Touring the Holy Land in difficult times
As touring the Holy Land became more challenging after the horrific events of October 7th, and the Gaza war which followed them, supporting Israel and not giving-in to terror, adds new meaning for groups traveling the country. Travel within the security perimeter is possible and in January, we had the pleasure of creating and delivering a journey of faith and solidarity for City Serve, a Christian Evangelic organization from Nashville, Tennessee.
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The tour combined Christian and historical sites, with locations and communities devastated since the horrific events of October 7th.
We had an emotionally unforgettable meeting with the Gaza Envelope community of Ein Habesor, which was adopted by City Serve, and visited Beeri and Nir Oz to see the these once peaceful and pastoral agriculture settlements, now raised to the ground after the Hamas massacre. We visited the city of Sderot located less than a mile from Gaza, and notable for having been a major target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip for the past 20 years, where dozens of civilians were shot on the streets by Hamas terrorists who also occupyed the town’s police station. We volunteered at a farm, assisting with fruit and vegetable harvest which was affected by the shortage of foreign manpower in Israel and met Gaza envelope evacuees at a Jerusalem hotel.
And we also took time to visit Northern Israel, making stops at sites of religious and historical significance including the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave his famous Sermon on the Mount, the Sea of Galilee, including Tabgha and Capernaum, and the visitors center in the ancient city of Migdal (Magdala), the home of Mary Magdalena, whom Jesus had cleansed of seven demons and later was with him at the crucifixion and resurrection. We saw the remains of a Synagogue used during the time of Jesus, and visited Megiddo, one of the strongest and most important cities of Canaan. The remains of the palaces, temples, gates, and the sophisticated water system of the city are evidence of its great power.
In Jerusalem, we visit excavations in City of David, and the Western Wall, the last remaining segment from the ancient walls surrounding the Second Temple, and a symbol of the Jewish yearning for their ancestral and spiritual homeland. At the Tower of David Museum, located in the restored ancient Citadel, we took a trip through the ages, seeing the history of this unique city through displays and exhibits, and enjoyed the exceptional panoramic view from its towers and ramparts and the new excavations at the “kishle,” which is believed to have been the site of Jesus’s trial.
And in Tel Aviv we took a panoramic tour through the main points of the nonstop city including: Old Jaffa, Rothschild Boulevard, the White City, Rabin Square, and Tel Aviv Port.
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Only a couple of months after the October events, and during the most intense days of the of the Gaza war, it was important for us to allow our group to travel safely and feel secure at all times. We had to make sure the balance was right, that while having this unique experience of connecting with a powerful events, some which took place 2,000 years ago, and others just two months before, that group members had time to absorb the stories, process their emotions, reflect and find optimism and inspiration.
