Aktuelles
Aktuelle Blogs aus dem 38. Studienjahr (2011/12):
Aktuelle Volontär-Blogs
Blogs ehemaliger Volontäre
Bautagebuch
Wer regelmäßig unseren Rundbrief liest, weiß, wie baufällig, ja, vom Einsturz bedroht, das "Benedictine Monastery Tabgha" inzwischen ist. Die Arbeiten am Neubau haben einige Fortschritte gemacht, sind aber auch auf Hindernisse gestoßen ...
Kloster-Blog
Nur weil Mönche in Klausur leben, bedeutet das nicht, dass sie nichts von der Welt mitbekommen. Zumal an einem Pilgerort steht die Welt oft mitten im Kloster. Und wenn dieses Kloster Dormitio heißt, steht es im Mittelpunkt der Welt: in Jerusalem.
Studi-Blog
Für das 38. Studienjahr (2011/12) konnten wie vier Autoren gewinnen, die ihre Erfahrungen gerne mit uns teilen: Nancy, Nina und Tobias auf Deutsch, Florence auf Englisch. – Acht Monate Heiliges Land, gesehen mit acht Augen... Viel Freude beim Lesen!
Beit Noah Blog
Tabgha ist der Ort, wo man teilt. Brot und Fisch. Hitze und Arbeit. – Aber auch viele hübsche Erfahrungen. Besonders mit den verschiedenen und interessanten Gästen der Begegnungsstätte. Und die seien hier mit Ihnen geteilt!
Beit Noah Blog
Winter in Tabgha
3. Februar 2012 von Peter Blattner
Just because I have not been making regular Blog posts does not mean that our corner of the Sea of Galilee is quiet. The winter months are the slow season for the Meeting Place, but the volunteers take the opportunity to become very busy with “General Cleaning.” Over these few weeks, we take apart windows, stoves, sinks and beds to scrub every inch of Tabgha. For someone who has trouble remembering to clean his own room, I can think of only one reason we were all able to remain cheerful and motivated throughout the process: we are all very excited about the groups coming back. Having worked with and been visited by so many wonderful groups throughout the Summer and Fall, we all knew how important this place is to them, and looking forward to seeing some of them again definitely made the hard cleaning much easier. There were also several other projects that we worked on throughout the months, including a complete makeover of the Dalmanutha area in front of the Sea, and (of course) making sure the lights are all working!
In these quieter months, many of the volunteers have taken the opportunity to go traveling. One of the top destinations for us is of course taking the opportunity to visit the organizations that so often visit us. We were able to spend two days driving throughout Palestine with Majida as she visited the families, volunteers, clinics and schools that she works with. The experience of seeing where our guests come from, and also seeing the people who help support them the entire year round, was an incredibly valuable and special experience for us. Equally valuable was another recent trip, this time not to an old friend and guest, but to a new school just beginning to look into the possibility of spending some time with us in Tabgha! We really hope that the opportunity will work for them, so that they will be able to appreciate this wonderful place, and we will be able to make some new friends.
German and English and Hebrew (oh my!)
3. November 2011 von Peter
Over the past few weeks, Tabgha has at times been very busy, but at other times very quiet. Some of the groups who were planning on coming to Tabgha had to cancel their plans at the last minute, because they were not given clearance to pass the border from the West Bank. It was very disappointing for us that these groups couldn’t come, but we hope that next time they’ll be allowed through the border. One group from Bethlehem was allowed through, and Tabgha was once again filled to the bursting point. Lifegate is a Palestinian rehabilitation center for mental and physical disabilities. In the true fashion of Tabgha as an oasis of German in the Holy Land, several of the volunteers and residents from Kfar Tikva, another DVHL location. Lifegate and Kfar Tikva are old friends of Tabgha, and over the past several years have built a very deep and important connection with each other. We were also joined at this time by groups from CJVM and the Goethe-Gymnasium Ibbenbürren also joined us. 
