On the evening of Wednesday, 10 July, the church kitchen was abuzz. The morning and evening books clubs that commenced two years ago to focus on educating ourselves on the history and effects of colonisation on First Nations peoples had, this year, temporarily shifted focus to the Gaza/Israel history and conflict. To mark our journey we decided to join together for an evening of fun and friendship. Bodies jostled for space with friendly jibes, as the assortments of foods, brought along for a Middle Eastern dessert feast, were plated up and placed on tables.
Once the tables were filled, we went to the foyer and were invited to enter through the fabric draped doorway to the rhythm of the clap sticks from Alice Springs. We emerged into a space dimly lit with candles and more drapery hinting at a Bedouin tent and were welcomed and invited to sit at tables containing small unlit candles and arranged in a circle.
Following the Acknowledgement of Country, one by one we lit the small candle in front of us to echo the 2024 NADIOC theme ‘Keep the Fire Burning’.
Then with beautiful Palestinian music playing in the background the feasting began. Two tables groaned under the assortment of dates, figs, olives, goat’s cheese, homemade almond biscuits, baklava from Burwood and Rockdale, Mussakhan finger rolls, hummus and other dips, middle eastern breads and crisps, Turkish delight, bee sting cake, oranges and pomegranate.
The noise level rose in the hall as the book club members and their partners and friends enjoyed robust and rowdy conversations.
A belly dancing display by Karen was the highlight of the evening. With other ladies joining her and trying valiantly to follow her instructions, scarves were flicked left and right, twirled and twisted while hips swayed and swivelled (or tried too!!!) to the belly dancing music.
As the evening closed, we remembered the war raging in Gaza and Israel and prayerfully listened to the Prayer for Peace song by Nani Vazana which harmonises music from an Islamic prayer, a Jewish prayer and a Christian prayer.
Then it was the inevitable clean up, wash up , stacking of chairs and removal of drapery to restore the hall and kitchen back to its original state. After such a fun yet reflective evening, it felt like a family gathering where we all cared and supported not only each other but the peoples we had been reading about during the past two years.
We pray for peace and reconciliation.
Prayers for Peace – Nani Vazana feat. Alice Hoolsema & Hicham Laraari
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