Alternative Travel Opportunities – updated April 24, 2008

Alternative travel in the Holy Land provides an added benefit to pilgrimage by connecting you with the Living Stones of Palestine who live under military occupation. Visit the holy Christian sites, worship in ancient Palestinian Christian churches, walk where Jesus walked and bear witness to the realities of occupation — military checkpoints, refugee camps, Israel’s Apartheid Wall, bypass roads, illegal settlements and more. This Alternative Travel page is a service of Friends of Sabeel—North America. If you know of other trips coming up, please send details to: friends@fosna.org

Alternative Tourism Group in Beit Sahour, West Bank, has published Palestine & Palestinians: A Guidebook (ISBN No. 9950-319-011-3). It is a professionally produced and very attractive book of more than 400 pages that goes beyond the scope of other  guides for travelers. Palestine & Palestinians: A Guidebook provides a very detailed history of the area, as well as information on the contemporary situation. The book is illustrated with color and black/ white photos and, of course, maps of all sorts. In fact, in quality, it equals any traditional guidebook. The book is $30 and may be ordered at Palestine Online Store.

WestBankTours.com
Discover the real Palestine.  Tours for tourists, pilgrims, backpackers, international groups, academic delegations, journalists, photographers, researchers or NGOs. Trips are streamlined according to your specific interests:  religious and historical sites, rural villages, refugee camps, academic institutions and organizations working for peace. Professional guides and translators available for journalists, photographers, diplomats or researchers.

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Listing for April 24, 2008

Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Pentecost Peace Delegation to Palestine, Israel,& Jordan. May 10-25
This 16-day trip will include time in Jordan and various areas in Israel/Palestine. It will include visits to holy and historical sites; briefings from many perspectives, such as Christian partners, peace groups, and representatives of the governments of Israel, Palestine and the U.S., academics and journalists; and meetings with agencies dealing with Iraqi refugees in Jordan. Most importantly, there will be exchanges with ordinary people in both Israel and Palestine to reframe this highly explosive situation as a double human tragedy. For more details go to the website: http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/delegations/pentecost08.php 

Council for the National Interest political pilgrimage to the Middle East
May 27, 2008 - June 11, 2008
Egypt, Gaza, Israel, West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon - CNIF is providing a unique glimpse of the Middle East. No other organizations offer this type of experience or direct access to leaders in the region. The trip is open to both CNIF members and non-members interested in learning more about American foreign policy in the Middle East. CNIF provides the unique opportunity for delegates to speak with politicians from all sides of the regional political spectrum. To register please visit the CNI Foundation website at www.cnifoundation.org or call Shannon O'Hara at 202-863-2951 x301 with any questions you may have.

Interfaith Peace-Builders
Since 2001, Interfaith Peace-Builders has led 20 delegations and more than 250 people to Israel and Palestine. Our delegates have returned to undertake speaking, writing, and organizing to educate others about their experiences. Formerly a program of Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), Interfaith Peace-Builders continues to work in close partnership with FOR. More details and dates are on their Website: http://www.ifpbdel.org/upcoming.html or call 244-0821 or e-mail: office@ifpbdel.org   Three Interfaith Peace-Builders trips are listed here:

Legacies of 1948: 60 Years of Searching for Justice
May 25 – June 7, 2008
2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel and Al Nakba - the Palestinian "Catastrophe" of 1948 when 750,000 Palestinians were forced to flee their homes in what is now Israel. This delegation, co-sponsored with the American Friends Service Committee, will focus on this dual narrative and the pivotal role of 1948 in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The trip will feature meetings with Palestinians and Israelis who lived through the events of 1948 and witnessed its impact on history and identity. The group will tour Palestinian refugee camps, where the descendants of the original 750,000 have grown to more than 5 million, and the ruins of Palestinian villages within Israel which testify to the displacement. Meetings will also be with Palestinian and Israeli activists, historians, and public figures who will share perspectives on the past 60 years and consider prospects for historical justice.

