establishments subtly succeed in making Arab visitors feel unwelcome.  As a consequence, by comparison with the water-loving Jewish population, relatively few Palestinians even know how to swim.  The advantage of our swimming pool is that both groups feel comfortable to be there.  Through contacts with the builders of some of the new houses in the village, the pool has grown increasingly popular with residents of nearby West Bank villages.  During the summer, Ahmad Hijazi of the School for Peace had the idea of arranging swimming classes for children of the West Bank villages of Beit Sira and Beit Liqia.  The residents of these villages are, in general, extremely poor and rarely have the opportunity to visit a swimming pool or, for that matter, a beach.   Ofer Zohar, the swimming pool manager, readily offered the children free entry to the pool and swimming lessons.  As a result, some 15 children came for regular swimming classes during the long summer break.  They continue with their swimming lessons now, after school has started, on a weekly basis, and are progressing very well.

Another population group that has been taking advantage of the pool has been the ultra-orthodox Jewish (Haredi) population of Jerusalem.  They, too, have a problem finding suitable swimming pools, particularly due to rules of modesty that obligate separate bathing for men and women.  This year when the Haredim  applied to bring children of their summer camps to the pool, their problem was not from the side of NSWAS, but with their own authorities.  Some said it is not permissible to visit a pool that opens also on the Sabbath day, and perhaps the pluralistic nature of the village also played a role in the decision-making.   However, they eventually received authorization directly from the illustrious Rabbi Elyashiv, the Posek haDor that they could come here.  And in the month of August, hundreds did.  They were very inquisitive about NSWAS, and never stopped asking questions of the lifeguards.

The pool serves many other populations, such as a group of autistic children who came regularly through the season.  It also serves thousands of hotel guests, School for Peace participants, and the children of the school and kindergarten.  The availability of a swimming pool, and twice-weekly swimming classes for four months of the year, provides an additional motivation for parents in sending their children here.

The swimming pool, which is now fully licensed by the authorities and has made application also for a business license, is nicely covering its own operational expenses, and even beginning to turn a small profit as more and more people from the area come to know about it.  Members of the village themselves pay a seasonal subscription.

In future development of the swimming pool we will need to find funding for improved shower and changing facilities and also equipment that can extend the functionality of the pool.  For instance, an automatic cleaning device and proper lighting would make it possible to operate for additional hours in a day, and a comparatively inexpensive water heater ($10,000) would enable us to extend the season for an additional four months of the year.

 On August 27, we were honored to receive Bishop Lutfi Lahem, the Greek Catholic Bishop of Jerusalem, just prior to his visit to the Annual General Meeting of the German Friends of NSh/WAS (described below.

 On Thursday, September 9, we were happy to receive a group from the ?World Affairs Council? of San Diego, California.  The group came with Bishop Samir Qafiti, the former Anglican bishop of Jerusalem.  The group was on a fact-finding tour of the Middle East.   NSWAS was the last stop on an itinerary that included Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel.  In the village, they visited the School and the Guest House, and met with Daoud Boulos, Diana Shalufi Rizek and Rayek Rizek.