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Sunday, March 8 Depart Syracuse for flight to Tel Aviv. Monday, March 9 Arrive in Tel Aviv and transfer to Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam for overnight stay. Tuesday, March 10 The group will attend a daylong seminar at Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a cooperative village of Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship. The seminar will include an introduction to the village, its history and ideology; a discussion with a village member, and a guided tour of the village. The role of religion in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict will be discussed, and participants will have an opportunity to engage in individual meditation or prayer. Founded in 1970, the village of Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel coexist in an effort to promote peace, equality and understanding between these two groups. The community of 52 families is governed democratically and is not affiliated with any particular political faction. At the conclusion of the day, the group will travel to Galilee for an overnight stay. Wednesday, March 11 The group will visit the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional site where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount; Capernaum, the traditional site where Jesus and several apostles are believed to have lived; Tabkha, a city near the Sea of Galilee; the "Jesus Boat", an ancient fishing boat that was recovered from the Sea of Galilee in 1986 and is on display at Kibbutz Ginosar; Mt. Arbel and the ruins of an ancient Jewish settlement; the tomb of Maimonides, an important Jewish pilgrimage site; and the Synagogue of Rabbi Ben Meir. Thursday, March 12 The group will travel to Nazareth and visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, built over the traditional site where Mary received the news she would give birth to Jesus. The group will also visit with Sheich Abdel Salem Mansara, head of the Sufism Center in Nazareth, and some of his students. The group will then travel on to Jerusalem for an overnight stay, with a stop at the Mount of Olives, a mountain range in East Jerusalem associated with the Christian and Jewish traditions. The group will visit Tel Megiddo, an ancient hilltop city that was the scene of many battles. Friday, March 13 The group will travel to Bethlehem, spending the day there and visiting the Basilica of the Nativity, built on the traditional site where Jesus was born. There will be opportunities to meet with local Christians and Arabs, and a visit to a Palestinian refugee camp. The group will also visit Bethlehem Bible College. Muslim students will have the opportunity to worship at a mosque, and Jewish students will have an opportunity to join a Shabbat Service at a synagogue in the Jewish quarter. The group will return to Jerusalem that evening for an overnight stay. Saturday, March 14 In Jerusalem, the group will visit Upper Room, the traditional site of the Last Supper; King David’s Tomb, the supposed burial place of King David; St. Peter in Gallicantu, a Roman Catholic church on Mount Zion; the Garden of Gethsemane, the traditional site where Jesus and his apostles prayed on the night before the Crucifixion; St. Anne’s, a 12th Century Crusader church built over the traditional site of the birthplace of Anne (Hannah), the mother of Mary; the Pool of Bethesda, the traditional site where Jesus healed a paralytic; Via Dolorosa, a street in Old Jerusalem held to be the path Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to his Crucifixion; and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; a Christian church in Old Jerusalem venerated by Christians as Golgotha, the traditional site where Jesus was crucified. Sunday, March 15 In Jerusalem, the group will visit the Western Wall, an important Jewish religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem; Davidson Archaeological Park, an important antiquity site; and the Tower of David Museum, an ancient citadel located near the entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. The group anticipates visiting the Dome of the Rock, the site believed to be where Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, where Muhammad left the Earth on his Night Journey, and the traditional site of the Holy of Holies of Herod’s Temple. The group also anticipates visiting the El-Aqsa Mosque. Built in the early 8th Century, El-Aqsa Mosque remains the main place of Islamic worship in Jerusalem. There will be an opportunity for the group to visit a Christian worship service in a local church in Jerusalem, and go on a tour with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions of East Jerusalem. The group will spend the night in Jerusalem. Monday, March 16 A day excursion is planned to Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and Masada, a site of ancient palaces and fortifications overlooking the Dead Sea. The group will spend the night in Jerusalem. Tuesday, March 17 Return flight to the United States |