July 20, 2015 - A group of Catholic school educators from 11 states across the country - including David Tonnis, a Social Studies teacher at Saint Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, OH - traveled to Israel on an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) mission that aims to provide an advance course of study on anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and Catholic-Jewish relations.
The 20 participants in the nationally acclaimed ADL Bearing Witness Advanced™ program traveled in Israel from July 1 -July 9, where they visited Christian and Jewish holy sites and met with Holocaust survivors, members of the Israeli government, Arab Israelis, Israeli journalists, Catholic dignitaries, Jewish community leaders, interfaith experts and scholars.
“Being a part of the mission was an amazing opportunity,” said Saint Ursula Academy Social Studies teacher David Tonnis. “To get the chance to hear from various experts of the histories and challenges of life not only in Israel, but the Middle East opened my eyes to how complex the issues we discuss in class really are. Not only was I able to learn about the issues, but I was able to connect with my faith and to deepen my appreciation for other faiths that call Israel the Holy Land.”
The group traveled across Israel, with stops in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, the Golan Heights and Haifa. They toured the old city of Jerusalem, and numerous Christian churches and holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Church of the Annunciation, St. Joseph’s Church and Mount of Beatitudes.
The group visited Yad Vashem, Israel’s national memorial to the Holocaust and hear from representatives of the Israeli government, Israeli Defense Forces, the Arab-Jewish Community Center, the Apostolic Delegation, the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, and the Interfaith Encounter Association.
“This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for Catholic educators to experience first-hand the scope of Jewish life in today’s Israel,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “We hope that these educators will take these meaningful experiences of touching and feeling the history, coupled with a small immersion into contemporary Israeli society, back into their classrooms.
“All of this will certainly impact what I teach in the classroom,” said Tonnis, “but most of all are the experiences I have of talking with and learning from people of all faiths and backgrounds who have resolved to put differences aside to work for a lasting peace in the area.“
The educators represent middle and high schools in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio.
Since its inception in 1996, ADL Bearing Witness: Anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and Contemporary Issues has trained more than 1,900 Catholic school educators across the U.S. about the historical relationship between the Jewish and Catholic communities and the impact of that relationship on Catholic teaching, catechesis and liturgy. Bearing Witness Advanced was initiated in 2005 to allow Bearing Witness graduates to extend their learning and travel to Israel. The program is endorsed by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
St. Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. St. Ursula welcomes students from more than 70 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. In 2002 the Academy was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2015 earned college scholarships totaling more than $19-million.