Moshik explains the Sukkot Feast (Bild vergrößern)
One of the main activities during this time was working with the guests and other volunteers to construct a Sukkah. A Sukkah is a large, temporary tent, built to celebrate Sukkot, the Jewish holiday celebrating the time after the Exodus from Egypt wandering in the wilderness. Our Sukkah was built with palm leaves, and decorated inside with paper chains, garlands and lamps. We celebrated the completion of the Sukkah by singing traditional songs (a mix of Hebrew and German), eating specially made candies, and even performing a few short plays. As always, it was hard to see this group go, though we will be seeing some of them soon at our upcoming weekly football (that’s Soccer to the other Ami’s reading) match in Kfar Tikva. 0
Over the past few weeks, Tabgha has been hosting several German high schools and universities. We’ve been doing a lot of fun things with them, including accompanying them on their day trips around Israel, as well as having a “Ora Et Labora” day, where the group learned about work and prayer by helping us to clean up Tabgha in preparation for the celebration of the Multiplication on November 12th.
Hello
22. September 2011 von Peter
Hello!
I am Peter Blattner, one of the new Tabgha volunteers for the 2011-2012 year, and I will be trying to keep you all up to date on some of the exciting things happening in Tabgha and the Begegungstatte. It has been hard to say goodbye to the volunteers from last year, who taught me an incredible amount about Tabgha, the people who live and work here, and the guests who stay with us. They demonstrated the deep connection that is formed by working in such a fascinating and important place, and I can only hope that I will be able to bring as much to Tabgha as they did.
At the moment, we are hosting a summer camp from the Palestinian Medical Relief Society. One of the first things you should know about this group is that there were only two adults with the group. The children with the group are actually volunteers, and they do an incredible job helping to care for the handicapped members. Seeing young individuals take on such responsibility, and really rise to the challenge, is amazing. 
Us with the children (Bild vergrößern)
We were given the opportunity (Paul let us take the afternoon off) to spend most of the afternoon and evening swimming in the pool, eating, and even having a dance party with the group, and it was hard to see them go.
The following group to arrive in Tabgha is also someone familiar to the place. Akram Ali Okkah will be arriving with his group for the physically disabled, and it was great to see him again. Akram’s program emphasizes the importance of physical activity (he is also the head of the Palestinian Paralympics Committee) and integration with the surrounding communities. These words took on a lot more meaning when the delighted volunteers heard that the group would like to spend the morning working alongside as we clean up the pool!
Hello and Goodbye
12. Juli 2011 von Tony
Summertime is now in full swing and the Meeting Place is consistently full. The volunteers are working very hard to accommodate the groups and ensure a pleasant stay. We have watched the Al-Sharooq School from Beit Jala come and go along with the Al-Quds Charitable Society from Shufat Camp, and we are currently hosting the Elwyn El-Quds Center from the Old City Jerusalem. Each group has contributed to the unique atmosphere of which all visitors and residents of Tabgha are so fond. 
The Volunteers of 2010/2011 (Bild vergrößern)
Now, everything is moving very quickly at Tabgha. The construction of the new monastery continues unabated, the groups are coming and going, and the volunteers can see the end of their year of service approaching and are waiting to welcome the first volunteers of the next generation. This will be my final blog post as I am short before returning home. On behalf of the 2010/2011 volunteers and zivis at Tabgha, I would like to thank all of the monks and community at Dormition Abbey, Hildesheim, and Tabgha for the wonderful opportunity to work and live at Tabgha. Thanks to all the groups for spending their time with us and always being open and hospitable. Thanks to all the well-wishers for their thoughts and prayers. We will never forget this experience and are proud to have served this community for the last year. We look forward to introducing a new generation of volunteers to this special place and are confident that they too will be proud to join the Tabgha family.
Where Unique Experiences are Commonplace
22. Juni 2011 von Tony
Of course we are always excited when new groups are coming, but our experience with the Al-Amal School from Jerusalem far exceeded our expectations. We were shown once again the amazing impact that the Meeting Place can have on groups and individuals. The Meeting Place, as the name suggests, is designed to bring people from different cultures, backgrounds, and religions together in a common space and that is exactly what happened with the Al-Amal School. 
Enjoying Time at Tabgha (Bild vergrößern)
During their week at Tabgha a German family of six was also staying with us and they took advantage of the opportunity to meet and join the school in some activities. From having coffee and talking to making bread over the open fire, both the Al-Amal School and this German family were introduced to new and unfamiliar people and cultures. When one of the Al-Amal children had a health concern, the mother of the family, being a doctor, was able to treat him to ensure his safety. This caring behavior and mutual respect 
Making Bread at the Fireplace (Bild vergrößern)
across language barriers, cultures, and religions is the goal at Tabgha, and it was achieved for the Al-Amal School and this German family. Truly, both the family and the school gained something from their interaction, and neither will forget their time at Tabgha.
