Activities

Study Program
Every year, a new theme is pursued in monthly lectures, in occasional one-day conferences and at the concluding annual retreat. The theme for 2012-2013 is: "Perceptions of Asceticism in Christian and Jewish Thought and Practice". 

Continuing Education: Seminars & Groups
Through its membership and broad range of local contacts, ETRFI is able to organize seminars and lectures for visiting groups from all over the world, including Europe, America, Africa, Asia. A wide range of academic and spiritual issues are examined in a Jewish and Christian setting. In an era of rising anti-Semitism, it is increasingly important to provide a forum for visiting Christian scholars, religious leaders and lay persons alike to be re-connected to the land of their faith from both a historical and modern perspective, studying texts relevant to both Judaism and Christianity, in order to re-focus their understanding of Christianity's roots in the land and tradition of Eretz Israel.

Ecumenical excursions
ETRFI arranges excursions for the local Christian communities including Christian students enrolled at the Hebrew University, local clergy, diplomatic personnel, and many others. Excursions include guided visits to religious, archaeological and historical sites in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. These excursions provide a unique learning opportunity and serve as an effective means of bringing together Christians of all denominations sharing a common interest. 

Student Christian Forum
In response to the various needs of Christian students from abroad studying in Israel in Christian institutions or at the Hebrew University, ETRFI offers activities and guidance to help them to integrate their studies and experiences.

Catalogue Project
Starting with a Cardinal Bea Prize, ETRFI has collected references to literature on the Jewish-Christian encounter throughout history. The thousands of entries in our system permit the compilation of bibliographies by author, keyword or any of some 300 main topics and sub-categories; in more than ten languages, principally English, French and German.

Christian Orthodox Community Support
The local community of Christians is a minority within a minority. Christians in Israel and the Palestinian Authority combined make up only 2.5% of the population. It has been a privilege to provide annually, a week-long summer camp for a group of more than 50 Syrian Orthodox youth who belong to the Scouts organization in Bethlehem, as well as provide annual assistance towards the payment of their school fees. Many thanks to all of our donors!