No one really knew where we were when the bus dropped us off after a day filled with melting under the sun, chocolate in hand. We found ourselves at a small village called Yoshav Yordena (because it’s so close to Jordan). Uri, the director, told us that the first Kurdestani Jews immigrated to Israel in 1951. In total 50,000 Kurdestani Jews immigrated, leaving no more in Kurdistan. Kurdistan is a region near Iraq but Uri believes they deserve their own country because they are a different people. They have their own history and a rich culture filled with clothing, dancing and food like you’ve never seen before. For dinner, although I was full from stuffing my face with schwarma and chocolate earlier, I had to try the “kibeh” (meal) that was laid out in front of me. Kibeh consists of meat, soup and guru, (like rice). The guru looked like circular rice and was mixed with spices that dyed it red and it was delicious. I also tried something that looked like a matzo ball but on the inside there was beef with a side of green beans. There was a spice so spicy (that went on the bread) that it sparked a contest, which the Israelis easily ate. However, there was a dish with rice and meat wrapped in seaweed that seemed to have gone over well with everyone but me. It had a sour flavor and weird texture; I’d say that tarantuala is a six but the seaweed roll was a four.
Uri also mentioned that Kurdistan is currently fighting ISIS. Women are well respected and have the same rights as men. The women marry out of love and are not arranged in a marriage at a young age, something you might find in bordering places. Many women are becoming soldiers because ISIS members believe that if you are killed by a women, you will not go to “paradise” so they play a significant role. I really enjoyed not only learning about Kurdistan but experiencing their culture. I knew nothing about it before being dropped off and now I have seen their clothes, danced to their music and ate their food. Going to Yoshav Yordena showed us other ethnicities within Israel besides Ashkenazi and Sephardi.