INVITATION :

We welcome You to join our efforts in supporting Christians in the Holy Land!

Our goals express the following points:

• promoting christian values;
• initiating and supporting projects aiming at defending christians wherever persecuted in the world;
• supporting christian communities in the Holy Land by the means of finances and formation;
• promoting trips to the Holy Land and deepening our knowledge of the christian sites;
• creating awareness of our christian roots and heritage as well as the need for responsibility for each other.

Olive Trees

– Sign of Peace and Hope

Olive leaf

– symbol of Peace and Hope

Few points to describe the significance of olive roots:

• the whole human family is like a tree, many branches seemingly spreading into many different directions and yet the whole tree held together by its roots. we are all rooted in the same God's act of Creation;
• as one human family we should learn how to experience our brotherhood in a more tangible way, but in order to feel for each other, first we need to realise our common human condition;
• as christians we understand that our spiritual roots will bring us back to the place from where christianity has originated;
• olive tree is a symbol of strength and endurance, seemingly small and insignificant and yet strong enough to withstand even the wildest storms;
• olive tree is also meant to bear fruit, its oil has been used for various very significant purposes: people use it for the food, light and medicine, oil used to serve for annointing kings and prophets, it is still being used during the first and the most important Sacrament of Baptism;
• olive leaf used to symbolise peace and reconcilation, symbol traced back to the time of Noah when after a Flood a dove had been sent to check if the earth is already at peace and suitable to receive its inhabitans again;
• finaly, for us christians the olive garden will always bring to mind the last hours of Jesus praying before his passion and also the olive wood became the tool of our salvation since the cross on which Jesus has paid for our sins has been made of olive wood. 

The adopted tree will receive the name of the person adopting it and in this symbolical way you have your roots in the Holy Land which bear fruit. It is an encouragement and reminder for us believers that we can never take our faith for granted.

HOW TO JOIN THE PROJECT:

"Adopting" an olive tree entitles you to a few benefits. You will receive the picture of your olive tree with your name placed over there, a bottle of virgin olive oil (750 ml), and small souvenir made of olive woods.  (*You can donate any amount you like but the minimum amount to receive those benefits is US $100 a year. )  You are also very much welcome to join the trip to Holy Land with the group or individually and expeirence the hospitality of christians in whose garden your olive tree is growing and bearing fruit.

Benefits:

IF YOU DESIRE TO BE ROOTED IN THE LAND OF JESUS BY ADOPTING AN OLIVE TREE and thus helping the christians in the Holy Land to support their olive gardens:

• send a donation and adopt your own olive tree;
• join us in promoting the idea of olive roots!

Remember, the financial support is not a condition of your participation in our projects! Your prayer is highly appreciated.

RETREATS IN HOLY LAND: 

"Ongoing formation is the condition for the growth of our christian identity"

Christians living in Galilee are offering their gardens as a place to discover daily lives of local communities there.  The invitation provides the opportunity for organising various trips for youth and adults with the itinerary and programme adjusted to the needs of a particular group.  The goal of retreat trips is also to widen the horizons of understanding christian traditions, especialy the beautiful eastern rites.  We would like to cooperate with the best guides in the Holy Land as well as with the local priests in order to provide time for prayer and reflection but also to create an opportunity for sharing testimony and getting to know each other in a deeper way.  Our christian friends in Galilee are open to receive groups of youth who would be willing to experience a christian camp in the midst of the fields and olive gardens in the heart of Galilee.  

CONTACT:

OLIVE ROOTS ASSOCIATION ISRAEL OFFICE

Email: hane.hm@gmail.com

Phone: +972-54-783-6115 (I'm on WhatsApp) 

DEIR HANNA

In the 2nd to 4th centuries, the Jewish village of Kfar Yohanna (כפר יוחנה) was known in as the seat of the Cohens of Yakhin, the 21st of the 24 Priestly Courses or Priestly Watches (משמרות הכהונה).

According to one source, in the Crusader times Deir Hanna was a fief known as "Ber Henne", belonging to Phillipe le Rous. However, according to Petersen, there are no traces of Crusader occupation in the village. Deir Hanna was a base for the az-Zaydānī -family, and as such increased greatly in importance with Dhaher al-Omar rise to power in the 18th century.

In the late 19th century, it was described as: "High walls all around the village, which is built of stone. The walls have round towers, and were built by Dhaher el Amrs son, Sad el Amr. It is situated on the top of a high ridge, and contains about 400 Christians. It is surrounded by olive-groves and arable land. Water is obtained from cisterns and an old paved birkeh to the north of the village."

At the time of the 1931 census, Deir Hanna had 117 occupied houses and a population of 427 Muslims and 136 Christians. In 1945, it had 750 Arab inhabitants, who owned a total of owned 15,350 dunams of land.

During Operation Hiram, 29-31 October 1948, the town surrendered to the advancing Israeli army. Many of the inhabitants fled north but some stayed and were not expelled by the Israeli soldiers. Deir Hanna remained under Martial Law until 1966.

The town has been through a thorough modernization process in the last 10 years, and now has a full education system, health care facilities and sports playgrounds. Deir Hanna forms the Land Day triangle with Sakhnin and Arraba.