Hebron hospice feeding the hungry after more than 700 years

Palestinians break their Ramadan fast during an Iftar meal set-up to respect social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic at the Palestine football stadium in Gaza city on May 21, 2020. (AFP)

• Last Ramadan the hospice served 500,000 meals, an increase from previous years due to the difficult economic conditions that people were facing because of the pandemic

HEBRON: It is the mother of hospices in Palestine, set up more than 700 years ago during the time of Saladin in 1279 as a resting place for passers-by and the poor.
The Abrahamic Hospice has maintained its presence in the city of Hebron over the centuries and continues to feed the hungry, even confronting the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its general supervisor Luay Al-Khatib told Arab News that the hospice operated throughout the year, with the traditional Palestinian crushed wheat dish of jarisha being prepared and served most days.
Ramadan was no exception, and Al-Khatib estimated that 1,000 meals of rice, vegetables and meat were being prepared every day.
Last Ramadan the hospice served 500,000 meals, an increase from previous years due to the difficult economic conditions that people were facing because of the pandemic.
Al-Khatib did not believe that the hospice was only meant for the poor, as even Muslim delegations from overseas would visit the hospice and eat jarisha.
The hospice is a hive of activity and volunteers toil away, all while respecting the health and safety standards put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Al-Khatib said the ongoing pandemic had made working in the hospice more difficult and that exceptional measures had been imposed, measures that had not been undertaken since the hospice was established.
Although the location of the hospice has changed twice during the last century, it remains near the Ibrahimi Mosque and in the heart of the old city.
 It was called rabat or tablania, referring to the sounding of drums to mark the availability of meals near the mosque. It gains additional value from its proximity to the mosque, which is one of the world’s oldest and holds great religious significance as Muslims believe it was built on the tomb of Prophet Abraham.
Historians regard Hebron as being the birthplace for the idea of establishing hospices around the Muslim world and believe there is no known hospice older than the Abrahamic Hospice.
Chefs begin their work from dawn, preparing meals according to a daily program and distributing them early in the morning.
Al-Khatib said the hospice was keen to deliver meals to people who could not reach the site, in addition to providing food for those who were quarantined at home or in hospital.
Although the hospice is administratively affiliated with the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, all of its expenses are covered by donations from people inside the city and out, with philanthropists competing to provide financial and in-kind support.
Hospices, which are called tekkiah in Arabic, flourished in Palestine during the era of the Fatimids, Ayyubids and Ottomans.
One of the most famous in Jerusalem is Tekke Khasky Sultan. It was set up  by Sultana Roxelana, the wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
Charitable hospices spread throughout Palestine as part of community initiatives.
They often became dedicated to providing food to the poor in refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, helping those who had been displaced from their cities and villages during the Nakba in 1948.