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

History

Starting with Biblical times, the Summer Encounter explores different historical narratives from both religious and secular contexts, examining overlaps and discrepancies. From there, we examine how those narratives manifest in political realities on-the-ground for different groups.

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

During your stay in the Holy Land, you will live with a local host family, creating a space where authentic and long-lasting relationships can be formed. In our experience, these relationships help foster within participants a lifelong commitment to pursuing justice more than any other component of the program. The homestays create an intimate environment where stories that might not otherwise be shared are given voice. Reading about Palestinian life or hearing lectures can be helpful, but living with a local family offers unparalleled insight into how ordinary Palestinians navigate the complexities and contradictions of life under Occupation.