After the War: A Week in Gaza, My “Second Home”

u201cShe passed!u201d exclaimed 34-year old Ahmed, oldest of 9 children in a family in one of Gazau2019s eight refugee camps. The news that Noor, his youngest sister, had passed the dreaded Tawjihi (the college qualifying exam required of all Palestinian students) came via text message to Hazim, the second oldest brother. Noor, 18, didnu2019t have a cell phone to receive the news, but she had given the cell phone number of another of her 4 brothers to the testing officials for notification. When Hazim received the text early in the morning, he pounded excitedly on all the doors of the multi-flat building that houses the extended family. u201cAnd, can you believe it?u201d Ahmed continued, u201cShe got a 93!u201d

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