Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., March 22, 2008 Adar2 16, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:26 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Children of the valley By Fadi Eyadat As a child, Jihan Abu Abbas hated living in Wadi al-Siah, southwest of Haifa. She couldn't understand why her parents chose to live in this isolated place on the outskirts of the city. "I was cut off from all my friends. There were no parks or public transport. I preferred to stay with my grandmother in Haifa," she says. Today, at 27, she wouldn't dream of leaving. "Ana bint alwadi," she says. "I'm a daughter of the valley. Advertisement The once neglected, desolate spot has become a popular destination for hikers, environmentalists and youngsters wishing to get away from it all. In the bustling city, whose signature is the petrochemical plants' chimneys, beneath the Carmel's deafening pub center, lies a wild scenery gem reminiscent of a Greek or Sicilian village. Goats graze between the unpainted Abu Abbas home and the carob trees, the chimes of the bells on their necks pealing out. A spring flows down to an orchard of pomegranates, figs and citrus fruit. In pre-state days the resort home of the well-to-do al-Hayat family from Haifa stood here. Over the years the orchard was neglected and dried up, mold covered the water pools and canals, weeds covered the spice gardens and the terraces and houses crumbled. Wadi al-Siah stretches from the Carmel neighborhoods to the Mahane David Neighborhood and nearby cemeteries. Dr. Johnnie Mansour, a Haifa historian and lecturer in the Beit Berl Academic College, says that the wadi was named al-Siah, "the wanderers," in the 13th century, when the Carmelite monks wandered in the valley, living a life of seclusion and abstinence. Many people believe that the Al Farj (Salvation) spring has healing powers since the days of Elishah the prophet, who, according to tradition, drank from its water. The Carmelites built a monastery in the wadi and used the natural caves as prayer sites, hiding places and burial sites. The Haifa municipality is trying to raise funds to rehabilitate the wadi and turn it into a green resort site. The Gil-Greenstein landscape architects' firm made a plan to rehabilitate the wadi 20 years ago but the city has not found the budget to do so. "The site has huge environmental, religious and recreation potential," says landscape architect Gil Har Gil. "It has a walking route, although it is not developed or attractive, but you forget you're in a city." Gil's plan is to restore the wadi's entrances from east and west and the orchard. "It's a typical Mediterranean orchard. Farming here was based on medicinal herbs and spices, citrus and fruit trees that created shade and a pleasant place to sit in," he says. "They had a meticulous, aesthetic irrigation system of canals and dams that carried the spring water to the orchard," he says. Said Uda, 81, of the Ahmadiyya Kababir neighborhood overlooking the wadi, has been herding his goats here for 70 years. He remembers the summers he spent with the orchard workers under the fig and orange trees. "It was paradise. I passed many hours under the trees here. We ate fruit, the air was good from the sea, not like today," he says. Charlie, Yuli and Benny, Haifa men in their '20s, sit around a water pool. They live in the nearby caves. "We've lived here for months," says Charlie. Every now and then they are joined by friends. "This is a main hiking route. People come and go, go off to be alone then come together again. Young people come to swim in the pool, eat rice and discuss spiritual matters," he says. A religious young man arrives and asks us to leave so that he can dip in the pool. "This wadi's destination is to bring people together. People from all sects and communities come here. Muslims come from Kababir, Jews from Mahane David and Christians. And they all talk. That's the uniqueness of this valley," says Charlie. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Declassifying AIPAC Two former pro-Israel lobbyists charged with revealing secret info. to Israeli diplomats. Jersualem pilgrimage Christian pilgrims flock to Holy City to mark Good Friday and retrace the route of Jesus.

Today Online Bradley Burston: Macho U.S. Jews, pantywaist Israel Responses: 209 Jewish group seeks to purge YouTube of anti-Semitic videos Responses: 197 PM says worried Russian weapons will reach Hezbollah Responses: 107 Israel, Germany plan int'l summit to stop Iran nuke program Responses: 114 13-year-old boy wounded in terror attack near Hebron Responses: 104 Editorial: J'lem yeshiva massacre must not lead to boycott of Israeli Arabs Responses: 97 More Headlines 00:21 Hezbollah deputy chief says he has proof Israel killed Mughniyah 00:14 Cheney in J'lem: U.S. will never pressure Israel to take security risks 01:08 Palestinian sources: No breakthrough in Hamas-Fatah reconciliation bid 19:20 2 Qassams hit Israel as Egypt hosts Hamas, Jihad for truce talks 12:45 Body of Palestinian pulled from collapsed Egypt-Gaza tunnel 12:23 Police arrest 2 youths suspected of stoning cars on Wadi Ara road 01:25 Christian pilgrims flock to Jerusalem's Old City for Good Friday 09:16 Ex-prof with alleged terror ties refuses to testify in U.S. court 06:56 Umm al-Fahm resident shot to death outside her home 17:51 U.S. gov't to appeal ruling on classified material in AIPAC trial 01:18 Bank of Israel report: One in four Israelis over the age of 65 is poor 16:11 Israel, Russia finalize deal on supply of armored vehicles to PA Previous Editions Select Day 21 mar 20 mar 19 mar 18 mar 17 mar 16 mar 14 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar

Special Offers Advertisement FAREWELL ISRAEL New Film The Coming War for Islamic Revival - View Movie Trailer READY FOR PURIM? BUT - Who Will Guard The Hamentasch? Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Long-term Israel programs MASA is your gateway. More programs. More grants. NEW! Dan Boutique Jerusalem Hotel Hip Dan Hotel in Jerusalem. Attractive Introductory Rates 7589 rockets fired so far HELP US TO HELP THEM FREE JEWISH HISTORY COURSE Berel Wein's best selling lectures. 5000 Years in Five hours /CD/MP3 Marina Royale Herzelia Pituach Your Luxurious Suite While Staying in Israel Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved