Spending the past three months in the Middle East was life-transforming, to say the least. Undoubtedly, it was exciting to be in that particular region from January to March, while so much was happening around us in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria. And, we were grateful to be in Israel, Jordan and Palestine learning a great deal about peace and sustainability.
During our time abroad, we studied both the political and environmental climate through a series of readings, lectures, class discussions and guest speakers. We learned a great deal about the history and politics of the conflict, as well as various environmental practices being used by both Israelis and Palestinians; and it didn’t take long to discover how interconnected they really are! Additionally, we learned a lot about community, which started during our time in the U.S.
The first week of our abroad was spent in Boston at Overlook Farm (part of Heifer International) where we did a variety of team-building exercises ranging from Saltine-eating competitions to group walks. It was here that we were introduced to the idea that you can’t have peace without sustainability, nor sustainability without peace – a theme which carried throughout our abroad. From Boston, we flew to Tel Aviv, Israel and headed straight into the West Bank to Bethlehem – our home base for the first half of the abroad. We were blessed to stay all together in Beit Sahour (a suburb of Bethlehem) which quickly became our home. We enjoyed spending time with our hosts and were able to have many delicious Palestinian meals, as well as class sessions in the common room of our guesthouse.
While in Bethlehem, we visited the Church of the Nativity (where Jesus was born) and Shepherd’s Field (where the shepherds saw the star) and spent a great deal of time volunteering for two different organizations – Holy Land Trust and Palestine Wildlife Society. There, we did firsthand research about water issues for HLT and web design work for PWLS. We were also fortunate to hear from many inspiring speakers, such as Holy Land’s Founder Sami Awad who shared many ideas with us about forgiveness, reconciliation, conflict resolution and healing. Perhaps the most powerful idea he shared was that the Palestinians need to do for the Israelis what the international community has not, help to heal the trauma of the Holocaust. Hearing two very distinct narratives – one from the Israelis and one from the Palestinians – during our entire two and a half months in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, I was also really able to connect with another idea he shared about the importance of dropping both these narratives to move forward and create a “third narrative,” independent of the past. This concept of a “third narrative” was another theme we studied throughout the abroad.
From Bethlehem, we enjoyed many days trips to places like Ramallah, Nablus and Tulkarm where we got to hear from speakers like Palestinian businessmen, environmentalists and city officials. Occasionally we would have spontaneous activities such as a debke (Palestinian dance) session in the middle of a wedding hall, showing how each moment holds such promise of joy, even amidst regional tension.
We also were blessed to spend one week in Jerusalem, one week in Hebron and close to one week in Auja (near the Dead Sea). While in Jerusalem, we got to see almost all of the holy sites: the Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Pool of Bethesda, Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane. As a Religion major, seeing these sites has really made the Bible come alive and has also helped me better understand religious extremism. While in this Holy City, we also met with speakers such as Yehuda Shaul from Breaking the Silence (an organization working to expose the malice within the Israeli Defense Force (IDF)) and Rabbi David Louis who has been featured in the Christian Science Sentinel. Additionally, we spent time at the Holocaust Museum and had opportunities to explore the Old City on our own, as well.
While in Hebron, we visited the Tomb of the Patriarchs (where Abraham, Sarah, Rachel, Leah, Isaac and Jacob are buried) and experienced firsthand the great deal of tension caused by Palestinians and extremist settlers living side-by-side. In just one day, for example, we had a morning meeting with the Deputy Governor of Hebron (Palestinian) and then toured the Hebron Jewish Community in the afternoon, getting two opposing perspectives about the Israeli and Palestinian relationship, all in just a few hours. These visits, though, also afforded the opportunity to visit the Abraham Tree which is ~4,500 years old (the oldest tree in the world) and also a Hebron glass factory.
En route to Auja, we visited an environmentally-focused settlement, built on a very strong community. Here, we learned to make mud-bricks with Eilan – the happiest Israeli we met. The next couple days, we spent time at an ecovillage, learning about various environmental challenges in the region such as water issues and how they directly connect to the conflict. We also got to visit Jericho (the oldest city in the world) and got to float in the Dead Sea. Additionally, we learned all about how the Dead Sea area is affected by pollution, water diversion and sinkholes.
Though we were sad to leave the West Bank and all of our new Palestinian friends, we received a very warm welcome to the eco-friendly kibbutz where we stayed in Israel proper, near the border of Jordan. During our time there, we spent our first couple days in the desert and had the opportunity to learn more about mud-houses, organic gardening, Shabbat and an incredible environmental studies center (Arava Institute) which focuses on addressing environmental issues using solar panels, renewable resources, sustainable agriculture and wind technology. While near Kibbutz Lotan, we also had the chance to snorkel in the Red Sea.
Next, we traveled to Tel Aviv where we spent four days working on our research projects and meeting with environmentally-focused NGOs (non-governmental organizations). From there, we traveled to northern Israel and spent a week in the Sea of Galilee region where Jesus did much of his healing and teaching. We got to visit various fishing villages such as Capernaum and Tiberias and went to the Jordan River (where Jesus was baptized), Mount of Beatitudes (where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount), Arbel Pass (where Jesus crossed from Nazareth to Galilee) and the Church of Multiplication (where Jesus fed the 5,000). For me, it was a pretty cool experience reading the Sermon on the Mount on the Mount of Beatitudes! While in the Galilee-region, we also learned more about water issues and visited a nature reserve called Tel Dan with ancient biblical ruins. Additionally, we spent some time in the Golan Heights where we saw snow and spent our last couple days in Israel doing homestays in Nazareth and volunteering at an elementary school, which was an adventure.
Our final ten days were spent in Jordan, where we got to visit Petra – one of the Seven Wonders of the World –and hike through the desert in an area called Wadi Rum. This was definitely a highlight! Not only did we begin our adventure by being whisked away in 4×4 jeeps under the moonlight, we spent the next two days walking across the desert and climbing up rock formations. It was really refreshing to take a bit of time away from all our coursework and journey into the middle of nowhere, surrounded by miles and miles of sand and the occasional camel. It was also really fun to experience a Bedouin lifestyle. Once back in Amman (Jordan’s capital), we also got to meet with some U.S. officials and an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Jordan’s role as a peacekeeper in the region. We finished our abroad at an eco-park in the Jordan Valley where we spent a great deal of time completing our final assignments and learning about the water issues from Jordan’s perspective. And then, we flew home.
Needless to say, spending three months in the Middle East was a life-changing experience. It was wonderful to establish such a strong sense of community within our group, creating fantastic memories while building solid relationships, both with each other and those around us. Throughout much of the abroad, we were absolutely overwhelmed by the hospitality we received which made the region feel so much like home. For me, even though I so loved getting to see all the religious sites firsthand, the most meaningful experiences occurred in meeting such warm people everywhere we went, especially in the West Bank. It was priceless to have so many opportunities to sit down with both Israelis and Palestinians and hear their life stories. And, I was so grateful to be inspired over and over by the speakers who helped us further grasp the concepts of peace and sustainability, like Sami Awad. It was through the ideas that these individuals shared that I experienced several incredible healings which have brought about an expanded sense of home, as well as my very own “third narrative.”
By Heather Libbe, senior at Principia College and Warriors for Peace® Coordinator for Euphrates.
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