Investing in Peace: Models for Addressing an Ongoing Occupation, July 27 – August 10, 2008
World leaders and Civil Society Groups have increasingly termed Israel’s domination of the Palestinian territories as a form of Apartheid. This delegation will examine the structural segregation of Israeli and Palestinian space and the physical separation of the two peoples. You will also explore methods proposed by Israeli, Palestinian and international peacemakers to challenge the Israeli occupation. Meetings will address the ongoing debate surrounding boycott and divestment from companies which support the occupation. Additional meetings will explore opportunities for investment in projects which promote peace and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. Contact: office@ifpbdel.org  

Trees of Peace: 2008 Olive Harvest Delegation
Nov 8-22, 2008
This delegation, co-sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee, will provide an opportunity to participate in the Palestinian olive harvest season - generally a time of great community activism, where people of all ages from Palestine, Israeli peace and justice groups, and international groups join farmers as they reap their harvest. It is international support that makes the harvest possible in many cases. You will hear from Palestinian farmers and learn of the importance of agriculture to the Palestinian economy and culture. As with other delegations, you will also meet additional Israelis and Palestinians working for peace and justice. For information call 244-0821 or e-mail: office@ifpbdel.org  

Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation
Pilgrimage/Fact Finding Mission, May 25 - June 8, 2008
Organized by Fr. Alex Kratz, O.F.M in Detroit, this trip will include visiting the holy sites in Jordan, Israel, & Palestine (including daily Mass), meeting Christian leaders, fellowship and Sunday worship with local Christians, and overnight stays with Christian families. For more information contact: Gail Freeman, Pilgrimage Coordinator, Toll free at 1-871-4234 or E-mail: gfreeman@hcef.org  
See the web page for general information: www.hcef.org/index.cfm/ID/420.cfm

Pilgrimage/Fact Finding Mission, October 20 – November 3, 2008
This trip is organized by Fr. Alex Kratz, O.F.M in Detroit, Michigan. This trip will include visiting the holy sites in Jordan, Israel, & Palestine (including daily Mass), meeting Christian leaders, fellowship and Sunday worship with local Christians, and overnight stays with Christian families

Walk the Green Line, May 29-31, 2008
A three-day experience that will make a direct contribution to supporting the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians who are working for peace. Walk the green line - www.walkthegreenline.org/index.html - is a fundraising walk-a-thon and a political act whose purpose is to mark the 60th anniversary of the UN decision to partition Israel/Palestine into two states. Israelis, Palestinians and international participants will trek for three days along the route of the Green Line demarcating the border between Israeli and Palestinian territory. Walk the Green Line will support the work of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and information - www.ipcri.org - a joint Israeli-Palestinian peace center and think-tank in Jerusalem bringing Israelis and Palestinians together in people-to-people programs that advance peace. Each participant should raise $2,500 plus their airfare to Israel/Palestine. Sponsors may be friends, family, work colleagues, neighbors, churches or synagogues. Each day will feature educational-political programs to learn about the areas where we are walking, meeting people along the way including Israelis and Palestinians who are working for peace. We will see first hand the Israeli security barrier – both fences and walls - with a special focus on the wall in Jerusalem. For more information: www.walkthegreenline.org/files/myrole.html  

Birthright Unplugged, June 2-7
Unplugged trips are designed primarily for North American Jewish people, though we welcome people of all backgrounds. We particularly look for people who come to their work with an anti-racist framing and are well positioned within their community/ies to work for justice upon return. In six days, we visit Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps in the West Bank and spend time with internally displaced Palestinian people living inside Israel. For information go to http://www.birthrightunplugged.org/

Listening Pilgrimage to Israel and the Palestinian Territories
June 12/13-June 29/30, departing from NYC.
Polly Lodge, Science Department Head, and Chip Post, Director of Religious Studies, at George School, Newtown, PA, have both lived in the Holy Land. Chip worked with the Mennonite Central Committee in Jerusalem in the mid-1990s. Polly volunteered with Save the Children Federation in Jerusalem in the late 1980s. In 1999 and 2000 they led George School students on service-learning experiences in Israel and Palestine. Contact Polly Lodge: 215 860 9590 or email polly_lodge@georgeschool.org  

Middle East Fellowship provides a number of ways to visit Palestine (below). For details check the web page - http://www.middleeastfellowship.org/ or e-mail - travel@middleeastfellowship.org Contact Peter Ryan - info@middleeastfellowship.org – about Mission Discovery Delegations (below).

