“What Does Peace Look Like?” Emma Gingerich One Friday afternoon, Zoughbi, the director of the Wi’am Conflict Transformation Center, invited our group to a dialogue with Palestinian “young people.” We had the privilege of sitting in small groups with these young adults, many of whom were either in the work force or in the latter … Keep reading »
“Differences of Identity”
“Differences of Identity” Luisa Dutchersmith As we loaded onto a big tour bus and started our drive from Bethlehem north towards the Galilee, I could tell that this part of our trip was going to be different. We had spent the last two and a half weeks learning and sharing with Palestinians and trying to … Keep reading »
“Reconciliation”
“Reconciliation” Naomi Torres Being back in the U.S., I still have trouble processing everything I witnessed on our SST. I do not say this discontentedly, but with awe and bewilderment. It was a blessing to see all the religious sites and also consuming to see the visible oppression of political occupation. On May 13, we … Keep reading »
“The Land is Not Empty”
“The Land is Not Empty” Ruby Meyer Moving methodically down rows of young grape vines, olive trees, and almond trees, our class worked together to water the plants in each row. We dug around each one, poured in a small amount of water, then replaced the soil and topped it with bunches of dried grass … Keep reading »
“The Tent of Nations”
“The Tent of Nations” Meredith Blossom During our trip to Israel/Palestine, we had the opportunity to volunteer at Tent of Nations, a hill farm that has been owned by the Nassar family for over 100 years. We were able to talk and work with siblings Daoud, Amal, and Daher. We planted olive trees, weeded fields … Keep reading »
“Melkite Worship and Sighting a Patriarch”
“Melkite Worship and Sighting a Patriarch” Phil Witmer-Rich On the evening of Saturday May 6, the sound of four-part harmony could be heard throughout the halls of Bethlehem Bible College. Our group had been asked to perform a song at the Melkite Catholic Mass we were attending the following morning, and I was the de … Keep reading »
“The Silent Street of Hebron”
“The Silent Street of Hebron” Ana Neufeld Weaver One unexpected reality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine is that explicit violence is not a constant reality. Instead, it is sporadic and inconsistent. The daily realities of living under occupation are subtle, yet still devastating. A tourist walking around Bethlehem could easily be unaware of the … Keep reading »
“Walking in Hebron”
“Walking in Hebron” Rosita Lomas Everything about this SST experience was memorable from start to finish. One of the experiences that I keep replaying in my mind was walking through Hebron and meeting with volunteers from Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT). Walking in Hebron was one of the first times that I deeply felt the reality … Keep reading »
“The Kindness of Tea”
“The Kindness of Tea” Sophia Smucker We stayed at Bethlehem Bible College during our extended period in the city, located only 15 minutes away from Star Street with its many markets. The first time we got to walk down this path I was struck with an understanding – I felt a sense of community and … Keep reading »
“Daily Interactions in Bethlehem”
“Daily Interactions in Bethlehem” Carlos Lichty Visiting Israel/Palestine for the first time was a surreal experience. It was my first time leaving the United States, and I didn’t quite know what to expect. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to interact with so many Palestinians and Israelis, so in this blog post I … Keep reading »