“We told the people on the trip, this is about confusion,” explained Fr. Damian MacPherson, the Archdiocese of Toronto’s ecumenical and interfaith affairs officer. “The more confused you are the better you understand what’s going on. It’s just a spider web of confusion.”
MacPherson teamed up with Canadian Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton, Imam Abdulhai Patel and Rabbi Baruch Frydman- Kohl to lead the second Path of Abraham tour of the Holy Land. The tour visited places on both sides of the divide — Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Galilee and Tel Aviv. The tour attracted participants from as far away as Australia and people from all three Abrahamic faiths.
The trip offers people an opportunity to come to grips with the conflict between Israel and Palestine on a human level, said tour participant Judy Libman.
As the travellers grew closer together they learned from each other, Libman said.
“The informal education surprised me,” she said. “There was a depth there.”
Libman is often frustrated by the highly polarized debate about Israel and Palestine, both within her own Jewish community and beyond. People who assume they know the right and the wrong of the situation stand in the way of better understanding, she said.
“I came away feeling this is a tough enough situation, don’t make it worse,” said Libman.
Retired physician and Orthodox priest Fr. Robert Hutcheon found his own cynicism about the conflict challenged by the experience. After years convinced there could be no solution, Hutcheon came away believing Palestinians and Jews who are working together in many development and peace-building projects do hold the key.
“A solution is still miles off, but it was really wonderful to meet Jews and Palestinians who are really committed to living together,” he said. “They’ve got to stop trying to decide who suffered more.” The trip was all about faith and passion that could be shared, said Libman. When the Christians on the trip re-committed to their baptismal vows at the Sea of Galilee it was an emotional moment even for the Jews and Muslims in the group, she said.
“A group of political science students could go over there and listen to what we listened to and be interested as well,” said MacPherson. “But we think our efforts (as people of faith) carry a message beyond ourselves.”
The tour was a religious experience for both the heart and mind, said Muslim participant Nazira Tareen from Ottawa.
“The highlight of my trip was being able to pray inside both the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Mosque,” she said in an e-mail.
The eight Muslims on the trip included five from Australia.
“We heard heart-wrenching stories from two bereaved fathers who had lost their innocent children to senseless killings,” said Tareen.
“One was Jewish and one Muslim. They shared their stories of how their families have become very close to each other and how they are speaking to thousands of people and sharing their stories of reconciliation. They called each other brothers.”
By the end of the two-week tour, members of the group had formed solid friendships, exchanged e-mail addresses and phone numbers. It’s too soon to say when another tour will be organized, but tour leaders and participants all want the Path of Abraham experience to continue.
“It’s another way of building bridges,” MacPherson said.