October 3, 2001 — Mudeif Productions

*Our Latin School colleague also teaches English at the Khader Center.*

One of the English teachers from the Latin School is offering a course in conversational English at the nearby Martyr Na’im Khader Center, part of the Palestinian Agricultural Resource Committees (PARC). Na’im Khader was a native Zababdehian who was involved with the PLO. In the 1980s, he was killed by Mossad (Israeli secret service) in a car bomb explosion in Belgium where he was the Palestinian ambassador at the time. The Center was named after him and provides post-graduate practical training in agriculture for engineers and scientists. The hope is that the theoretical background they received at university will be enhanced by this training, and that the whole area will benefit from better understanding of agricultural practices.

Marthame came to lend a hand with conversational pieces, particularly introducing oneself. After the initial questions (name, age, etc.), the usual questions about politics arrived. We pointed out that the lesson was about introductions, not politics, and proceeded. The students were very eager to practice their English with a native speaker - there's not much opportunity for this in the Northern West Bank.