News
A la Calle Group 2015
The participants from the A la Calle Group were given a Jerusalem Political Tour, and in Bethlehem a tour of Aida Refugee Camp and a visit to the Museum of Natural History in Bethlehem to witness how the occupation and building of illegal settlements affects the daily lives and environment of Palestine and its inhabitants.
Sister Paulette Group
In Bethlehem, Sister Paulette’s group prayed at the Nativity Church, walked through the Old City, met with the Anstas Family, members of the Holy Land Trust, and learned about Kairos Palestine. The participants had a tour near the settlement and Wall surrounding Bethlehem and the Aida Refugee Camp, where they also visited the inspiring Alrowad Theater.
Mission Trip 2015
From the Bridge crossing, the group was transferred to Jericho, where they visited the Mt. of Temptation, overlooking the Jordan Valley. In Bethlehem, they had a walking tour of the Old City, prayed at the Nativity Church, as well as at the Christmas Lutheran Church, where they enjoyed coffee and meeting Pastor Raheb and the congregation.
Bike Palestine September 2015
The group began its cycling in the northern West Bank town of Jenin where the participants cycled towards the ancient Greco-Roman city of Sebastia which is situated on a hill top. They cycled through the rural areas of Zebabdeh, Sanur and Beit Imrin where beautiful landscape was seen.
Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East Human Rights Delegation to the Holy Land.
A human rights delegation made up of thirteen members of the Unitarian Universalist denomination from the United States visited Palestine/Israel from July 26, 2015 to August 6. The delegation was organized by Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (see UUJME.org). UUJME is dedicated to achieving a just peace in the Middle East with equal rights for all peoples in Palestine/Israel. UUJME works both within and without the Unitarian Universalist denomination.
Abraham’s Children 2015
“Abraham’s Children” had life changing experiences meeting the people of Palestine and Israel in July 2015. After arriving in Tel Aviv, we traveled across Israel and Palestine from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, Masada and the Dead Sea, Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, Banyas, Nazareth, and Haifa before returning to the US and Canada.
Summer Celebration Program 2015
During the Summer Celebration Program, students have the choice of taking part in either a one-month or two-month stay in Palestine. Participants are able to take part in summer afternoon walks in nature which are organized by the Masar Ibrahim al Khalil and the Siraj Center. Also, they participate in tours of Palestinian cities like Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Hebron, which allows them to learn about the political situation, while experiencing authentic Palestinian hospitality. Students enjoy the unique landscape and traditional Palestinian hospitality in homes or Bedouin tents. They learn about and explore ancient cities, such as Sebastia and Jericho, which are host to a number of sites of archaeological importance.
Leeds Met Volunteer Journey
11 – 24 June 2014
June 11th - Our first morning in Tel Aviv, we headed to the neighborhood of Shapira, which has long been a poor and ethnically diverse area of the city. With a local resident of Shapira we walked around the streets, met people from the Mizrahi Jewish and African migrant communities.
Harvard
14 – 22 March 2015
A delegation of 96 graduate students from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government along with four organizers visited Palestine. The 8-day educational tour was organized by the Palestine Caucus at that school.
Westtown High School
14 – 27 March 2015
The Siraj Center arranged for a delegation of 14 high-school students from Westtown School in the USA to travel through Palestine.
Westtown High School
1 – 14 March 2014
Quotes from the participants of the Westtown Senior Project
“The narrow and labyrinth like streets in the Old City had merchants along the sides selling candy, fresh fruit, clothes,
Boston College
December 2014 – January 2105
After studying the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from a human rights perspective, Boston College students make an annual immersion/study trip to the Holy Land over winter break.
Illinois University
20 – 29 May 2015
An American delegation from Illinois University composed of 7 participants visited Palestine for nine days. The delegation started its day with a visit in Jerusalem where
Harvard Grourp, 14\03\2015 - 22\03\2015
A delegation of 96 graduate students from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government along with four organizers visited Palestine. The 8-day educational tour was organized by the Palestine Caucus at that school.
The graduate students came to Palestine to improve their understanding of the situation on the ground.
Some 14 different nationalities were represented, including Americans, Canadians, Indians, Pakistanis, Australians, French and Nepalese.
Illinois group, 20/5/2015-29/5/2015
An American delegation composed of 7 participants visited Palestine for 9 days . The delegation started its day with a visit in Jerusalem, where the participants had meetings to hear about the political situation. Later on they visited Hebron, Bethlehem, Auja, Ramallah, Nablus and ended their tour in Jaffa.
Westtown group, 14\03\2015 - 27\03\2015
The Siraj Center arranged for a delegation of 14 adults from Westtown School in the USA to travel through Palestine.
The group stayed with local Palestinian families, helping them to get a real sense of everyday life and culture in the West Bank.
Abraham Path Northern Part, 9\3\2015-12\3\2015
An international group of eight hikers completed a walk along part of Abraham’s Path in Palestine. They began their journey in Nablus, exploring the old city before staying overnight with local families in the village of Awarta, just to the south.
In the footsteps of Jesus Group, 30\01\2015 - 09\02\2015
A delegation of 22 Americans, led by Pastor Jeff Wright and his wife Janet, visited Palestine again this year. The group met with Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Muslims and Christians to engage in dialogue and to hear different perspectives on the conflict.
The delegation visited some of the holy places in Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, Jerusalem and Nazareth, and also had a chance to explore Hebron, Jericho and Ramallah.
Irish group13th- 20th Sep. 2014
It was a very interesting trip, and I got a better insight into the way people have to live in Palestine. We arrived in Bethlehem at 5am, but as I could not sleep, I went walking in the town on Saturday morning. I was very taken with the liveliness of the streets, and the friendliness of the people in a part of the world I had never visited before. We had a tour of Bethlehem and its surroundings with Dr. Qumsiyeh. We saw settlements, demolished buildings, walls of course and Israeli checkpoints. The size of some of the walls came as a shock. I am interested in the environment and I found Dr. Qumsiyeh's work in this regard interesting.
Come and See Tour, 1st – 14th Nov. 2014
Once again, the Siraj Center helped organize a memorable tour of Occupied Palestine and Israel territories for eight Canadian citizens of different backgrounds. The group had the opportunity to visit unique historical sights. They came with expectations to see and experience the reality of the Palestine/Israel issues and hear informed points of view from all sides. The packed two week schedule certainly met and exceeded their most optimistic expectations.
