Passages “Return to Israel” trip focuses on volunteerism across the country
(Thursday, July 18, 2024) – The first group of Passages students to visit Israel since the October 7th attack has just wrapped up their 10-day trip. The delegation of 50 Christian students from universities and colleges across the U.S., none of whom had visited Israel previously, focused on volunteering across the country and listening to the stories of October 7th and the challenges faced by the Jewish State since the start of the war.
“Passages has always exposed our students to the complex realities of the State of Israel, but since October 7th, our students wanted to show up, lend a hand wherever they could and just listen to Israelis from all backgrounds about the adversities they have faced and continue to face,” said Rivka Kidron, Co-Founder of Passages and a former Advisor to Israel’s Prime Minister. “This was about doing and listening, acts of kindness and solidarity, while showing our students who have only seen Israel from afar the complex beauty of this country and its people, who are facing tremendous challenges.”
Nicknamed the “Christian Birthright”, Passages was formed in 2017 and has brought over 11,000 Christian students from North America to visit Israel for the first time to strengthen their religious identity and to build bridges of friendship with Israel and the Jewish people. Earlier in the year Passages alumni and donors brought a donation of $500,000 to Israeli communities bordering Gaza on a special solidarity trip.
The organization has also become more active in advocacy and solidarity initiatives in the U.S., with several workshops for hundreds of Christian students in Washington DC, partnering with Jewish organizations for major events, and staging solidarity “walk-ins” with Jewish students.
“These students who have chosen to travel to Israel with us right now understand the importance of this moment in history for Israel and the Jewish People,” said Mattanah DeWitt, Passages Vice President of Communications. “They’ve come to learn, to be exposed to what life is like here, to bear witness to the devastating realities of the past nine months, and to stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters, not just in Israel, but around the world, and especially back in our own communities and college campuses.”
During the trip, the students volunteered with elementary school age children in Ofakim, many of whom experienced the horrors of the October 7th massacre, worked in a community garden in Lod, and helped out at the Aviv Educational Facility, a facility for people with special needs. They also met with Israelis from many different walks of life to discuss how young Christians can be a voice for Israel when they return home to the US.
“What really struck me was the fact and reality that I had seen these people’s faces on billboards in America, and now I was standing in their home. Their story is mine to tell now,” said Michaela Johnson, a student on the trip visiting Israel for the first time.
Also, as part of the group and visiting Israel for the first time was Dr. Tim Griffin, the Dean of Students at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix Arizona, the largest Christian College in the world.
Along with Passages staff, Dr. Griffin met with senior staff at Hebrew University and Reichman University to discuss possible cooperation and collaboration between the institutions of higher education, and held discussions with Members of Knesset about how best to express solidarity with Israel and the challenges on American campuses facing demonstrations and threats to Zionist, pro-Israel and Jewish students.
“I have witnessed the anti-Israel demonstrations on campuses around the country, and when I was invited by Passages to come to Israel I jumped at the chance, not just to witness Israel and the reality for myself, but to see how my university can embrace and collaborate with Israeli institutions of higher education,” said Dr. Griffin. “I will return to the U.S. with many ideas about how we can ensure our students stand with Israel and stand on the side of what’s right and good.”
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