Dear friends of Magdala, Happy New Year! It is with great joy and enthusiasm that I am writing this first newsletter of 2016. Last year flew by! It was truly in the blink of an eye that I remember being in my office in the summer and hearing of the launch of the new Magdala…
Volunteers think they come to Magdala to have an interesting and enriching life experience in the Holy Land, but their real purpose and involvement consists of leaving their footprints at Magdala. There is something special about Magdala that makes people want to leave behind their family and friends, work, studies, and many other comforts to…
What do a Jewish Rabbi, a Catholic priest and a Muslim archaeologist have in common? No, this is not a set up for a joke! They are “three wise men” who met in Magdala on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, which celebrates the three kings who visited Jesus after his birth. In a…
2015 was yet another significant milestone in the development of Magdala. We thank all of those who have faithfully prayed for and participated in this vision. Many amazing things happened at Magdala last year, but we wanted to capture some of the statistics for what was accomplished. The new Magdala website launched in June, 2015.…
Dear Friends of Magdala, We are coming to the conclusion of 2015, the first full year of life for Magdala since its official inauguration in May of 2014. During this year we hosted more than 100,000 visitors. We are very happy and thankful to God for this. As the Christmas feasts and the New Year…
In Magdala, the world comes to us and shares in the riches of Jewish and Christian history. During 2015, we have received over 72,000 visitors. Twenty three percent of the people who come to see the synagogue as well as the Duc In Altum worship center are local Jewish people. Thirty seven percent are English…
Like a whetstone that sharpens our “Gospel-memory”, the animals at Magdala are a wonderful attraction that help remind the visitors of evangelical verses as they walk through the archaeological park. Donkeys, hens, sheep, camels, goats and a dog make up Magdala’s on-site Gospel Farm. Our Magdala volunteers have been cleaning, feeding, and befriending these animals…
Written by Jennifer Ristine After 15 months of giving tours in Magdala, the motto “Crossroads of Jewish and Christian History” slides off my tongue without a second thought about its significance. But recently the motto came alive for me during prayer. Praying with an Old Testament love song, The Song of Songs, conjured up images…
Throughout the history of the volunteer program at Magdala, the majority of volunteers come from other countries to share their time and talents in Israel. However, during the week of November 8, Magdala was swarming morning, noon, and night with a group of 87 15-year-olds who camped on Magdala’s grounds, accompanied by six teachers, three…
This past month of September, an event in the US took place that was the highlight of public opinion forums and discussions across the world, the visit of Pope Francis to Cuba and the US. The main purpose of the Pontiff´s visit to the US was the World Meeting of Families, which took place September…
