Meet a treasured soul - her name is Dalal.  People (including myself) call her Auntie Dalal, I suspect because she feels like family to everyone here.  She is a vibrant woman, who has spent over forty years teaching at the school and continues to work at the home, even though she is retired and in her early eighties.  And this place would not be the same without her! 

Auntie Dalal was born and raised in Nablus, a town in the Northern West Bank.  Her family could not afford to send her to university, so she began teaching directly after highschool.  And while she had many offers for marriage, she turned each one down as she did not want "to be under anybody's orders" and preferred to have her freedom.  In a society that places a very high emphasis on family, this should give you an idea as to how strong of an independent streak she has running through her.  

Auntie Dalal never fails to amaze me, at her ability to work as hard as she does for the children of the home.  And she always up for an adventure, whether going for an afternoon drive or attending an evening wedding party that lasts close to midnight.  We were recently at a church function that had loud music and blaring cold A/C.  I thought she would call it quits before me, but I threw in the towel well before she was ready to go home.  On top of all of this, she always has time to chat over a cup of coffee and even agrees to my crazy idea of going for a walk after a full day of work. 

How she does it, I do not know - I can only hope to have half the energy she has if I should be so lucky as to reach her age.  The other day, Auntie Dalal made some delicious cookies and when I asked for the recipe, she informed me she was making them again. I got to learn first-hand from the creator herself.  Below is the recipe and a picture of her delectibles.  Bake them and you won't be disappointed. 

Gradually add the dry mix to the wet mix.  Make small balls from the dough and place on a baking tray. 
Add an almond slice or two on top (optional).
Bake at 325 until it starts to turn slightly golden brown (10-15 minutes).

Yields 7-8 dozen, so you may want to cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.