I had heard about a multicultural bustan (orchard) near to Mitspe Aviv, in which Jews and Arabs came together, built in memory of the founders’ son, who was killed by terrorists. And at an event in Akko, quite by chance, I was introduced to Amiram and Tilda Goldin, who had founded the bustan as a project of the Omri Foundation, an NGO established in memory of their dear son, Omri, who was killed in the summer of 2002. I was impressed by Amiram and Tilda and promised I would visit soon.
I had not thought it would be as soon as the next day, but an opportunity presented itself when Yonatan and I had a free couple of hours before Shabbat, and went along to check out the bustan, which is close to both the Jewish village of Mitspe Aviv and the Arab village of Tamra, pictured below.
As it happened, Amiram was there, preparing to leave for lunch, but he was pleased to take a few moments to show us around, speak about the project and answer our questions. He had been doing some clearing of brushwood, helped by a remarkable young man who, he told us, came up from Jerusalem each week for a three-day weekend, volunteering at the bustan.
Bustan Nof Meshutaf means “a shared landscape” – bustan is a shared word in fact, in Arabic (بُسْتَان ), Persian (بوستان) and Hebrew (בוסתן), meaning an enclosed orchard, grove or walled garden. The word is sometimes used in English to describe this type of middle-eastern grove. The bustan aims to bring Jews and Arabs to learn about agriculture, ecology, and each other.
You can get a real appreciation of the work of the project in this subtitled video, as well as from the project's website.
Omri Goldin’s was an ironic death. During his military service, when he returned home on his days off, he would learn Arabic with his father, despite work and social pressures. Although he didn’t find his Arabic studies easy, he wanted to continue in order to understand the culture of his neighbours and to be able to create a real dialogue with them. He identified with his father’s faith in this goal, despite the intifada and the events of October 2000. But one morning, Omri and his girlfriend, Aviv, boarded the 361 bus on their way to their bases, and fell asleep holding hands. At the Meron junction near Safed, a bomber boarded the bus and blew himself up. Omri was killed on the spot and Aviv was injured. Eight others were killed in the attack, six civilians and two soldiers.
This beautiful bustan and its beautiful activities and goals are a fitting monument to an unnecessary death.
You can get some idea of the beauty of the bustan, and see its various facilities which facilitate activities there from the slideshow below, including outdoor kitchen areas, tents and tepees, artworks, and sitting and relaxation areas.
