Palestine through an immersive experience founded on three core principles: faith, culture, and justice. You are invited to join us for one of two back-to-back sessions taking place over the summer.

Based in the city of Bethlehem, participants are invited to live with a local host family; study Arabic with Palestinian teachers; and learn about the history, culture, and politics of the region through educational lectures and guided tours. Though a wide range of programming is provided to engage participants, those who join us will also have plenty of free time to learn and explore at their own pace. There will also be opportunities simply to relax and have fun with both fellow travelers and the new friends in Bethlehem that you will make along the way.

UP TO DATE CURRICULUM

Holy Land Trust continues to update its curriculum to reflect the shifting realities on-the-ground. The political situation continues to change, and new research continues to shed light on the region's culture and history. As an organization, we push ourselves to keep the program relevant to the realities of the present-day.

HISTORY

Starting with Biblical times, the Summer Encounter explores different historical narratives from both religious and secular contexts, examining overlaps and discrepancies. From there, we examine how those narratives manifest in political realities on-the-ground for different groups.

CULTURAL

The Holy Land is a land of diversity. While people oftentimes break this down into binary terms – Israeli/Palestinian – nothing could be further from the truth. On this land, we have Palestinian Arabs who belong to a multitude of religious identities – Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and others. There is an Armenian diaspora community with their own unique culture and language they have preserved overtime. There are Bedouin communities and Druze communities that have a very complex relationship within the settler colonial system. We also explore the complexity of the Jewish communities that came to settle on the land from far off places like Iran, Ethiopia, different parts of Europe and the former Soviet Union and how that interplay between these groups leads to interesting dynamics within the Israeli political system. Understanding the ways these groups of people have preserved their culture and heritage over time is crucial to how nonviolent resistance works within systems of oppression.

GEO POLITICAL

We organize meetings with the most significant humanitarian and political organizations in the region, including international, Israeli, and Palestinian NGOs. By doing so, we offer participants a broader understanding of the system of settler colonialism and its impact on the native communities. We also analyze the histories and tactics of both international and indigenous resistance movements seeking a just peace.

LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS

During your stay in the Holy Land, you will live with a local host family, creating a space where authentic and long-lasting relationships can be formed. In our experience, these relationships help foster within participants a lifelong commitment to pursuing justice more than any other component of the program. The homestays create an intimate environment where stories that might not otherwise be shared are given voice. Reading about Palestinian life or hearing lectures can be helpful, but living with a local family offers unparalleled insight into how ordinary Palestinians navigate the complexities and contradictions of life under Occupation.

WHAT TO EXPECT

After your in-depth, immersive tour through the Holy Land, you’ll find yourself with new experiences, relationships, and networks you didn’t have before. You’ll be equipped to go back into your communities and share in meaningful ways. You’ll be able to carry and honor the personal stories of the local communities. With a complete analysis compiled through a litany of meetings with the regions leading NGO voices, you’ll have a matrix of context for your individual journey.

• Explore 10 different cities and villages! Spanning the entirety of the Holy Land.
• Participate in 10 different cultural events. We specialize in organizing participatory cultural events. We don’t just give you the finest Middle Eastern cuisine, we show you how to cook it. We don’t tell you the history of the Palestinian Thob, you learn how to make it.
• Engage in 25 different lectures that range from the themes of the Nakba to the construct of Jewish identity.
• You’ll enjoy 40 hours of community organizing and projects. Nothing integrates you more into the fabric of society than working together, hand-in-hand on community-based projects. Collaborate, problem-solve, and bond with locals as you work together to make a stronger society.