The first time I met Hassan Abu Sharekh was in 2018, when we were in the same class in the English department at the Islamic University of Gaza. We became friends the very first day.
Hassan, with his smiley face and sharp but never unkind sense of humor, brought joy to everyone around him. He wanted everyone in his life to be happy and was beloved by everyone – students and professors alike.
He truly cared about his friends’ feelings, a quality that isn’t common among young men. He did his best to create a loving and welcoming environment for everyone in our class. He planned group outings, surprise birthday parties and visits to one another’s homes to bring our circle of friends closer together.
He once invited a group of friends from our class to his apartment and cooked for us the best maqlouba – a traditional Palestinian dish – I have ever tasted.
We did everything together. We ate breakfast together every day, attended classes together and went out together afterward, whether it be to a café or a restaurant or to play cards, pool or video games.
Hassan, who never wanted to miss an opportunity to spend time with friends, would persuade me to go out despite my reluctance ……more