Mission Discovery Delegation - Open tour of the Holy Land
June 2-12, 2008
Meet the indigenous churches of the Holy Land; tour all the key sights in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nazareth, etc; enjoy home stays with local Christians in Bethlehem; and much more. Contact Peter Ryan: info@middleeastfellowship.org  

Journey to the Center of the Earth Pilgrimage
June 22 – July 6, 2008
Facilitators: Gail Jones & Doug Stevens. A two week delegation to Israel and Palestine from San Francisco, including visits with the Bereaved Parents Circle, the Jerusalem Alliance Church, B'tselem (Israeli Human Rights organization), Holy Land Trust, Bethlehem Bible College, the Christian Peacemaking Team and more. http://www.middleeastfellowship.org/journeytocenter

Second Annual Home Rebuilding Summer Camp
August 1st - 14th
Last year the Salim family’s home was rebuilt. This year the Holy Land Trust Home Rebuilding Summer Camp returns with a renewed and added opportunity to learn and help make a difference in the Holy Land. Holy Land Trust with the assistance of ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions), will lead participants in rebuilding a devastated family’s home. Details at http://www.middleeastfellowship.org/home_rebuild  

Palestine Summer Encounter
PSE offers three sequential 1-month sessions, beginning in late May 2008 and continuing through mid-August. Includes home stays, Arabic study, volunteer service-learning and meeting with a wide variety of Palestinian and Israeli peace-with-justice and reconciliation groups. See “Eight Reasons to Come to Palestine in 2008” - http://www.palestinesummer/org

Northwest Churches Holy Land Trip - October 3-18, 2008
Meet the indigenous churches of the Holy Land; tour all the key sights in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nazareth, etc; enjoy home stays with local Christians in Bethlehem; and much much more! Cost: $3,500

Olive Harvest
October/November 2008
Working alongside Palestinian families and with international activists from Israel and around the world, we will help pick olives and thus help a local Palestinian family keep their farm from being expropriated by the Israeli government to build settlements, the Wall or military installations. [exact dates in fall TBD]. Contact Peter Ryan: info@middleeastfellowship.org  

Group Travel Directors: Holy Land visits by US church groups listed here are arranged by Group Travel Directors, Minneapolis. Meetings with indigenous Christians plus Israeli and Palestinian peace groups, as well as biblical -site visits, are included. Prices are from cities cited (other US departure points available). For details on Group Travel tours, go to www.gtd.org/tripsearch.asp - click “Find a Tour,” enter “2007,” then “Middle East.” For direct contact: Janet Tollund, 952-885-2133, 800-747-2255, jtollund@gtd.org

Jordan and the Holy Land, June 7-23, led by Pr. Stephen Larson and Lynda Minnick of St. Luke’s Lutheran, Park Ridge, IL. $3999 from Chicago O’Hare.

Listening in Love and Seeking Peace in the Holy Land, June 9-18, led by Ann Hafften and Pastor Franz Schemmel, Texas Lutheran activists on Holy Land concerns. Take a look at Ann’s blog: http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/2008/02/join-us-in-holy-land-listening-in-love.html  

Jordan and the Holy Land, June 21 - July 1, hosted by Rev. Susan Wilder and Rev. Jay Click.  $2970, from Washington Dulles.

Faces, Spaces, Places in the Holy Land, Oct. 3-15, led by Pr. Lowell Knauff of Annandale, VA. Cost to be announced.

Faces, Spaces, and Places of the Holy Land , November 4-16, 2008. Endorsed by the Middle East Working Group of the ELCA's Metro DC Synod, this trip features visits to Amman, Jordan; Petra; areas in Galilee; Bethlehem; the Dead Sea and Masada; and three nights in the Old City of Jerusalem. The cost is $3395 per person, travel from Washington R. R. National Airport (DCA) to New York (JFK) to Amman. Contact Pastor Lowell Knauff at 703-978-8999 or umpyk@aol.com - registration deadline is July 30.

Friends of Sabeel-Colorado
June 14-28, 2008
Seeking Understanding in Israel/Palestine: A Two-Week Fact-Finding Trip

- To visit with Palestinian and Israeli peace and human rights groups and individuals working for peace.

- To see first-hand the reality of Palestinian life and the impact of the occupation - the wall, settlements, checkpoints, roadblocks, refugee camps, etc.

- To consider what is needed for a just peace. 

