This program will not run in January 2025. If you would like to be notified when the January 2026 program information is posted and registration is open, please send a note to Kitty Atkins, DRI Associate Director, with your request (kitty.atkins@mitchellhamline.edu).
Holy Land | January 1-10, 2024
2 credit ABA-approved January Term study abroad
Students may earn a 3rd credit by submitting an additional paper on a course related topic, pre-approved by the program director.
This program is offered in cooperation with the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Studying law and conflict resolution in the Holy Land, under the guidance of a diverse group of international faculty, provides students a unique opportunity to gain a fresh perspective on the intersection of law and religion while thinking about dispute resolution methods in ways they did not anticipate.
The course offers students the opportunity to explore some of the traditions of the Abrahamic Religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and consider how these traditions have shaped dispute resolution values. Students will learn about the Jewish Beth Din, Palestinian tradition of sulha, and Christian and Muslim Courts and how they operate within the Holy Land today. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with individuals from the different faith traditions and learn how they are involved in the peacemaking process.
The program begins with a week in Jerusalem at the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus. The second part of the class includes planned visits to Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, and Tzfat. These visits will include meetings with Peacemakers from each of the faith traditions, a negotiation class with a public law school in Tzfat, and in-the-field opportunities to experience this religiously, politically and culturally diverse society which utilizes traditional and innovative methods for resolving disputes.
Rothberg International School, Hebrew University of Jersualem
Ranked 5th in the nation in dispute resolution programs by U.S. News & World Report.
The program is open to degree-candidate law students who have completed their first year of study at an ABA-accredited law school, lawyers seeking continuing legal education credits, graduate students, divinity students, and members of the clergy and other professionals.
- Attend in 2024 (Application form link)
- Program and Travel Details
- 2024 Holy Land Calendar (PDF)
- Course Materials
Faculty
Program Director
Sharon Press, Dispute Resolution Institute Director and Mitchell Hamline School of Law Professor
Christian Traditions
Hana Bendcowsky, program director, Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations. Bendcowsky teaches the session on Christian Traditions and accompanies the group to the Old City.
Islamic Traditions for Conflict Resolution
Qadi Ahmad Natour, former president, High Sharia’a Court of Appeal, Israel; associate professor of the practice, Hebrew University
Jewish Traditions
Daniel Sinclair, Wolff Fellow in Jewish law and visiting professor of law, Fordham University Law School; professor of Jewish Law and Comparative Biomedical Law, CMAS Law School, Rishon Lezion; adjunct professor of Comparative Biomedical Law, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Conflict Resolution Practice
Michael Tsur , senior fellow with the Dispute Resolution Institute, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, is a lawyer, and an expert in negotiation, conflict resolution, crisis management and mediation.
Coordinator of Field Visits
Ophir Yarden, Director of Education of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel and a senior lecturer in Jewish and Israel studies at Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center
Student representation
In 2023, 26 students enrolled in the program, the maximum number of students that may enroll in any given year. Each year JD students are joined by a few professionals from the legal and other professional arenas. For 2024 we anticipate similar enrollment.
Student perspectives on past Holy Land programs
“This course exceeded my expectations. I learned more than I anticipated and grew spiritually, personally, and culturally. I look forward to using what I have learned.”
“The course exceeded my expectations by providing a very exciting and thought-provoking mix of academic approaches to both practical and philosophical aspects of conflict resolution in religious and inter-religious contexts, as well as opportunities to interact with people who are involved in concrete efforts of peace building, mediation and negotiation.”
“The program was extremely interesting, challenging and full of brilliant lectures. I loved the depth of knowledge that these individuals had.”
“I really enjoyed the organization and overall topics covered in the class. I also felt that there was a great balance between student involvement and lecturing. The depth and breadth of the class appropriately presented issues objectively and fairly while encouraging deep analysis of religious conflict.”
Our highest priority remains the health and safety of our students. We strive to partner with you to make well-informed decisions about studying abroad, and we will continue to monitor public health and travel advisory guidance from local public health officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of State, and International SOS with respect to our study abroad program decisions.
See Program Cancellation on our Program and Travel Details page for more information regarding program alterations or parameters for program cancellation.
Questions
Contact: Kitty.Atkins@mitchellhamline.edu | 651-695-7677