They taught us and I read many books. Birzeit is still living in the aftermath of the Intifada. The school still does not have a developed theater program because during the Intifada it was considered inappropriate to perform when a neighbor's son might have been killed. Birzeit still carries the stigma from the Intifada, when it was known as a center of political activism directed toward Israel. Yet today the mood is improving.
Students are hopeful and busily planning their future careers.
While they hotly debate the current political problems, they also manage to read quietly on the lawn and spend long hours playing in the computer lab. Many Palestinians are proud of their winning basketball team, but it is clear that Arafat remains more important in their daily lives than any championship game. Dana Demb is the Israel Bureau Editor for New Voices.