Tour Leaders: Joy Lapp, Instructor of Religion and Ethics, Metro State College of Denver. Joy spent three years in the Middle East working with Mennonite Central Committee, and is Chair of Friends of Sabeel-Colorado. Rev. Arnie Voigt, Retired Lutheran minister who has visited Israel and Palestine many times and led several tours.

Cost: $2800. Includes round-trip airfare from Denver to Tel Aviv, hotel, 2 meals per day, tour guide and entrance fees, transportation, tips. Prices based on double-occupancy. Supplement for single room is $333. For more Information contact Joy Lapp 303-494-2338, lappj@earthlink.net

The Palestinian Summer Celebration 2008
June 15 – August 17, 2008
Come and celebrate Palestine, learn Arabic, study history, know the people and their culture, share some time with local families and volunteer with a local community organization. http://www.sirajcenter.org/summer2008.htm - The Palestinian summer celebration is a unique annual program that gives people from all over the world the chance to encounter the life and culture in Palestine in addition to donating some of their time to a local community organization through voluntary work and internships. The Palestinian summer celebration 2007 will take place in the Bethlehem area in Palestine, between June 15th and August 17th 2008. The annual celebration is organized by Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies - www.sirajcenter.org - in partnership with Bethlehem University - www.bethlehem.edu - and the US-based Society for Biblical Studies, www.sbsedu.org

Middle East Children's Alliance Delegation to Palestine/Israel
July 1-12, 2008
For 19 years, MECA has taken small groups to visit Palestine/Israel. On a 12-day delegation you will go on a geographic, political, historical and cultural tour of Palestine/Israel led by MECA staff and Yacoub Odeh, refugee, former political prisoner, and human rights worker. We will witness the impact of the Israeli occupation and visit organizations working for justice and equality. You will learn about refugees, land confiscation, political prisoners, women's initiatives, mental and physical health issues, civil rights in Israel, and the lives of children. The group will stay at the guesthouse of MECA's long-time partner, Ibdaa Cultural Center in Dheisheh Refugee Camp, near Bethlehem. Ibdaa is a lively place in the heart of the community with great food and comfortable accommodations. Trip Cost: $1,800. For much more information go to: http://www.mecaforpeace.org/article.php?list=type&type=52

Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)
July 14-29, 2008
ICAHD Summer Rebuilding Camp at Anata, East Jerusalem - Creating Alternative Facts on the Ground. For the sixth year in a row, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions is offering a summer work camp intended to foster learning, discussion, and friendship between Palestinians, Israelis and internationals.

 Contact: http://www.toursinenglish.com/2007/07/2008-icahd-summer-rebuilding-camp.html#contact

For information about unique tours through ICAHD, go to http://www.icahd.org/eng/projects.asp?menu=3&submenu=4

ICHAD tours allow participants to glean in-depth information about the situation on the ground; meet key players on both sides of the divide who work for a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Return home as eye-witnesses and the authority to speak with first-hand knowledge. Cost includes direct flights with British Airways, transportation to and from Ben Gurion Airport, hotel accommodation including bed, breakfast and evening meal, tips, the full tour itinerary and material for tour preparation and de-briefing. For the full itinerary and application form, please contact tours@icahduk.org or call the ICAHD UK office: 020-7383-3893.

Sabeel International Young Adult Conference in Jerusalem
July 24 - Aug 3, 2008
A Time for Remembrance, a Time for Truth - 1948: The Nakba, Justice & Beyond. The vision for this conference is to gather, network, and further educate young leaders from Palestine and around the world, during this 60th year of commemorating the Nakba; so that they may be trained, commissioned, and equipped with the tools to act in advocacy to work for justice and peace in the Holy Land. Information at http://www.fosna.org/conferences_and_trips/index.html

Sabeel 7th International Conference
Nov. 12-19, 2008 (Jerusalem)
Beyond Remembrance: Facing the Challenges of the Future Sixty Years After the Nakba. The conference will focus on the commemoration of 60 years since the Nakba, and the complex issues of memory, narrative, and identity raised by the events of 1948. The conference will include: 4 nights in Nazareth, with trips to villages that were destroyed in 1948 and visits with the local Christian community; 4 nights in Jerusalem, with trips to Jaffa, Ramle, and Lidda. Lectures, workshops, discussions, and cultural events focusing on the last 60 years and the future for Christians living in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories; optional pre-conference travel to holy sites in the Galilee; optional post-conference travel to understand the Occupation including visits to holy sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. For more information: e-mail conf2008@sabeel.org or call (972) 2-532-7136. Program and registration details will be posted at www.fosna.org

