UNRWA Commemorates 1948: Living with my Grandfather in Ghuwayar abu-Shusha

I was 18 years old when the war started in 1948. I was the eldest of my three brothers and two sisters. We were orphans as my father had died three years earlier, so my grandfather was taking care of us. He was the sheikh of our village. His words were honored and respected by everyone.

My grandfather was a very generous man. When somebody got married, he would organize the wedding day feast for them. His house was known to everyone in the district.

Eid was a very special time. All the people of Ghuwayar abu-Shusha would come to my grandfather’s home to pray - I remember how we used to roll out 4-5 metres of carpets in front of the house. For five whole days, my grandfather would hold the Eid feast for the entire village. People would come to our home to eat and dance debka.

My extended family made up half of Ghuwayar abu-Shusha. We used to have our own lands and horses. The men would ride and hold horse races in the summertime. We were all farmers, dependent on the land - we used to plant corn, barley and wheat as well as many types of vegetables. I remember how we used to send our vegetables to the markets in Tiberias, Haifa and Jaffa - four cars each day full of all kinds of fresh produce.

When people visited us from Tiberias, they would ask us to cook for them. They wanted us to cook in the traditional way using a wood fire and they loved our local recipes like meat with rice. The food, vegetables and water from Ghuwayar abu-Shusha were the best I have ever tasted; so much better than the food these days. Everything was so much better. Even the smell of the trees in blossom in the springtime was much nicer than the perfume the people use today.

Khabsa al-Sameiri was born in 1924 in Ghuwayar abu-Shusha, in the district of Tiberias. She now lives in Qabboun camp in Syria. This is her personal story.

Interview conducted by Najwa Sheikh Ahmed