GALILLEE COLLEGE, MAR ELIAS COLLEGE
Joint Jewish-Christian-Muslim Programme:
A Religious Mosaic in the Holy Land
Students and faculty from all parts of the world are invited to a unique interfaith seminar that will utilise the Galillee in the north of Israel - the origin of religious traditions and the living place of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze (and other religious groups) - as a living example of interfaith dialogue and co-existence.
The participants will spend five weeks in the Holy Land studying the three great monotheistic traditions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam (as well as the other traditions/different sects which are present in Israel), the history of these, their connections to the Land of Israel / Palestine and its relevance to Modern Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Special attention will be given to the challenge of religious leaders and educators in our days to develop interfaith dialogues, both in Israel and in other parts of the world, in order to foster mutual understanding, tolerance and pluralism instead of hatred and violence.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
The programme is comprised of 150 academic hours, divided into four mini-seminars: the first three are devoted to the three Monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The fourth deals with Jerusalem, its religious and national meaning to all monotheistic traditions and its challenge to all who try to develop interfaith understanding and cooperation.
The emphasis of the programme is placed firmly on activities and studies outside the lecture halls. Therefore, the programme includes study tours to major points of interest in the Galillee, which are relevant to our multicultural study. Participants will be able to meet people of the Galillee directly together with various representatives of the pertinent religions. In addition the programme includes panel discussions and workshops where the students explore past and present differences and points of dispute between these beliefs and discuss possible ways to overcome current interfaith conflicts.
More information: http://www.galilcol.ac.il/page.asp?id=235