First Annual Birthright Palestine Tour
December 5-19, 2008
Holy Land Trust invites Palestinian immigrants around the world to re-discover Palestine today through a Palestinian Roots tour. This unique program sheds a new light on the Palestine you hear about in the news, and allows you to discover the beauty and pride of Palestine amidst the hardships of the current conflict. You will have an opportunity to visit important cities from Palestinian history, learn about traditional Palestinian culture, discover the dynamics of the current conflict, and return to your historical village to re-connect with your roots. For more information please visit: http://travel.holylandtrust.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=94
Global Exchange - Palestine/Israel: Prospects for Peace with Justice
Dec. 6-16, 2008
Fact-finding delegations to Palestine & Israel strive to further the U.S. public's understanding of the conflict and the region's realities by giving people first-hand exposure to the human rights abuses occurring in the Occupied Territories. Participants have the opportunity to hear a diverse spectrum of Palestinian and Israeli voices and learn about their understanding of the conflict and hopes for a solution. Contact Sanaz with any questions about this trip - sanaz@globalexchange.org - or call toll-free 1-800-497-1994 ext. 251. On the Web: http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/885.html

Christmas in Bethlehem with Elisabeth Von Trapp
December 2008
“Tidings of Comfort and Joy,” a pilgrimage to the place of Christ's birth during the Christmas season, singing hymns, bringing the "Sound of Music" to lift hearts and souls along the way. Elisabeth Von Trapp will perform concerts in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Amman, Jordan. Participants who are singers will be invited to lift their voices in song during these Christmas concerts. Pilgrimage leaders are Lutheran Pastors Michael and Susan Thomas, both well acquainted with the region, the holy places, and the situation facing all the people in the land. Meet with local families to experience a true Palestinian Christmas. Lodgings in very comfortable Christian guest houses. Approximate cost $3,300. Group Travel Directors - www.gtd.org - is handling all arrangements in cooperation with the International Center of Bethlehem. For specific information e-mail Elisabeth Von Trapp - vtm@madriver.com - or Michael Thomas - Michael.P.Thomas@Dartmouth.EDU

Christmas Pilgrimage for Peace
December 28, 2008 to January 10, 2009
The Christmas Pilgrimage for Peace is an annual program that gives people from all over the world the opportunity to experience oriental Christmas in Bethlehem celebrated with local families. Moreover, it gives participants that chance to more educated about the pledge for Justice and Peace. The Christmas Pilgrimage for Peace will enrich its participants with the culture of the land, through living and sharing the lives of the people of the land. For more information: http://www.sirajcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=1

The People of the Holy Land: Then and Now
January 7-25, 2009
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary offers a cross-cultural immersion in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. In addition to the biblical sites all the way from Mount Hermon in the north to the Red Sea in the south, we shall meet with Dr. Mitri Raheb of the Lutheran church in Bethlehem, staff of Augusta Victoria Hospital, the pastors of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jerusalem, Archbishop Elias Chacour (author of Blood Brothers) in the Galilee, as well as Druze villagers in the Golan Heights, Jewish settlers, and kibbutzniks. Three hours academic credit are possible at the M.A.R., M.Div., S.T.M., and D.Min. levels. Contact Dr. Monte Luker for details, LLuker@mac.com or (803) 787-0864. Pastors and lay professionals are encouraged to join us for continuing education credit, and lay persons from all walks of life always enrich the dialog that takes place on these study tours. A Jordan pre-tour is optional leaving three days earlier. Please note that this course is physically rigorous and intellectually demanding.

EGYPT
Five Insight Trips planned by Hands Across the Nile
Join us as we explore the history, religions, culture, and development efforts of one of the world's oldest nations. HANDS' Insight Trips allow visitors to look beyond the famous tourist sites to discover the vibrant, multifaceted Egypt of today. Emphasizing person to person experience across a full cross-section of Egyptian society, Insight Trips provide an intimate, eye opening introduction to a fascinating and unforgettable land. For more information see the web page: http://www.handsalongthenile.org/program/InsightTrips