Since 1998, undergraduate, graduate and alumni groups from Eastern Mennonite University and Eastern Mennonite Seminary have made the Tent of Nations farm outside of Bethlehem a regular stop on their Middle East trips. Several hundred have visited the Nassar family’s 100 acres in Palestine to plant trees, harvest olives and fruit, and learn about the family’s witness to […]
A Green, Flexible, Temporary Wall Installed on the Land I flew to Palestine on October 3 and returned on October 11 for my regular, annual visit to the Nassar family farm. I was joined by Beth Moore, our Tour Coordinator; we were there to represent Friends of Tent of Nations North America (FOTONNA) at the […]
In June, three members of the Franciscan society, a group of related mendicant religious orders within the Catholic Church, founded in 1209 by Saint Francis of Assisi, applied for scholarships to travel to the Holy Land and visit the holy sites there as well to work as volunteers at the Tent of Nations for two-three […]
See complete stories at: IFPB.org. – Nov. 2017 Why Are You Here? | Amirah Abu Lughod – Stony Point, New York Over the mountains, over the sea and through Israeli security… “Are you with this group? Please go to the waiting area miss, we need to do another check on your passport. “Why are you […]
June 16, 2016 Dear Friends, As you know, during the week of May 9-20, 2016, there was an international Centennial Celebration of the purchase of Daher’s Vineyard in 1916; I was fortunate to be able to participate in this joyful event at Tent of Nations. While we celebrated and planted trees on the farm, members […]
Dear Friends of Tent of Nations UK, I’m greeting you a week after having returned from Daher’s Vineyard as friends from around the world joined the Nassar family to mark 100 years of existence on that land that is so dear to them and to which they belong. Around 60 people from the Netherlands, the […]
Good morning dear friends. Here I am at the Tent of Nations with the Nassar family as we begin the celebration of the Centenial event recognizing 100 years since the farm was purchased by family and now enjoyed by many as the place of understanding. 60 people from 8 countries began the week together at […]
I am just waking up in the Bethlehem Hotel, after arriving here last evening from Ben Gurion Airport with 2 Dutch women who are also here for the 100 Year Celebration at Tent of Nations. A group of perhaps 25 of us “pilgrims” had a buffet dinner together at the hotel, with Meta introducing us […]
Daoud and members of the Fotonna team returned last week from the 18th U.S Spring tour where we focused on reaching out to university groups, local churches and with peace and justice groups primarily in the Austin, Texas area. Due to the commitment of the local organizers there for the Interfaith Community for Palestinian […]
The excerpt below was extracted from one of three reviews with permission from the Editors of Presbyterian Outlook in its February 1, 2016 edition. There were three reviews of the book in the article. This review is a brief tasting of the one submitted by Bill Plitt, Executive Director/Co-founder of FOTONNA. “With great respect and deep appreciation […]
Dear Friends, Greetings from Bethlehem! It is something special to celebrate Christmas in the place where the word became flesh. More than two thousand years ago, the shepherds who were also living under occupation came to see the newborn King. Hopelessness, frustration, and fear didn’t stop them from making this risky trip to come and see. […]
Pardon my musings, but I wake some mornings with this awesome feeling, a spiritual call to speak. I share this with you because I feel some measure of selfishness that I get to experience the exhilarating moments of our work in the life of the project that reassures me that we are on the right […]
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Having just returned from another amazing U.S tour with Daoud Nassar, a Palestinian farmer, I am inspired to write a piece that I think captures the many spiritual moments that occurred once again during the spaces of the featured events of the tour. […]