Ramadan and Eid

The holy month of Ramadan slowly moves its way through the year. Twelve years ago, Ramadan happend around Christmas. This year, it was mostly in August and ended last night.

I didn't know what is was really about, so one day in Hebrew class I asked. Ramadan is the month that the Qu'ran was first revealed to Mohammed.

It is a month of fasting and abstention during the daylight hours from food, water and sex to teach Muslims all the good things like humility, patience, spirituality, empathy for the poor etc. I didn't fast, but did I ever feel empathy for the Muslims in my Hebrew class. August was killer hot and here these poor folks were not even drinking water. The days were long, and as a little thing we could do to help, our 15 minute class break started like clockwork so the Muslims could rush out, pray and get some quick sustenance after fasting since the wee hours of the morning.

But the people I REALLY felt empathy for was the moms. Like the big holidays of any religion, all the responsibility falls on mom. On one of the evenings in Ramadan, Muslim families will often hold Iftars, big dinners for all the friends and family. One of the guys in Ulpan says his mother was having FORTY people over for dinner- and cooking up a storm. But get this- imagine she is in the kitchen slaving over the hot stove and oven all day, smelling that cooking food, and yet she can't take a drink or taste any of the food, because of course she was fasting through the day. Those moms must have super reliable recipes and bellies of steel.

In a co-in-kee-dink this year, the end of the holy month of Ramadan coincided with Rosh HaShannah. Now there is a three day festival called Eid (eye-eed).

In the morning twilight, I heard the special call to prayer wafting though my window from the minarets across the valley. Usually we hear a single haunting voice of the closest mosque rising and falling like a soft wind, over a gentle din provided by echos of the first voice and all the other minarets farther away.

This morning, the prayer was special, short and repetitive. I think they were repeating "Allah Ackbar" "God is Great," but I can't be sure. Anyhow, it seemed to go on for ever, and it kind sounded like a recording from a dementia ward. I will be happy for the return of the regular call to prayer.