United After 26 Years in Town of Jesus’ Birth

by Caleb SC · December 24, 2017

The Aqleh family, together for the first time in 26 years: MahaAqleh of Nazareth, Jane AqlehZelfo of Beit Jala, father Nadeem Aqleh, FarisAqleh of the US, mother Lilian Aqleh, May Aqleh of Canada, Michael Aqleh of the US, and David Aqleh of Beit Jala. (Photo: Debbie Hill/CNS)

The Christians of the Holy Land have spread all over the world in search of better opportunities. JUDITH SUDILOVSKY spent time with a family that was reunited for the first time in 26 years.

For Bethlehem Catholics Lilian and Nadeem Aqleh, last Christmas was special — for the first time in 26 years they had all six of their children with them to celebrate the feast of the Nativity.

“This is the happiest day of my life,” said Lilian, 70, as she celebrated the holiday with her children and grandchildren, some of whom travelled from the United States and Canada.

“It is hard having your children so far away. I want my children with me. At Christmas we remember the birth of Christ and the meaning of Christmas is to share it with family.”

Apart Since 2001

Only two of the Aqlehs’ children remain in the Bethlehem area in the occupied West Bank. Like many Palestinian Christians, two of the Aqleh siblings went to the United States to study more than 20 years ago and stayed because of better opportunities available to them. A third sister went to Canada with her Egyptian husband for similar reasons.

A fourth sister married an Israeli Palestinian resident of Nazareth, Israel’s largest Arab city in northern Israel. Although she can visit her parents, she and her husband need a special permit to enter the West Bank together.

The last time they were together as a family was in 2001.

But as the Aqlehs’ 50th wedding anniversary approached, their youngest daughter, Jane AqlehZelfo, 36, who lives near her parents, decided it was about time the family celebrated the holiday together once again.

Her parents are getting older, and her father, 76, has had several heart operations, she said.

“I worked hard to make this happen,” Mrs Zelfo explained as she put the final touches on the decorations for a catered dinner.

“We deserve to be together. We love each other. We have a special relationship. These moments are so special and I want my family to be next to me. Our parents raised us well and always gave us what we needed. They deserve to see their kids all coming together.”

Celebrating Christmas

The family had its main celebration on Christmas Eve and also marked the older couple’s anniversary. Mrs Zelfo asked everyone to wear Christmas colours to add to the festive atmosphere.

Recalling their tradition of buying new clothes for their children before Christmas, they relished the sight of their grandchildren dressed in new matching red, white, black or burgundy slacks and skirts.

“Christmas is not about where you are but who you are with and it is a special feeling to experience Christmas again as a family,” said Michael Aqleh, 36, who flew from San Francisco where he owns a car dealership. “We probably won’t be able to have an experience like this ever again. Life is too short to not have this celebration now.”

The family enjoyed the parades and festivities at Manger Square, opposite the church of the Nativity, on Christmas Eve afternoon.

In the evening the family gathered at their parents’ home for their traditional barbecue dinner.

Special Permits for Jerusalem

Michael Aqleh and his brother Faris, 44, also living in San Francisco with his family, tried to get into midnight Mass, but they were unable to do so. Michael Aqleh had hoped that he would be able to visit Jerusalem but he said that as a Palestinian he was not permitted free access — despite his American citizenship. The Israelis required that he have a special permit.

He recalled how in past Christmases the entire extended family of cousins and aunts and uncles celebrated together, visiting each other’s homes and sharing meals. And there always was a visit from a friend or neighbour dressed as Santa Claus handing out gifts to the children.

“Most of my cousins are also spread out all over the place now,” he said. “They are in the USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe.”

Many of his friends also have left the area, he said, because they have found it difficult to deal with the challenging economic, political and social environment in the city that is encircled by Israel’s separation wall.

Feeling like a minority

In recent decades the demographics of the Bethlehem-Beit Jalla-Beit Sahour triangle — all traditionally Christian West Bank towns—have changed as many Muslim villagers from the surrounding countryside moved into the area.

Some Christians say they feel like a minority in Bethlehem, where some 80 percent of the population is now Muslim. Though relations remain largely cordial, some Christians and local Muslims say they feel the influx of villagers with more conservative traditions has changed the personality of their hometowns.

Mrs Zelfo and her younger brother, David Aqleh, 37, who also has remained near Bethlehem, said that despite the difficulties they do not have plans to leave—at least for now.

“It is a wonderful feeling to have all my brothers and sisters come back here to celebrate all together,” said David Aqleh, who runs his father’s public service office translating documents and preparing passport applications. “It makes me feel stronger.”

Mrs Zelfo expressed concern that life “is not easy” in Bethlehem and acknowledged that she feels “like the minority” in the community.

“But we have something nice here,” she added. “God calls on us to stay here. He needs us here. We can always smile with Jesus as our shepherd, he is our joy and our strength. Without him we could not make it.”—CNS