June 10th, 2024
MT. GRIZIM, West Bank, Palestinian Territories
by Chris Miller
The Abrahamic Reunion Young Peacebuilders took a bus from Jerusalem into the West Bank to Mt. Gerizim, their sacred mountain, home, and center of the Samaritan Community in the Holy Land.
Over 25 young peacebuilders made the trip to Mt. Gerizim, where they stayed overnight, hosted by the Samaritan Community, engaged in dialogue and practices, comparing Shavuot traditions between Judaism and Samaritanism. One Christian and one Muslim Young Peacebuilder were able to attend, with the majority of the participants being Jewish.
“This is the youth meeting, uni-national, but we had the opportunity to have a one Muslim and one Christian to attend, [because] they are already part, from long ago, of this beautiful group,” shared event co-organizer, Abd Manasra, AR Israeli Programs Director.
The young peacebuilders were given a tour of the Samaritan museum, synagogue, see their Torah, met a Samaritan Priest, and were able to walk on Mt. Gerizim.
Roei Kleitman, AR Amutah Assistant, was the primary event organizer, and is this week continuing to meet with the group that traveled to Mt. Gerizim for a “summer camp” about peacebuilding during “the situation”. Abrahamic Reunion sponsored the bus, while the Samaritans provided housing and food.
During the war, the Abrahamic Reunion is bringing groups together when possible, often in mono-cultural, or mono-national gatherings. Because tensions and the level of trauma are so high, much of the time it is impossible to gather in our typical groups of Muslims, Jews, Christians, Samaritans, and Druze.
Today there are only around 700 Samaritans, descended from the 12 Tribes of Israel, making them one of the smallest religious minorities in the Holy Land, and they practice something similar to an ancient form of Judaism. The main theological divide, long ago, was over the holiest site — Samaritans hold the Mt. Gerizim, not the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, is the place chosen by God for a holy temple.
The view from atop Mt. Gerizim, West Bank
Mt. Gerizim and the Samaritans have hosted Abrahamic Reunion interfaith gatherings before — this is because it is one of the only locations in the West Bank that citizens of Israel and the Palestinian Territories can meet without obtaining permits.
The Samaritan community is often misunderstood, and assumed, in the West Bank and nearby Nablus, to be a Jewish community, while in Israel, they are misunderstood often to be ethnically Palestinian. To help the Samaritans share and clarify their culture and identity to those in the region, the Abrahamic Reunion organized The Samaritan Conference (Sponsored by the Topol Family Foundation) in 2021.
More event photos:
Meeting and discussion with Samaritan leaders and spokespeople, including discussion about Shavuot.
Dinner on Mt. Grizim, Samaritan Community
Walking on Mt. Gerizim
