The following programmes of our Visitors Center are available for visiting groups. All programmes must be booked well in advance.

Introduction to Wahat al-Salam - Neve Shalom

A community member describes the history, development and ideology of the village, answers questions, and takes the group on a walking tour.

Time frame: 1.5 to 2 hours.

Customized Programmes

Every visit programme begins with the Introduction (above). In customized programmes, its length can be changed according to need.

Lectures and discussions

WAS-NS members and associates share their knowledge and life-experience on a variety of subjects.

Time frame: 1.5 - 2 hours.

Some examples

– Palestinians citizens of Israel.
– Bi-national and bi-lingual education in Wahat al-Salam - Neve Shalom primary school; the first school of its kind in the country. Includes a visit to the school for educators; teachers and students.
– The community, structure, decision-making, dilemmas of joint management.
– Lecture about alternative communities and WAS-NS as a case study.
– Meeting with the NGO representative at WAS-NS.

Study tours

– Near Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom: a hike to sites of destroyed villages, the Latrun monastery and if possible visiting a Palestinian village in the area and have lunch at a Palestinian house.
– Archaeology made simple. WAS-NS resident, a professional archaeologist and social justice activist, guides archaeological walking tours from the Oasis to the Latrun Monastery. The tour will include a stop at the Byzantine mosaic floor in the woods near the village. Students of the Primary School uncovered the mosaic a few years ago, and the site is now an ongoing dig, supervised by Gideon. Participants will also visit the Latrun Fortress and hear about the history of this area - the conflict, the villages, and how people lived here in former times.
– Jerusalem: Tour of the separation wall with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
– Jerusalem: Visit the Municipality and meet with officials who will explain about the city and its future development.
– Jerusalem: Alternative archaeological tour of Ancient Jerusalem – “From Shiloah to Silwan”.
– Bethlehem: Visit to the municipality to meet with officials who will explain about the current situation in the city. Visit to the Nativity Church, Bethlehem University, the separation wall and confiscated villages, Dehayshe refugee camp.
– Jaffa: Introduction and visit to the Arab-Jewish Theatre in Jaffa and guided tour of old Jaffa.
– Southern Israel: Study tour to unrecognized villages – one day program including meals and transportation.
– Northern Israel: Wadi Ara, Umm al-Fahem, Nazareth, and upper Nazareth. Visit to the Church of Annunciation.
– Northern Israel: Study tour with Sikkuy Organization (Wadi Ara and Carmel areas). Sikkuy is a non-partisan, non-profit, NGO in Israel that develops and implements projects to advance equality between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel. The organization offers study tours.
– Northern Israel: A visit to the village of Ilaboun and a meeting with the alternative planning committee.
– Northern Israel: Overnight stay in an Arab village.

Activities and lectures at the Pluralistic Spiritual Center

– WAS-NS founder Bruno Hussar and the history of Wahat al-Salam - Neve Shalom.
– The role of religion in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
– Feminism and Judaism.
– Celebrating our differences: how the children in Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom school learn and celebrate the three faith traditions.
– Religion and social identity in Jewish -Arab education.
– Experiencing Doumia Sakinah -The Space of Silence .
– A guided meditation for peace - followed by a silent walk and a silent sitting in the house of silence.
– Prayers for peace .A guided meditation for peace followed by reading from the scriptures and/or chanting.

Story-telling workshop

– A workshop conducted by a village member who is an actor and story teller, in Hebrew or English. The workshop offers an opportunity to learn about conflicts between cultures through stories; it also encourages participants to share personal stories and experiences.

Lectures at the School for Peace

– Introduction to the School for Peace.
– The approach to working with groups in conflict .
– The role of language while working with group in conflict .
– Post colonialism and the dialogue approach.

Workshop at the School for Peace

– Identities in Dialogue - A glimpse of the School for Peace. In the workshop we will conduct a dialogue between the group members on the Jewish-Arab conflict and dilemmas they face when dealing with this issue in their home countries.

Prices

For specific and updated information, please contact the Visitors Center Director (see below).

For further information

(hcard format)

Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
(Israel’s Time Zone is EST +7 or GMT +2)