Having been introduced to “PROJECT CINEMA JENIN“ by a feature in 3sat’s “Kulturzeit“, my wife Angela and myself decided to spend two weeks working in Jenin during this summer. After visiting Marcus and Annette in Tübingen and after the exchange of lots of mails and phonecalls, our trip started August 4th with our Elal flight from Munich to Tel Aviv, our luggage filled with donations. After the first night in the beautiful “Austrian Hospice“ in Jerusalem’s Arabic Quarter, we met with Annette and 15 boys and girls from “Leibniz-Kolleg“ who also had decided to work as volunteers for CJ. The young folks started a short trip through Israel, so Angela, Annette and myself, we went to Jenin by bus. After a very hot three-hours-trip we were welcomed by Achim and Johannes and introduced to all the friendly Palestinian workers and volunteers. Angela, Annette and myself, we really were the first three people who ever slept in the Guesthouse! The next night, Achim joined us, and some days later the “Leibniz-Kolleg“ volunteers arrived.

These two weeks are unforgettable: very hot, very hard work, a lot of fun; the overwhelming hospitality of our Palestinian friends; problems had to be solved; discussions with the houseowner and with the Fatah; dozens of walks in the streets of Jenin while trying to get all the stuff needed in the Guesthouse; organizing the work of the volunteers; designing furniture with Angela and Achim between 12 and 3 in the night; having a funny evening in Jenin’s swimming-pool; Fakhri and all the other new friends; and and and… On our day of depature from Jenin, August 20th, Angela’s and my eyes were filled with tears and our hearts were filled with pain; we had to leave a new home. Another night in Jerusalem’s “Austrian Hospice“ ( around 12 hours of sleep! ), one night in Tel Aviv, and then, on August 22nd our flight back to Munich via Vienna – without any problems leaving Israel. It was hard to start working two days later… But we’ll come back as soon as possible! And we’ll try to collect donations while waiting for our next journey to Jenin.

Thomas Koch