From Head of Department Religious Education, Martina Cooper
During the summer break, I had the privilege of being part of an educator’s tour to Israel where I further developed my knowledge and experience of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. All participants planted a tree to represent their school and the hope of new life and the symbolic connection to the Holy Land.
It was an incredible journey; Christian highlights included walking the Stations of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the site of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection and celebrating Christmas Midnight Mass in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. From a Jewish perspective, the act of prayer and petition at the Western Wall was truly memorable.
I also developed a better understanding of the difficult pathway to peace in the Middle East and engaged with schools and communities next to the Gaza Strip. I hope that our Waverley College tree flourishes and is a hopeful sign of eventual peace in this most sacred land.
