From protest to peace: A journey of faith in Washington, DC – opinion

We arrived at the protest rally just before the 11 a.m. start time. There weren’t many people there, and those who were, despite waving Palestinian flags, were more interested in shouting abuse at the assembled police officers and chanting about domestic American issues.

Then we realized that this wasn’t the main protest, but rather one of dozens of smaller rallies happening all over central Washington, DC last week, ostensibly to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. What followed was three hours of walking through a dystopian hell, with masked youths chanting for Israel’s destruction, middle-aged men carrying swastikas, and young Americans screaming for an intifada on the streets of the US and Israel. A veritable sea of hate that threatened to swallow us whole.

We eventually made it to our hotel, and to the reason we were in DC: a conference of 250 young Christians arranged by the pro-Israel Christian organization, Passages. Often referred to as the “Christian Birthright,” Passages has for the last decade been bringing busloads of American college kids on 10-day trips to Israel to learn about the origins of their faith, as well as the story of modern Israel and the wider Middle East.

Now, with tourism to Israel in tatters because of the war, they pivoted and arranged this conference, in the seat of the American government – Washington, DC. What followed was four days of fellowship, learning together, touring the DC’s monuments, visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, celebrating a traditional Shabbat dinner with an Orthodox rabbi, and much more. 

It was a privilege to be invited, and to have the opportunity to teach about Israel, to such an eager audience. Everyone agreed with the sentiment of “Next year in Jerusalem,” and I know that many of the friends I made here in DC will be visiting the Holy Land as soon as they can. I was strengthened by their prayers for my family and for our brave soldiers, and heartened by their dedication to Israel in the face of such opposition. 

The most impactful part of the trip was undoubtedly the final morning, when the siblings of two hostages, Or Levy and Romi Leshem-Gonen, shared the story of their loved ones. Our group are all lovers of Israel, and all know about the hostages, but I saw on their faces that this encounter will change them for the rest of their lives. 

Unity in prayer

After the meeting, we walked together to the National Mall. We were a group of 250 young American Christians, a smattering of Israelis such as myself, my colleague Joanna Peled, and these two brave and broken hostage families. 

We prayed together, in English, Hebrew, and Spanish (there were some representatives from a Spanish-speaking church in Texas). We prayed for peace, for reconciliation, and of course, for the hostages to return home, now! 

I couldn’t help shedding tears of hope as we all sang “Hatikvah,” and prayed for the peace of Jerusalem. As our cries rang out loud and clear, I recalled that three days earlier the hatred and violence of the anti-Israel protest hung heavily on the air. Today, I reveled that I was on the right side of history. It was just love, peace, pain, and humanity. 

The writer, a tour guide and educator, lives in Tzur Hadassah with his family.