Restoration and Reconstruction of the Circassian Village Kfar-Kama

Restoration and Reconstruction of the Circassian Village Kfar-Kama Orit SHWARTS, Israel Key words: implementation of plans, spatial planning, restoration, preservation SUMMARY The article focuses on the various perceptions and social constructions of the village core articulated by the planners and the residents. The residents who created their perception and images of the place they live in, in a more intuitive way, from their daily routine practices in the village and the planners, who used their professional knowledge, which they obtained from formal education. The article examines planning activities that guided the restoration and preservation of the core of the village, Kfar Kama, and discuss the way in which these activities impacted social processes in the village. This paper follows external processes that compete with the architectural preservation of the "authentic" village core and examines the inner conflict of the Circassian people, between the desire to preserve their tradition, which includes rigid social codes, and life in the reality of the open and permissive Israeli society. TS 7A – Settlements Facing Man Made Changes 1/15 Orit Shwarts Restoration and Reconstruction of the Circassian Village Kfar Kama FIG Working Week 2009 Surveyors Key Role in Accelerated Development Eilat, Israel, 3-8 May 2009 Restoration and Reconstruction of the Circassian Village Kfar-Kama Orit SHWARTS, Israel 1. INTRODUCTION The Circassian, who came to Israel as refugees in 1878 from the Caucasus Mountains, are a very special national minority. This minority lives in two villages; the largest village is Kfar Kama. The core of the Circassian village, the old village, has been going through restoration and preservation process. These actions were financed by the Ministry of Construction and Building, and later on, by the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites. The declared purpose of this joint venture was to create an international center for preservation of the Circassia culture and heritage. 1.1 The Circassian Community in Israel The Circassian, who came to Israel in 1878 by ships are Sunni Muslims, but not Arabs in their nationality. The Circassian are people of the northwest Caucasus region. While Adyghe is the name these people apply to themselves (which means the ideal man), in the West they are often known as the Circassians or Cherkes. The Circassian in Israel are a national minority with a very original characters, and aspire to emphasize their own unique features, and at the same time, a clear tendency is shown to fit in the general progression of the country, by integrating but not assimilating and by keeping their special values and customs. The Circassian have escaped the northwest Caucasus since 1858 as a result of their conquest and exiled by Russian, mostly to various parts of the Ottoman Empire. Most of them settled in Turkey, part of them turned back, in an illegal way to the Caucasus and some of them, by material and religious temptations offered them by the Turks, came to the Middle East. They settled all over the Middle East including Israel. Kfar-Kama was established as a part of Circassian settlements raised in Israel – in the Golan area, Kfar Kama, Rehaniya, and in a place that later became known as Hadera. The Adyghe got land from the Ottoman authorities. At first they tried to live by growing animals, but their Bedouin neighbors harassed the settlement, and soon they had to organize guarding and protection for their community. The clash with the Bedouin took violent form, till the Bedouin accepted life next to the Adyghe as a fact. Today, there are two Circassian communities in Israel living in two villages; the biggest of them is Kfar-Kama, located in the lower eastern Galilee between Kfar-Tabor and Yavniel. There is archaeological evidence that the area was inhabited from the 6th century and the village existed before the Adyghe came. Kfar Kama is a Local council since 1950 with a Jurisdiction of 10,000 dunams. The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, reports 3,300 TS 7A – Settlements Facing Man Made Changes 2/15 Orit Shwarts Restoration and Reconstruction of the Circassian Village Kfar Kama FIG Working Week 2009 Surveyors Key Role in Accelerated Development Eilat, Israel, 3-8 May 2009 population (September 2008), divided to 5 different tribes, and as much as 30 different families, with a middling social-economic rating. The positive contribution of the Circassian people to the society and the country of Israel accompanying the state before the Declaration of Independence and till today. Since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, known by the Israelis as War of Independence and War of Liberation, Circassians are subject to mandatory conscription to the IDF, in the framework of a special unit called "The Minorities' Unit". In 1958, Circassian soldiers presented an official request to David Ben-Gurion, prime minister and defense minister at that time, expressing their willingness to compulsory enlistment as all soldiers. Ben Gurion announced his decision to accept their offer with respect to the courage and loyalty they have shown to the country throughout the years. Since then the army has increasingly admitted Circassian soldiers to all regular combat units of IDF, the Israeli Border Police and the Israeli police, and promoted them to higher ranks. The social neighborhood surrounding the Circassian population started to change, and tightened her intercourse and her influence. As a result of this, the village started to become closer to the Israeli experience consolidated around it. 20 years after the Circassian settled in the area, Jewish pioneers came to the area (from east Europe), and settled the first colonies as Kfar Tavor, Ilaniya and Yavniel. Very special and good vicinity relations created immediately between the Circassian and the Jewish inhabitants. The Circassian society is totally involved in the every day life in Israel; and indeed, step by step, the effects of the Israeli existence on the Circassian residents turn out. The Circassian society in Israel has ethnic social problems, depicted the willing and the concerning to keep their uniqueness. The main dilemma of the Circassian society in Israel is the collision and the daily conflict between the ambition to be like your surrounding and the attempt of national rebirth. The terms formed in Israel, has open for the circassian a liberated development space, which led to the intersection between the western influence and the feeling of ancestors heritage. A national revival is starting to show. Young people are starting to look for self recognition; they want their people as a belonging frame and look for their historical roots, by learning the Circassia language, folk songs, traditional dances and folk tales. The social-cultural intercourse of this core with Circassia centers in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon has weakened, because of the truce borders and the relations became indirect, diluted and inconsecutive. As a result, the marriage opportunities "pool" became smaller and the family relation net which was created since the settling in the area, amputated. Going to work outside the village and outside the family became a very decisive phenomenon of the social – economic system of the village. This was the outcome of the combination between two factors: the demand of workers in the Israeli market and the reduction of the source of income in the Circassia villages. The employment opportunities, outside their village has solved the distress of many families. TS 7A – Settlements Facing Man Made Changes 3/15 Orit Shwarts Restoration and Reconstruction of the Circassian Village Kfar Kama FIG Working Week 2009 Surveyors Key Role in Accelerated Development Eilat, Israel, 3-8 May 2009 As soon as they found an exterior occupation, Circassia families started migrating from the village and moved near their working place. Yet, this movement was in a limited dimension, and without loosing their tight bond with the mother-village. As well, the education standards in the village has rise. Compulsory education is fully implemented through the primary stage both boys and girls. Progressively, the number of high-school pupils among the villagers is raising and it often extends to higher education in the cities. The Hebrew language is being taught in primary school and expands to different variety of directions. Military service, in-depth the phenomenon and becomes a vital and necessary tool. Young Circassian speaks Hebrew language alongside their mother tongue as a profane language. Although the Arabic language is well known and common, because it is the language of the Koran, the use of it is decreasing, especially among youth. 1.2 The Circassia family These patterns led to a change in the traditional patriarchal family structure, which was united and discipline and values. Boys were subject to the house father who determines the living orders at home. They would continue to work with father, and were all dependent on the family income. In the Early sixty's, a sudden sharp turn applied in their way of life and the traditional family structure. The major change applies, as we have shown from above, that the family is not able any more to integrate the children in its economic and social system. This move has brought a change and increases the gaps between the generations in the village. Today, the household includes only the closest family, and own their own Purchase of land. After getting married, the boys leave the family house. And yet, connection to the family always exists and has a social and political significance There is no doubt that the village of Kfar Kama adapted quickly the turns of time and its rapid development. In the Israeli frameworks they have got into, the Circassian consumed Western values, and their image has been formed by it; than they return to the village different of the way the used to be, and brought other new patterns.

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