The Ross News

My trip to Israel with American Jewish Committee’s Project Interchange

Bobby Ross Jr.by

I traveled to Israel last week with a delegation of 13 U.S. religion journalists.

I received a fellowship through the American Jewish Committee’s Project Interchange. That program aims to enhance participants’ understanding of the Middle East and provoke thought on tough questions. For me, it certainly did.

I’ll be writing more about what I learned. For now, here are a few social media posts that offer snapshots of my experience.

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The Defense Wall, or Defense Fence, is what the Israelis call the wall separating Jerusalem from Bethlehem. To the Palestinians, it's the Apartheid Wall, or Separation Fence. International media describe it as the Israeli West Bank Barrier. Our group of U.S. religion journalists is learning a variety of perspectives about the Israeli-Palestinian issues and saw the wall yesterday as we visited Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born that is now about 90 percent Muslim and 10 percent Christian — and losing Christian residents quickly, according to our Palestinian Catholic tour guide. The American Jewish Committee’s Project Interchange aims to give us an enhanced understanding of issues in this part of the world and make us think about tough questions. Midway through the week, the project is certainly doing that. Today (Wednesday), we will hear from a holocaust survivor, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem and tour the Western Wall Tunnels. Note: I stole the picture with me in it from Kimberly Winston Ligocki. #reporterlife #Israel #projectinterchange

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At the Western Wall. #Jerusalem #Israel #HolyLand

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