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Seeds of Recovery

Solidarity and Encounter Seminar in Israel and in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories

Israel is at war with Hamas. And on a growing scale also with the Hezbollah organization which is threatening its northern border. At some point this war will come to an end. What will happen afterwards? Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims, Jews, Christians – all will have to move on and live with each other. It is an understatement to describe the current situation as "complicated". Does that make it hopeless? Our answer is a resounding NO! Those who have traveled with us in the past, know that we place special emphasis on encounters with grassroots organizations and individuals that try to break free from the familiar narratives, who respond to the question "Are you with Israel or Palestine?" with "I stand with those who want to live together in peace." If you share our passion for community engagement and are looking to deepen your understanding of the complexity and challenges of Israeli and Palestinian society with its cultural diversity and, then join us for our third solidarity and encounter trip “Seeds of Recovery” to Israel and to the Palestinian Autonomous Territories. ​ Our seminar-trip „Seeds of Recovery” promises to be a transformative journey. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and professions, while we extend a special invitation to community and religious leaders, journalists, educational institution staff and tour leaders who are interested in hosting future group tours. With this trip, and throughout our trip, we want to express our faith in a common future and in the power of continuing dialogue. We will visit our friends and listen to their stories: the voices of activists, representatives of cultural and educational institutions, grassroots organizations as well as individuals who have been personally affected by the current crisis. We will meet with people and initiatives who, despite all the sadness and pain, refuse to despair, who are offering perspectives that re-ignite hope for the people in this region!

Itinerary

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Individual Arrival
Kindly plan your arrival in Israel based on your individual preferences and requirements, ensuring that you reach the designated hotel in Jerusalem for the official start of the program (you are encouraged to arrive at least a day or two early to help overcome jet lag before we begin…).

  • Day 1, Sunday, October 27th: Individual Arrival and Settling In

• Individual arrival to our hotel in Jerusalem and check-in (preferably not later than 4.00 PM)* •6:30 PM: Opening session in the hotel meeting room • 7:00 PM: Dinner at the hotel • 8:00 PM: Welcome and introduction Accommodation: Jerusalem (* the middle-class hotel name will be provided later with detailed arrival instructions)

  • Day 2, Monday, October 28th: Groundbreaking NGOs & activists in Jerusalem

• Breakfast at our accommodation • Meeting with NGO representatives in Jerusalem, focusing on interreligious and intercultural dialogue and peace initiatives: For many years, Standing Together has been advocating unmediated dialogue and cooperation between Jewish and Arab communities in Israel, promoting gender equality among Jews and Arabs, advocating for social justice, and supporting sustainable environmental policies. Such endeavors face entirely new challenges after October 7th. Religious beliefs and political actions are closely intertwined, nowhere more so than in the Holy Land and above all in Jerusalem! For nearly 20 years, the Rossing Center has been committed to peacebuilding and equality, advocating for a "shared society" among the diverse religious and social communities in Israel. The Rossing Center also engages in international exchanges with institutions and organizations in countries that face, much like Israel, the challenges of religious and cultural pluralism. With her British-Swiss background, Yasmin Barhum lives between worlds: In Israel she met her husband Musa, an Israeli Muslim Arab. The landscape architect converted to Islam and offers a unique perspective on the country and its contrasts. Considering herself a bridge builder, she shares with us in her home in the Arab village of Ein Raffa west of Jerusalem a life between worlds, its challenges, opportunities and richness. She unfolds the many small and large idiosyncrasies of the Levant… • Return to Jerusalem • 7:00 PM: Dinner at our accommodation • 8:00 PM: Debriefing SK Tours’ Matty Klopper shares his personal story as one of the Road to Recovery volunteers, an Israeli NGO dedicated bringing Palestinians, especially children, for medical treatments to Israel. Those "Healing Taxis" have inspired long-lasting relationships. Many Kibbutz victims of the October 7th massacre were actively involved in "Road to Recovery". Accommodation: Hotel in Jerusalem

  • Day 3, Tuesday, October 29th: Dialogue oriented Initiatives in the Bethlehem area

• Breakfast at our accommodation • Meeting with NGO representatives in the Bethlehem area focusing on interreligious and intercultural dialogue and peace initiatives: Is this for real? Jewish Settlers and Palestinian freedom activists sitting at the same table? The grassroot movement Roots defies all prevailing stereotypes: the Holy Land does not belong exclusively to one side or the other, neither Jews nor Palestinians, but rather - the people belong to the land! Under this provocative new perspective, religious Jewish settlers and Palestinians in the vicinity of Bethlehem explore new paths to a shared future. SK Tours has been accompanying Lifegate and its founder and director Burghard Schunkert, on its amazing journey to becoming the most innovative rehabilitation facility in the Palestinian Autonomous Territories today. The Lifegate approach does not only physically rehabilitate Palestinian youth from all faiths, but also offers them a professional future, thereby changing the perception of disabled people in Arab society. Burghard sees Lifegate as a bridge between people - from Israeli-Palestinian disabled youth basketball tournaments and joint summer camps, to visits of his Palestinian staff to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the inclusion of Israeli experts into the various fields of Lifegate-rehabilitation. Suleiman Abu Dayyeh descends from a well-known family in Beit Jala, Bethlehem. His grand-grandfather founded the first Lutheran church in Beit Jala. Suleiman studied Political Science in Germany. He is the co-founder and member of the Palestinian Peace Coalition that operates in the spirit of the Geneva Initiative on models for a Palestinian democratic political entity. • Return to hotel • 7:00 PM: Dinner at our accommodation • 8:00 PM: Debriefing Accommodation: Hotel in Jerusalem

