Gaza City – I met Dr. Refaat for the first time in 2015 in Gaza City. He was a guest speaker at the English Club to discuss the book he edited, Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza.
It was a collection of short stories written by 15 young writers and some from Dr. Refaat, which delved into their childhood experiences in Gaza and the writers’ experiences during the Israeli assault on the enclave in 2008 -2009.
We were all somewhat aspiring writers, ages 13 to 17, and I think most of us underestimated what an English major could be.
We thought we learned everything we needed to at the English club. Then we met Dr. Refaat.
He was so impressive that the room was completely silent – we were all absorbed in his speech, his mannerisms; we were moved by his story.
Steering your own path
Dr. Refaat told us his story of rebellion, how he decided to major in English when his father wanted him to study medicine.
He was, however, determined to move away from science, which is why he told us that he had intentionally failed his chemistry and physics exams to convince his father that he should go into literature.
“I had to make my father proud, but I hated math! he explained to an amused audience.
His father was not happy about this, but later Dr. Refaat ranked second in all of Palestine in his high school exams. And he continued his studies in English.
The discussion went on for a while and by the end, I think we were all aware that we should not have underestimated English as a major.
Four years later, I had finally graduated from high school and had to choose a university. I decided to go to the “strict” Islamic University rather than other colleges in Gaza. He taught there and I wanted to hear him talk about literature again.
Some upperclassmen warned me against taking the English program at Islamic University. “Dr Refaat is harsh and unfriendly, but he is intellectually stimulating,” they said, concluding with “You have to decide.”
They were right, Dr. Refaat as a teacher was tough but fair and his rules were clear: “If you want to feed your nerdy side, you must be willing to give every minute to pass my class. Otherwise, take it with another speaker.
I think he must have felt a sense of satisfaction when he offered a course that no other professor offered. Maybe he enjoyed torturing his students, but it was probably more that he wanted to make sure they learned everything correctly, it was in their best interest.
“Literature raises more questions than answers,” he said. “I won’t give you any answers, you have to do it for yourself.”
Another Dr Refaat
In 2022, I was accepted into a writing workshop that Dr. Refaat was teaching, needless to say I was happy.
And in that class, there was a completely different Dr. Refaat – unlike the formal man behind the academic podium, he was open and friendly with all of his students. He taught us everything he knew about literature, writing and translation.
So we changed this term from a formal Dr. Refaat teaching Shakespeare to a friendly term within the context of writing training. It’s magical how much a busy two-hour class feels like a minute when the lecturer teaches this way.
It was August 2022 when I first got paid for a job. I brought Dr. Refaat a pizza, his favorite, to thank him for teaching me the skills I needed.
Without Dr. Refaat, I would still be scribbling, not daring to share a word I write. I wouldn’t know how a pun works, what a metaphor is, or how to be an accurate translator.
On January 1, 2023, my first article was published and Dr. Refaat was the first one I sent it to, worried because I knew he was difficult to please. He “liked” the link but didn’t say anything, I so wanted to hear his opinion.
Two months later, he commented on an article I had translated and said: “I also liked your story of Hamlet. »
It made my day.
A last chance
When I became a senior last year, I managed to take a class with him in the summer semester, and it was worth the juggle to manage to attend.
What I didn’t know at the time was that it would be the last time he would teach me.
On December 7, my literary father figure, my role model, Dr. Refaat was martyred in the “safety” of his home.
On December 7, the world lost a great educator, a free soul, a remarkable storyteller, a powerful man and a father.
Dr. Refaat lived his life in his own way.
Dr. Refaat taught me everything I know.
Your heart lives in our hearts.
You will always be remembered. You will never be forgotten.
