Visit to Israel and Palestine.
Monday 13 September - Friday 24 September 2010
Estimated cost: £1420 per person
Monday 13 September 2010
Depar t HR.
Arrive Tel Aviv
Check into our Jerusalem hotel for 3 nights
Tuesday 14 September 2010
We begin the day at 8am on the summit of the Mount of Olives. Walking down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, we then proceed to the Western Wall and visit the Dome of the Rock, walking through to the Church of St. Anne & the Pools of Bethesda. Next door, we visit the Convent of the Sisters of Zion where we see the Lithostratos (the pavement where Jesus was condemned) and the Herodian Struthian pools. After a snack lunch, we continue through the Old City along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We shall finish the afternoon at the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. (Where Peter denied Jesus and where Jesus was imprisoned on the night before his cruxifixion) .In the evening we hope to meet with Bishop Suheil, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
We start the day at the Holocaust Museum of Yad Vashem . We then proceed to the Peace Centre, in the Palestinian village of Anata, built on the site of a demolished Palestinian home, where we shall also have a meal provided by the Schawamreh family, whose home it was. We shall be joined by a member of the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions, who will explain the settlement situation to us, before we hope to meet with an Israeli settler nearby.
Thursday 16 September 2010
In the morning, an Israeli historian will give us a guided tour of ‘Canada Park’ in the hills near Jerusalem, where we shall hear about Palestinian villages destroyed in 1948 and visit some of their remains. We then proceed to the Sabeel Office, (Sabeel is a Palestinian Christian movement, dedicated to exploring the theological implications of current realities). We shall join midday prayers, share lunch and hear about their work. In the afternoon, we visit the Four Homes of Mercy, a children’s, disabled, and elderly home in Bethany, before continuing to the Shepherds hotel in Bethlehem where we shall stay for 4 nights.
Friday 17 September 2010
In the quiet of the morning at 8am we visit the Church of the Nativity and the Cave of St. Jerome. From there we shall proceed to the Bethlehem Bible College (9.30am), where Dr. Alex Awad, one of Palestine’s best known clerics, will speak about the history and theology of the Holy Land. Proceeding to Bethlehem University nearby, we shall meet with staff and students and have lunch at the University. After lunch we visit the Al-Rowwad Cultural Centre in Aida Refugee Camp, and have a walking tour of the camp. We shall finish the afternoon with Communion at the Shepherds Fields in Beit Sahour, and visit a Christian Co-Operative selling many different kinds of souvenirs.
Saturday 18 September 2010
The whole morning will be at leisure to explore the Old City of Jerusalem.. In the afternoon, we take an excursion to visit the village of Wadi Fouqin near Bethlehem. This is a Palestinian village whose lands have been destroyed by a huge settlement. We shall have a walking tour of the village and visit the village school. In the evening, we have a meal at a Bedouin Tent Restaurant in Beit Sahour and a traditional ‘dabkha’ dance presentation.
Sunday 19 September 2010
We shall join the local Luthern Christian community for their Sunday morning worship, and meet renowned Christian cleric, Revd Mitri Raheb. . Afterwards we shall travel to Hebron, where we shall meet with Ecumenical Accompaniers; the Christian Peacemaker Team and a former Israeli Soldier from ‘Breaking the Silence’. We shall tour the occupied Old City and Tel Rumeida settlement and visit the Tombs of the Patriarchs.
Monday 20 September 2010
We leave Bethleham early and head into the Judean desert. We drive to the fortress of Masada by the Dead Sea, which we ascend by cable car. Lunch will be beside the sea and there will be an opportunity to swim. After lunch we will stop at Jericho. Jericho is renowned for it’s delicious fruits and dates, and its reasonably priced souvenirs. We hope to meet with Saeb Erekat, a leading member of the Palestinian Government and Palestinian spokesman, often seen on western media, and the Mayor of Jericho at one of the town’s Youth Centres. From here we continue to Nazereth where we check into St Margaret’s Anglican guesthouse for 4 nights.
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Early morning we hope to meet with Archbishop Elias Chacour (author of ‘Blood Brothers’) in Haifa. We will then travel back to Nazereth to visit the ‘Nazereth Village’ a reconstructed village of the time of Christ, where lunch will be a reconstructed Passover meal in the traditional setting. Afterwards, we shall visit the Church of the Transfiguration on Mt Tabor before returning to the guesthouse for a leisurely evening.
Wednesday 22 September 2010
A day of pilgrimage following the ministry of Jesus and reflecting on our many experiences and encounters during the week. We start the day early to visit the Basilica of the Anunication in Nazareth, the house/carpenter’s shop of Joseph and St. Mary’s Well. We then drive to the Sea of Galilee for Communion on the Mount of Beatitudes. After lunch we shall spend time at the Church of the Mensa Christi at the lakeside, site of one of the Resurrection appearances of Jesus, and Peter’s Commissioning, and then visit Capernaum. We shall finish our day with a boat ride on the Lake followed by a Fish supper.
Thursday 23 September 2010
A day to explore Galilee more leisurely. We hope to visit the site of Bethsaida by the Sea of Galilee, and continue to Gamla, the Zealot fortress in the Golan Heights above the Sea of Galilee.We shall have a leisurely evening meal at the Guesthouse to share thoughts of our experiences.
Friday 24 September 2010
We depart early in the morning for our morning flight from Tel Aviv to London.
Estimated cost: £1420 per person
- Includes return flights and taxes
- Half board accommodation
- All entrance fees
- Tipping
- Guiding
- Donation to local charities.
Single Supplement if required: £170