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 culture and history of the region. As an organization, we push ourselves to keep the program relevant to the realities of the present-day.

History

Starting from Biblical times, the Encounter & Study Program charts out the historical moments that have shaped current realities on the ground. We will explore the rise of anti-Semitism, how those acts of violence spurred the Zionist movement, and the resulting development of a program of settler colonialism that displaced some 750,000 Palestinians in 1948. From there, we will examine different resistance movements, examining both violent trajectories and various forms of nonviolent resistance, and how that has led to the current political stalemate.

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.

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

One of the unique features of the Encounter & Study tour is our integrative “homestay” program. By staying the night with families, you have an opportunity to have your own open space to talk about difficult questions that you might not otherwise ask in group settings. Our host families have been working with us for decades and fully understand that it is only through open and honest conversations that people truly grow and invest themselves in peacemaking.