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REL 290 Israel Immersion, 11/21/2016

a road with cars and a building on the side

Day Two of the REL 290 immersion trip started in Haifa. Pictured here is the Baha'i Garden.

a group of people sitting in a grass field

From there, it was a short trip up the coast to Acre, a prominent city of the ancient world and a UNESCO Heritage site,where the the el-Jazzar Mosque figures prominently.

a group of people walking in a narrow alley

The class visited the Hospitaller Fortress, which dates back to the Crusades. As a city, Acre has existed for 4,000 years.

a man kneeling down with a cat

Inside the fortress, Anthony Douglas '17 gives a little attention to a cat.

a group of people standing in front of a stone building

The sheer size and scope of the Hospitaller Fortress is immense, and one of the reasons Napoleon laid siege to Acre, but was never able to control it.

a group of men standing outside

Greg Sklar '17 (center) and Nathan Neal '17 (right) share a light moment.

a large room with red carpet and chandeliers

Here is the interior of the el-Jazzar Mosque.

a group of people standing around a cat

While Marcus Hoekstra '18 pets a cat (they are everywhere) at right, Dr. Royalty plays a little joke on the class, saying, 'did you know it was the Ottomans who invented Frisbee golf?' The reply, 'really?'

a group of people walking in a street

Jimmy Suess '17 strolls the alleys of Acre between the fortress and the Templar Tunnel.

a group of people standing in a room

Ben Johnson '18 and Sklar (center) inside the Templar Tunnel, which ran 350 meters from the fortress to the port.

a group of men standing next to a railing

Once at the port, (from left) Luke Gunderman '18, Daniel Azar '18, and Taylor King '18 have a photo taken on the shores of the Mediterranean by Tim Riley '18.

a group of men sitting on couches

The class then enjoyed a Q&A session with peace activist and reconciliation expert Elias Jabbour, founder of the House of Hope, in Jabbour's home in Shefar 'Am, Isreal.

a group of people sitting on couches

Jabbour told the students, 'I don't think we can determine who is to blame in this conflict. It's Turkey, Great Britain, Israel, Palestine, and others. It's been 67 years and we are still suffering. Let's share the land. That is better than tearing it up.'

a man in a suit talking to a woman

He continued, 'I began House of Hope 30 years ago, and we ask why? The first story in the Bible is a murder case. Two brothers killing each other. Why? They quarrelled over the grace of God. Is this inherent to our psyche? Let's begin to learn peace.'

a man in sunglasses standing in front of a stone wall

Dr. Royalty enters the House of Hope.

a group of people walking down a street

Political Science Professor Ethan Hollander leads the group through the streets of Shefar 'Am.

a group of people walking down a street

Much like other parts of Israel, Shefar 'Am is a densely populated place.

a stone building with carvings on the side

The facade of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the site where the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary.

a door with religious images on it

The front door of the Basilica of the Annunciation.

a ceiling of a building

The Basilica features impressive architecture.

a group of people sitting in a church

The students pause for a moment of reflection inside of the Basilica of the Annunciation.

a group of people standing around a statue

(from left) King, Alex Johnson '19, Ben Johnson, Cameron Glaze '17, Gunderman, Dr. Royalty, and Reno Jamison '17 discuss the inscription on the base of this statue.

a group of men walking by a statue

Dr. Royalty and Gunderman take the discussion a little further.

a church with many pews and a cross

The Church of St. Joseph in Nazareth.


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