How Was Our January 2020 Perspectives Tour?

"I am so grateful to have partaken in the Perspectives Tour 2020. Prior to this trip, I had very little knowledge regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and while I still have much to learn, I certainly feel that this trip educated me on this topic and in an immersive and exciting way. Further, I was able to experience religious and cultural practices and deepen my knowledge about the history of the region. Not to mention, I was able to share this experience with a great deal of intelligent and kind SF State student leaders, who only made my experience better. This trip is not only insightful, but also such a great, fun time. Would definitely recommend to all my fellow gators! :-)"
​- Vivienne Alcantar, SF State, Campus Recreation Representative for the Mashouf Wellness Center
Who did we meet?

We heard so many different perspectives, including:
  • Mohammed Almasri, Senior party official of Fatah (Palestinian controlling authority in West Bank)
  • Palestinian students in Ramallah
  • Residents of Israeli kibbutz of Netiv HaAsara, along border with Gaza
  • Residents of Aida Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem
  • Oded Reviv, Mayor of Efrat, the original West Bank settlement bloc
  • Miri Eisen, Israeli peace negotiator who took part in peace talks with the Palestinian Authority
  • Khaled Abu Toameh, Arab Israeli Journalist
  • Small business owners in East Jerusalem
  • Ihab Balha, peace activist, and founder of nursery for Jewish and Muslim children
  • Students at Kids4Peace grassroots interfaith movement
  • Jewish Ethiopian restaurant owners
"This trip changed my life. It made me fall in love with cultures unlike my own, it opened my eyes to the struggles of other other people, it gave me new perspectives, it gave me experiences I never knew I needed. It's a trip of a lifetime that will leave you better than how you went."
​- Maddison October, SF State, member of National Press Photographers Association
Where did we go?

We went all over! Sites included:
  • Jerusalem
    • ​Religious sites including the Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif, the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Via Dolorosa, 
    • Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center 
    • Kids4Peace
    • Mahane Yehuda market
  • Bethlehem
    • ​Aida Palestinian Refugee Camp
    • Banksy grafitti at Separation Barrier/wall
    • Church of the Nativity
  • Ramallah
    • ​Headquarters of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
    • U-Make (a coworking space like We Work!)
    • Tybeh Brewery (in Christian Palestinian village outside Ramallah)
  • Dead Sea and Judean Desert
    • ​Floating in Dead Sea
    • Jordan River Valley
  • Tel Aviv
    • Aguda - LGBTQ activist group
    • ​Save a Child's Heart
    • Rothschild Boulevard
    • Orchard of Abraham's Children
    • Jaffa Port
  • Golan Heights
    • ​Off-Road Jeep Tour
    • ​Druze village
    • Borders with Lebanon and Syria 
"Traveling to Israel and Palestine was an eye opening trip that I will remember for a lifetime. Thank you SF Hillel for giving student leaders on campus to have such a great experience. This trip left me with a lasting impact that I will carry with me forever. Saalam & Shalom!"
​- Hiwot Dereje, SF State, member of Black Student Union, African Student Union, and Ethiopian & Etritrean Student Union.
Want to join the diverse and open-minded group of SF State student leaders on our next educational trip during Winter Break 2020/2021? Click below!