Thanks for joining me on my journey to and around Israel and the Palestinian territories. The program, Seeds of Recovery, begins Sunday night, May 19, and ends on Friday, May 24. I will post updates and reflections as I am able. Below is the itinerary.

Seeds of Recovery 

Solidarity and Encounter Seminar in Israel and in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories 

Sunday, 05/19/24 – Friday, 05/24/24

Updated Itinerary 

Day 1, Sunday, May 19th: Individual Arrival and Settling In 

• 06:30 PM: First gathering in the hotel meeting room 
• 07:00 PM: Dinner at the hotel 
• 08:00 PM: Welcome and introduction 

Day 2, Monday, May 20th: Groundbreaking NGOs in Jerusalem Meeting with NGO representatives in Jerusalem, focusing on interreligious and intercultural dialogue and peace initiatives 

• 08.30 AM: “Standing Together” (Hebrew University, Mt. Scopus Campus) 

For many years, Standing Together has been advocating for unmediated dialogue and cooperation between Jewish and Arab communities in Israel, promoting gender equality among Jews and Arabs, advocating for social justice, and supporting sustainable environmental policies. Such endeavors face entirely new challenges after October 7th. 

• 11.00 AM: Yasmin & Musa Barhum

With her British-Swiss background, Yasmin Barhum lives between worlds: In Israel she met her husband Musa, an Israeli Muslim Arab. The landscape architect converted to Islam and offers a unique perspective on the country and its contrasts. Considering herself a bridge builder, she shares with us in her home in the Arab village of Ein Raffa west of Jerusalem a life between worlds, its challenges, opportunities and richness. She unfolds the many small and large idiosyncrasies of the Levant… 

• 04.30 PM: Mrs. Hana Bendcowsky, “Rossing Center”, hotel meeting room 

Religious beliefs and political actions are closely intertwined, nowhere more so than in the Holy Land and above all in Jerusalem! For nearly 20 years, the Rossing Center has been committed to peacebuilding and equality, advocating for a "shared society" among the diverse religious and social communities in Israel. The Rossing Center also engages in international exchanges with institutions and organizations in countries that face, much like Israel, the challenges of religious and cultural pluralism. 

• 08:00 PM: Mr. Matty Klopper, “Road to Recovery”, hotel meeting room 

SK Tours’ Matty Klopper shares his personal story as one of the Road to Recovery volunteers, an Israeli NGO dedicated bringing Palestinians, especially children, for medical treatments to Israel. Those "Healing Taxis" have inspired long-lasting relationships. Many Kibbutz victims of the October 7th massacre were actively involved in "Road to Recovery". 

Day 3, Tuesday, May 21st: Dialogue oriented Initiatives in the Bethlehem area Meeting with NGO representatives in the Bethlehem area focusing on interreligious and intercultural dialogue and peace initiatives 

• 08.45 AM: “Roots”, Gush Etzion Junction 

Is this for real? Jewish Settlers and Palestinian freedom activists sitting at the same table? The grassroots movement Roots defies all prevailing stereotypes: the Holy Land does not belong exclusively to one side or the other, neither Jews nor Palestinians, but rather - the people belong to the land! Under this provocative new perspective, religious Jewish settlers and Palestinians in the vicinity of Bethlehem explore new paths to a shared future. 

• 11.30 AM: “Lifegate”  

SK Tours has been accompanying Lifegate and its founder and director Burghard Schunkert, on its amazing journey to becoming the most innovative rehabilitation facility in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories today. The Lifegate approach does not only physically rehabilitate Palestinian youth from all faiths, but also offers them a professional future, thereby changing the perception of disabled people in Arab society. Burghard sees Lifegate as a bridge between people - from Israeli-Palestinian disabled youth basketball tournaments and joint summer camps, to visits of his Palestinian staff to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the inclusion of Israeli experts into the various fields of Lifegate-rehabilitation. 

