Take the Ark of the Covenant, ancient Rome's Tenth Legion, Richard the Lionheart, 19th-century French Christians, Muslim Arabs who throw in their lot with Israel, and a penniless young man who wins $22,700,000 in the Illinois State Lottery. Mix well together, and what do you get? The village of Abu Ghosh.
by Janet Mendelsohn Moshe
Spread over a series of hills six miles west of Jerusalem, Abu Ghosh is a bustling Arab village with a colorful history. Much of its importance is due to its location - for centuries the main highway from Jaffa on the coast, to Jerusalem. According to Chronicles, the Ark of the Covenant rested for two decades in the nearby village of Kiryat Yearim before King David transferred it to Jerusalem. A thousand years later, the Romans chose this strategic location to encamp for their assault on Jerusalem. They left behind the ruins of a fort.
Legend has it that in 1099, Richard the Lionheart caught his first glimpse of Jerusalem from Abu Ghosh. The view is still breathtaking today, especially in spring when the Judean Hills are covered with wild flowers. The Crusaders mistakenly identified this area with Emmaus mentioned in the Gospels, and in 1142, built a church on top of the old Roman fort. Fortunately, the church was not entirely destroyed by the conquering Muslims; in 1907, title to the church was acquired by the French government, which turned it into the magnificent Romanesque landmark of the village. Today, a mosque stands nearby.
The name Abu Ghosh is in fact the name of the Arab clan which settled in the area in the 16th century. The 6,000 Muslim residents of the village today are almost all descendents of this clan. Part of local folklore are tales of the toll charges extorted from travelers and pilgrims passing through the village on their way to and from Jerusalem.
In 1947 and 1948, passage through the hills surrounding Jerusalem was crucial in getting supplies to the besieged city. Of the 36 Arab villages nestled in these hills, Abu Ghosh alone remained neutral, and in many cases provided friendly and helped to keep the road open. "From here it is possible to open and close the gates to Jerusalem," said former President Yitzhak Navon.
But of all of the tales of Abu Ghosh, perhaps the recent rags-to-riches story of Jawat Ibrahim is the most colorful. One of six children, Jawat was orphaned at the age of four. As a young man, he opened a small ceramics factory but his business floundered, and he fled to the United States leaving behind a debt of $200,000. He spent two years in Chicago, working as a day laborer, until one day in April 1989 when he bought a $20 lottery ticket - and won over 20 million dollars. Jawat returned to Abu Ghosh in 1992; he immediately built a large restaurant, bringing to 10 the number of restaurants lining the village's main road.
In 1994, Jawat set up the Abu Ghosh Fund, which awards some 40 scholarships each year to Israeli students, Arab and Jewish alike. Libraries and youth programs have followed, making 35-year-old Jawat not only a major benefactor, but also a civic leader, concentrating mainly on his home-town.
In the mid-1990s, the bi-annual music festival in Abu Ghosh was given a jump-start after a 20-year hiatus. In the spring and the fall, during the Jewish festivals of Shavuot and Sukkot, music reverberates through the mountains as concerts are given in the Crusader Church as well as in the Convent of Our Lady of the Ark, built by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition in the early 20th century.
Located near the modern highway to Jerusalem, Abu Ghosh has now become a mecca for tourists and Israelis alike, who enjoy the village's ambience as well as the 13 restaurants. These eateries, which serve traditional Arab food, are extremely popular, especially on Friday evenings and Saturdays, when many restaurants in Jerusalem are closed for the Jewish Sabbath.