Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Christian Birthright in Israel
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The Israel Experience College Scholarship Program, takes top Christian students from universities in the US, and other countries, and educates them about Israel.
Billed as the "Christian Birthright," the three week study tour encourages the students to gain a strong identification with the Jewish roots of their faith; comprehend the history of Christian anti-Semitism and the Holocaust; learn about Zionism; and more fully grasp the Middle East conflict.
During their visit the students visit Christian holy sites, Sderot, Yad Vashem, the Foreign Ministry and the Knesset. They spent Shabbat with Efrat Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin in his community, and they will be visiting Palestinian-controlled Bethlehem and Jericho.
"The goal of the program is to educate the next generation of Christian leaders and provide them with a firsthand perspective of issues facing Israel and the Middle East, Michael Onifer, the program's organizer said.
The program is now in its eighth year.