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Greater Stowe Interfaith Holy Land Trip
April 16-24, 2023
"A Rabbi, Priest, and Minister walk into a...."
Find out on June 21st!
A rabbi, priest, and minister walk into a hotel... in Israel... aka The Holy Land. Rabbi David Fainsilber, Father Rick Swanson, and Pastor Dan Haugh led 40 participants from their respective congregations of the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe, St. John's in the Mountains Episcopal Church, and Stowe Community Church around Israel in a once-in-a-lifetime tour that will not easily be forgotten.
The greater community is invited Wednesday, June 21, 6:30-8PM at the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe (1189 Cape Cod Rd., Stowe) to see pictures and videos and hear moving stories from the trip. On this longest day of the year, hear uplifting light-filled stories that will surely bring a smile.
Update for Israel Trip participants
Monday, April 10, 2023
Dear Greater Stowe Holy Land Interfaith Journey to Israel participants,
In recent days, the media has reported cases of violence and unrest in Israel. We understand this news may be troubling. Through our travel agency, Keshet Educational Journeys, we learned the violence is confined to communities on the northern and southern borders of Israel and not in proximity to the areas we will be visiting. The tensions in Jerusalem have lowered and, at this time, will not affect our tour schedule. We must remember that for residents of Israel and the West Bank, the tension we feel in preparation for our travel is their daily experience. Our time in the Holy Land will help us understand more concretely the dynamics of faith and cultural relationships of modern Israel.
We are grateful for Keshet Educational Journeys who has had a great deal of experience in facing similar situations. They have shepherded thousands of trip participants safely through their explorations of Israel. Keshet is part of a national network with the Israeli police and army to stay abreast of any situation that might require us to alter our itinerary. We are in direct communication with Danny Ehrlich, Vice-President & Educational Director, who is on the ground in Israel and is keeping us informed. Keshet ensures a safe, enjoyable, and meaningful experience despite what we may see and hear in the media.
We, Rabbi David, Pastor Dan, and Fr. Rick, trust the leadership of Keshet and our tour guide Danny Ehrlich to the fullest extent and we are excited for the journey ahead of us.
With continued prayers and blessings for Passover, Eastertime, and Ramadan,
Rabbi David
Fr. Rick Swanson
Rev. Dan Haugh
Shalom to all you Greater Stowe Holy Land Interfaith Journey to Israel participants,
Below, you’ll see a note from our tour company, Keshet Educational Tours, about the current status in Israel.*
Make sure to order your book: Israel Journey: Eight Days In One Of The World's Most Complex Countries by Michael Bauer.
Make sure to watch the documentary “Jerusalem,” an immersive experience about one of the world's most beloved cities. Discover why this tiny piece of land is sacred to billions of people and how archaeology is uncovering secrets of Jerusalem's past. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2385006/
Many blessings,
Rev. Dan Haugh, Stowe Community Church
Father Rick Swanson, St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church
Rabbi David Fainsilber, Jewish Community of Greater Stowe
*From Keshet:
“Shalom to all you Greater Stowe Holy Land Interfaith Journey to Israel participants,
Given the current status in Israel, we are sharing an update from Keshet Educational Tours. The three of us gathered yesterday to talk about the joys that this trip will bring. We are all excited to join together in the Holy Land, soon.
Rabbi David, with Father Rick and Rev. Dan
March 31, 2023
Dear Friends,
In response to concerns about the political situation here in Israel, I am happy to report that after a very tumultuous number of weeks, things have returned pretty much to normal. Even at the height of the demonstrations and the national debate about judicial reform that involved hundreds of thousands of Israelis, it is important to stress that despite their volume, the demonstrations were non-violent and in many cases demonstrators brought their young children with them. In any event, Israel's Parliament (The Knesset) is currently in recess for the Passover and Israel Independence Day holidays so the legislative process is currently on hold and will not resume until after the Stowe Interfaith group trip ends.
Regarding the security situation, there are no special alerts currently in place. Clearly though, Israel is not immune to security related events so of course we cannot guarantee that we will not face challenges during your stay. Since we began operations in 1996, Keshet has followed a number of core guidelines regarding the safety and security of our groups which have served us well even in challenging circumstances. We are part of a national consultation network established with the police and the army in order to stay abreast of any situations that might require us to alter the itineraries or even postpone specific program elements, and we follow or to exceed their recommendations. All security related decisions are evaluated regularly with our priorities being the safety of our travelers and the integrity of their Israel experience, in that order. When necessary we make adjustments to our itineraries in order to avoid potential problems and to ensure that our groups can have a safe, enjoyable and meaningful experience in Israel.
We are looking forward to greeting you here in Israel in just a few weeks.
All the best,
Danny Ehrlich
Daniel Ehrlich MSW
Vice-President & Educational Director
Keshet Educational Journeys
