Journey to Israel/Palestine: Into the Heart of the Middle East
October 14 – 24, 2023
$3530 (based on double occupancy)
Detailed Itinerary and Registration Form:
For registration and information about this tour, including a detailed itinerary, visit HERE.
The Tour:
Israel is a beautiful and complicated place: the center of three of the worlds great religions, a land of stunning beauty, and a site of conflict that goes back thousands of years. Few places have stirred hearts and minds, passions and conflicts, more than The Holy Land. On this journey, we will explore and attempt to understand The Holy Land in its many dimensions.
We will travel from the beaches of Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea to the Holy Mount in Jerusalem; from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to the refugee camps and settlements of the West Bank. We will meet Israeli and Palestinian activists and intellectuals who will help shed light on why this place has occupied such a central place in both the history and consciousness of our world.
Pilgrims from around the world have traveled here for millennia, visiting the sacred sites and soaking in the natural beauty of this ancient land. But since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the region has been mired in conflict. The occupation of the West Bank after the 1967 war is now one of the longest in modern history, has complicated life further, and is one of the central points of contention in the Middle East and beyond. The goal of our journey is to gain a deep understanding of this powerful, beautiful, and vitally important part of the world.
This is a unique tour led by co-leaders Ricky Fishman and Roxanna Smith, experienced facilitators who will support you in having the best experience possible. There will be time allotted for group sharing, meditation, and yoga to help you integrate your experiences. Visiting both Israel and the West Bank, our group will meet with Jewish settlers, Palestinian refugees, and Israeli and Palestinian peace activists and academics. We will meet with ordinary Israelis and Palestinians of varying points of view in an attempt to get a multi-dimensional picture of the current situation.
Our trip will be more than political. We will visit historic and cultural sites such as the Western Wall, Yad Vashem, the Holy Mount (Haram as Sharif), the Church of the Nativity and many others. You will enjoy fabulous Middle Eastern cuisine, experience Shabbat in Israel, partake in the healing properties of the Dead Sea, and tour vibrant and cosmopolitan Tel Aviv.
Ricky and Roxanna have curated a program that explores this fascinating and complex region. It is their belief that only through direct contact and dialogue with Israelis and Palestinians can one begin to understand the reality that is Israel/Palestine.
We hope you join us on this transformative journey.
Cost:
$3530 (based on double occupancy)
$725 single supplement
Detailed Itinerary and Registration Form:
For registration and information about this tour, including a detailed itinerary, visit HERE.
Your Retreat Does Not Include:
- Travel Insurance
- International flight to Tel Aviv, Israel
- Personal expenses
- Dead Sea Spa treatments
About the Facilitators:
Dr. Ricky Fishman--chiropractor, writer, teacher, musician–has been leading educational tours for the past thirty years; from understanding race in the American South to studying Buddhism in Nepal to exploring the conflict in Israel/Palestine. He believes that conscious travel can open the door to transformation of a world in need of positive change.
Roxanna Kopp Smith teaches yoga, meditation and dance in the Bay Area. She is a skilled group facilitator and retreat leader, who loves to hold space for personal growth. With over two decades of experience facilitating groups, Roxanna’s passion for working with others, creating heart-opening experiences, and her dedication to sharing her knowledge, make the retreats and workshops she leads powerful invitations for transformation.
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