Umm al-Fahm

And hello again, compatriots. Today's story comes from two months ago when I visited the Northern city of Umm al-Fahm with a group from school. The interesting statistic here is that 100% of the population is Arab, (99% Muslim) yet it falls entirely within the border of Israel, though barely. Here is the fabled "Green Line" border fence between Israel and the West Bank, close to the city:



And here is the city. About 43,000 people, originally founded in 1265. Name means "Mother of Charcoal" (how cool is that) because of the forests that used to surround it.


And here is a geometrically-inclined plant:


We visited an Arabic coffee factory. Here is my favorite machine -- the roaster:


As well as a baklava factory. Take a gigantic pot of sugar...


Add a little Ghee...


Cool it in a pan...


Baklava for me..!


Finally, the hidden gem of the trip: the Umm al-Fahm art gallery. Founded in 1996 and very small, but wonderful exhibitions of photography.


One of the town's football clubs back in the 40s, with a pre-game prayer:



My favorite photograph -- a gathering of three generations to discuss business at a town meeting (click to enlarge and see the different characters and expressions):


And, most interesting, an exhibition of formal photographs of modern Arabs taken in the most prestigious rooms of their homes. Take a few moments to enlarge the images to see the myriad details of life in the photographs.