  • Day 4, Wednesday, October 30th: Partners in Fate - Gaza Envelope/Otef Aza and Rahat Bedouins

• Breakfast at the accommodation • Drive to Gaza Envelope/Otef Aza • Meeting with local residents and NGO representatives in the area of the Gaza Envelope/Otef Aza and Rahat: Throughout the past 40 years, numerous members of the “Otef Kibbutzim” have actively volunteered in multiple Palestian-Israeli peace initiatives. On October 7th, hundreds of their members were brutally killed. What impact has October 7th had on the region, and how do its communities envision their own future and their relationship with their Palestinian neighbors only a few kilometers away? The violent takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas in 2007 and the subsequent blockade by Egypt and Israel, disrupted the interaction between citizens in Gaza and Israel. The Other Voice works toward the creation of a sustainable reality for civilians on both sides. Throughout our trips we have regularly visited Roni Kedar, one of the founders and activists of The Other Voice, at her Moshav Netiv HaAsara on the border with Gaza. On October 7th, her village was also attacked, and many lives were lost. We want to listen to Roni and hear from her, what the events of October 7th might mean for the future of The Other Voice. We visit the site of the Nova Festival massacre, where 364 Israeli civilians - Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze - where brutally murdered and many more wounded. Located in the Re'im forest nature reserve the site has become the largest October 7th "makeshift" memorial. Immediately on October 7th, Israeli Bedouin entered the danger zone to rescue victims of the attack. What do Bedouins, especially Bedouin women in Israel imagine for their future, balancing between tradition and modernity? Mrs. Ayesha Ziadna was heading the emergency headquarters at Rahat, the largest Bedouin city in Israel, distributing help where it was most needed - it is almost unheard of to have a woman in such a leadership position in the Bedouin community. Today Mrs. Ziadna runs the 'Switch Center' for Training and Advancement of Employment in Rahat. Mrs. Elham Elkamalat organizes various meetings and conferences in Rahat for groups wishing to enrich themselves on relations between Jews and Bedouin Arabs, carry out professional retraining, or engage in entrepreneurship. She was raised in an impoverished, conservative Muslim family, and will talk to us about her community's traditions, perception of feminism, and emancipation of the Bedouin women. • Return to Jerusalem • 7:00 PM: Dinner at our accommodation • 8:00 PM: Debriefing Accommodation: Hotel in Jerusalem

  • Day 5, Thursday, October 31st: Steps to Recovery: Evacuees and Volunteers

• Breakfast at the accommodation • Drive to the Dead Sea or Galilee •Meeting with evacuated kibbutz members and the support network After October 7th, Israel faced the challenge of accommodating and providing for tens of thousands of rescued or fleeing people from the North and South, with all their belongings left behind. They were placed across 97 localities and a total of 225 hotels and kibbutz guesthouses throughout the country. Several entire kibbutz communities found refuge in hotels and “hosting communities”. At first, basic needs were accommodated with the help of many volunteers. The challenge became to organize daily life as efficiently as possible. Now, there are multiple schools and a complete local healthcare system, including psychological support. We will talk to evacuated individuals and support teams, and learn how they maintain optimism despite the difficulties. • Return to Jerusalem • 7:00 PM: Dinner at our accommodation • 8:00 PM: Debriefing Accommodation: Hotel in Jerusalem

  • Day 6, Friday, November 1st: Closing Session & Individual Departure / Extension

• Breakfast at the accommodation • 8-10.00 AM: Closing session: Time to reflect on the trip's impressions and experiences, share thoughts, and discuss lessons for the future • Tour of new National Library (optional) • Individual departure / extension

*The content of the itinerary reflects the values and beliefs of SK Tours only.
There may be last-minute changes to the travel itinerary.

Dates

Sunday, October 27th until Friday, November 1st, 2024

Individual Arrival & Departure

Duration

6 days / 5 nights

optional pre- or

post-tour extensions

Price & Services 

Costs

Participants are responsible for booking and covering the costs of their own flight arrangements.

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Price for seminar: 

Double Occupancy USD 1770

Single Occupancy Supplement USD 475

Included in the seminar price

  • 5 hotel nights (double/twin/single occupancy with private bathroom)

  • Breakfast and dinner (HB)

  • English-speaking seminar facilitators

  • Transportation with A/C bus from day 2 to day 5

  • Donations/fees for encounters/speakers according to the program

Not included

  • Flights

  • Lunches

  • Beverages

  • Gratuities (USD 10 per person per day should be taken into consideration)

  • Insurance (such as health and trip cancellation insurance)

  • Airport transfers to and from Ben Gurion Airport

  • Any individual pre- or post-tour extensions

​Application & Participation

Join us for an enriching experience where you can network, share ideas, and explore opportunities to collaborate on meaningful community projects and educational initiatives. Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of cultural diversity or eager to lead future group tours, this seminar promises to be a transformative journey for all.
 

The application process involves a few steps

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  • Step One: Fill out our online form. Tell us a bit about yourself and why you're interested in participating. It's quick and straightforward!

 

  • Step Two: We'll schedule a personal online interview or chat. This is not only our chance to get to know you better and discuss your enthusiasm for the seminar/trip, but also your opportunity to get to know us and ask any questions you may have.

 

  • Step Three: Once you've completed the interview, we'll send you a confirmation of your participation.

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If you have any questions before filling out the form, please don't hesitate to contact us directly at gedi@sktours.net. We at SK Tours are here to help and eager to assist you in any way we can.

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