Hamline Law School's Conflict Resolution from Religious Traditions course is fantastic! It takes place at Hebrew University in Jerusalem from the end of December through the beginning of January. The course is intended for law school and grad school students, but I was able to participate in it as an undergrad because I received a Rotary Club Peace Scholarship. The class was amazing and I learned so much! We met with a variety of people including: Ron Kronish (writer for the Huffington Post and founder of the IRCC in Israel), a variety of Jewish and Christian scholars, two qadis (judges in the Islamic courts), a hostage negotiator for the Israeli military, and Zoughbi Zoughbi (a Christian Palestinian peace activist). We were given a tour of the Old City our first full day there and were taken to Bethlehem on the Greek Orthodox Christmas Eve (this is when people there celebrate). This was one of my favorite experiences. We also went to the Mount of Olives, saw David's tomb and the Dormitorium, and were given a tour of East Jerusalem. We were also given the Shabbat weekend off to travel on our own or to experience Jerusalem shut down for the Jewish weekend. I elected to travel with a few friends. I hiked Masada to see the sunrise and it was awe inspiring; I recommend doing this with every fiber of my being. That same day, I hiked in the Ein Gedi nature preserve and swam in the Dead Sea. We also had the afternoons free everyday to explore Jerusalem and one morning off so that we could visit Dome of the Rock if we so desired. I loved exploring the Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Armenian quarters of the Old Sea. I had the opportunity to explore the Mahane Yehuda open air market. I loved the nightlife and shopping on Jaffa Street. The campus is incredibly safe and there is a lovely botanical garden. It was a great experience celebrating New Years in a foreign country! I also discovered my love of falafel pitas in Israel and now, I can't get enough. I made amazing friends and I would return in a heartbeat!
What would you improve about this program?
A few of the speakers were not that great, but that is the only complaint I have. The biggest improvement to the program would be for it to be longer; I was so not ready to leave.