• 03.00 PM: Mr. Suleiman Abu Dayyeh, Beit Jala 

Suleiman Abu Dayyeh descends from a well-known family in Beit Jala, Bethlehem. His grand-grandfather founded the first Lutheran church in Beit Jala. Suleiman studied Political Science in Germany. He is the co-founder and member of the Palestinian Peace Coalition that operates in the spirit of the Geneva Initiative on models for a Palestinian democratic political entity. 

• 08:00 PM: Get-together 

Day 4, Wednesday, May 22nd: Partners in Fate - Gaza Envelope/Otef Aza and Rahat Bedouins Meeting with local residents and NGO representatives in the area of the Gaza Envelope/Otef Aza and Rahat 

• 10.00 AM: Mrs. Roni Kedar, “The Other Voice”, Moshav Netiv HaAzara 

The violent takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas in 2007 and the subsequent blockade by Egypt and Israel, disrupted the interaction between citizens in Gaza and Israel. The Other Voice works toward the creation of a sustainable reality for civilians on both sides. Throughout our trips we have regularly visited Roni Kedar, one of the founders and activists of The Other Voice, at her Moshav Netiv HaAsara on the border with Gaza. On October 7th, her village was also attacked, and many lives were lost. We want to listen to Roni and hear from her, what the events of October 7th might mean for the future of The Other Voice. 

• 02.00 PM: visit “Nova Festival memorial site” in Re'im Forest

The Re'im forest nature reserve, site of the Nova Festival masacre, where 364 israeli civilians - jews, christian and muslims - where brutally murdered and many more wounded, has become the largest October 7th "makeshift" memorial. In the future it will turn into a more permanent monument. 

• 03.30 PM: Mrs. Ayesha Ziadna and Mrs. Elham Elkamalat 

What do Bedouins, especially Bedouin women in Israel imagine for their future, balancing between tradition and modernity? Mrs. Ayesha Ziadna was heading the emergency headquarters at Rahat, distributing help where it was most needed - it is almost unheard of to have a woman in such a leadership position in the Bedouin community. Today Mrs. Ziadna runs the 'Switch Center' for Training and Advancement of Employment in Rahat. Mrs. Elham Elkamalat organizes various meetings and conferences in Rahat for groups wishing to enrich themselves on relations between Jews and Bedouin Arabs, carry out professional retraining, or engage in entrepreneurship. She was raised in an impoverished, conservative muslim family, and will talk to us about her community's traditions, perception of feminism, and emancipation of the Bedouin women. 

• 08:00 PM: Get-together 

Day 5, Thursday, May 23rd: Steps to Recovery: Evacuees and Volunteers, Closing Session & “Koolulam” concert 

Meeting with evacuated kibbutz members and the support network 

• 09.30 AM: Kibbutz Ein Gedi “absorbing Kibbutz - Volunteer support network“ 
• 10.00 AM: meeting with members of Kibbutz Holit “evacuated community” 

Kibbutz Holit was established in 1982 om its current location. It is the smallest community in the “Gaza envelope”. The Hamas attack took the lives of 11 kibbutz members - one of them a holocaust survivor - and two migrant care workers. The Kibbutz members were evacuated to Kibbutz Ein Gedi at the Dead Sea two days after the attack. We want to listen to their stories. 

• 04.30 PM: Closing session and reflection (“Encounter Tours – A Tool For Healing?") 
• 08:30 PM: “Koolulam” concert at YMCA

“Koolulam is a social musical initiative aimed at empowering communities and strengthening the fabric of society. Through collaborative creative experiences, we bring together people of different backgrounds, cultures, faiths and geographies.” 

Day 6, Friday, May 24th: Visit the New National Library of Israel 

• AM: guided tour of National Library 

The New National Library building, a dramatic new Jerusalem landmark, located between the Knesset and the Israel Museum. There is great symbolism opening the New National Library during wartime - a reminder that at the end of the day, spirituality, education, medicine, science, arts and literature all contribute to the healing of individuals and society. Exploring the architecture and philosophy of the building including the sculpture 'Letters of Light' by Micha Ullman, based on the Hebrew alphabet and inspired by Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Creation) offers us hope by fostering a deeper understanding of human creativity and resilience.