Most of Zababdeh headed for the hills to strip their trees bare and bring fruit to the local olive presses where it is turned into oil. Most of the olives harvested are consumed at home, whole, or as oil. The harvest is a task that takes most of the month, and you can hear the hum of the tractors early in the morning and late at night, going to and returning from the family orchards. The entire life of the community is altered by these days.
Children come to school tired, having already worked several hours in the groves.
Church is nearly empty on Sunday mornings, as everyone heads for the hills and the harvest. Because of inadequate rainfall, last year there was no harvest, and so this year's crop is especially important. Also, as the Israeli closure of the West Bank tightens, the local economy is slowly being strangled. It feels ironic in these days of armed conflict to work among olive branches. But it cannot help but add deeper meaning to a tree which is already deeply symbolic.