Sr. Kathie Uhler's Justice and Peace Efforts This page contains correspondence from Sr. Kathie Uhler, an Allegany Franciscan ministering with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron. Visit the Christian Peacemaker Teams website for more information and breaking news about their day-to-day activities.

January 2008




Sr. Kathie Uhler poses with a Norfolk pine on her porch after a rare snowfall.












   

The rooftops of Old City Hebron taken from her roof. They often give roof tours.





Kathie being served breakfast in bed on her birthday with Mary Wendeln of the Precious Blood Sisters, Dayton, OH.











Kathie's neighbor shoveling the wet snow on their "joint" porch.







Christmas Eve 2007 in Bethlehem, under Israeli Occupation.
Photos by Sr. Kathie Uhler



The Nativity - ancient picture in the Church of the Nativity



The wall at Bethlehem with interspiritual graffiti



At the Wall - Sr. Kathie Uhler decries its violence - that of the Israeli Occupation



Manger Square in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve



Mosque at Manger Square



The Door of Humility at the Church of the Nativity



The interior of the Church of the Nativity



The place of Jesus' birth in the Church of the Nativity


December 2007

Dear All,

Greetings from Hebron! Yes, "I'm in!" No probs at the airport -- thanks for your prayers. We are four strong on team right now: one man and three women; we're from Canada and the USA, and our ages range from 23 to me, at 66. Of course, as usual, we will be loosing teammates later this week and gaining others next week. Then we'll settle down for the month, more or less.

So, what's new since I was here last in early October?

The Israeli soldiers and local government moved the vast vegetable market that was about 1/2 mile from us much closer to us and off onto a couple of side streets. Noone seems to know yet whether this move has been good for the Palestinians or not. Such is the "paranoia" of a 40-year military occupation.

Our Palestinian friend in the neighboring farming town saw her son taken to an Israeli prison again. He was released this summer after a year-and-a-half in prison for joining a student organization at Hebron University. This makes it the second time the Israeli police arrested him within a month of his being released from a year and more in prison for the same infraction! His case is not at all unusual. It is this sort of harassment that demoralizes the youth here: they experience very little control over their lives. Furthermore, because their future is so uncertain and unemployment so rampant, the men must put off marriage, often for many years. Depression among them is also a frequent malady.

I'll be in touch later with more of an update. I hope to visit the extended family I stayed with this week. I am looking forward to this and other very happy reunions in the coming days.

With fond thoughts of each of you and wishes for a blessed Adventide, I remain faithfully yours,

Kathie





Shepherds serve tea to Kathie Uhler (left) and another CPTer in a field in Tuwani, a small village in the South Hebron Hills. CPT "gets in the way" of violence between the shepherds and Israeli settlers.










A member of CPT monitors Palestinian schoolgirls in the Tel Rumeida section of Hebron to prevent harrassment from Israeli girls who live in an Israeli settlement right across the street.












Diplomats are ushered into Tel Rumeida by Israeli soldiers; CPTers monitor the situation at a distance.













CPT Hebron Team













Morning assembly for Palestinian schoolchildren at the Tuwani Regional Grammar School. A CPTer watches (lower left corner) as the BBC films the daily event.





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