About the Intensive
The purpose of the two-week residential Summer (May) Intensive in Bethlehem is to provide students a first-hand experience of the challenges of peacemaking and of pursuing justice in the context of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The intensive will help students bridge the divide between the theory they have learned in the semester-length courses and actual peacemaking on the ground. Most of the ten days of the intensive are structured around a morning time for spiritual reflection, several hours of lecture and/or field trip, followed by a debriefing about the field trip. Students will have scheduled conversations with Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders, peacemakers, and organizations. Students are free to explore on the weekend.
Academics
Students (taking the course for credit) will earn 6 credits for participation in the Summer Intensive. The credits will be based on the hours of classroom lectures, field experience, and reading. A final reflection paper, due two weeks after the end of the Intensive, will complete its academic requirements. The topics of the lectures and workshops will include learning to appreciate different expressions of peacemaking, the importance of spirituality and resilience in contexts of conflict, healing from trauma, culture and peacemaking, and more. Outings will include the a comprehensive tour of Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethlehem, the divided city of Hebron, a refugee camp in Bethlehem, and important peacebuilding organizations in Bethlehem and the area. On the free weekend, students are encouraged to visit places of worship and explore Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Preliminary readings and short essays will be assigned which is to be completed before students arrive at the Intensive for all course participants, both credit and audit. A final reflection paper is also assigned for credit students.
Location and Logistics
The Summer Intensive is based at Bethlehem Bible College which is in downtown Bethlehem. Students stay in the College’s guest house and have meals in its cafeteria. The room, meals during the week, and local travel for field trips are included in the local cost which is in addition to the tuition. The lectures are in the College’s classrooms. The college is located centrally in Bethlehem, so students in their free time can explore the city including the Church of the Nativity which alleges to be built over the place of Jesus’ birth. Students may extend their stay at the College after the conclusion of the Summer Intensive but should make arrangements in advance with the College to do so.
Travel Logistics
International students, unless they are traveling from Jordan, should arrive at Ben Gurion Airport during the weekend before the Intensive. The College can help arrange transportation directly from the airport to the College campus in Bethlehem. The cost of the transportation will be the student’s responsibility. More information will be provided about immigration at the Tel Aviv airport closer to the date of the Intensive.
The application deadline is April 15 for the Summer Intensive which is conducted in the last two weeks of May (approximately May 15-26) .Students should arrive on the Sunday before the beginning of the Intensive, or earlier. The cost of the Summer Intensive includes tuition for 6 credits for either Audit or Credit is $990. Local costs (guest house – double room, two meals per day during the week, and transportation on field trips) is $1300. Note: Costs may be adjusted before May 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can the courses be taken out of order?
A: Yes, Courses can be taken out of order; however, preference is given for admissions to the Summer Intensive to those who are enrolled in the Certificate Program and/or already have taken the semester-length courses.
Q: Do you have to listen to the lectures at fixed times?
A. No. The lectures are pre-recorded and so can be viewed at the student’s convenience; however, students need to view the lectures within the weekly schedule.
Q: About how many hours per week do the courses require?
A: As with any university-level course, each credit hour corresponds to a minimum of 3 hours of student engagement per week. Of course this is an average over the semester. So some weeks may require less time.
Q. What is required of auditing students?
A: Audit students are those who take the course without being required to complete the assignments. They have access to all the lectures and reading as do the students taking the course for credit.
Q. Does Bethlehem Bible College issue an a transcript for the courses taken?
A: Yes, for students who have taken the course for credit, an official transcript will be provided upon request which facilitates the transfer of credits to another academic institution.
