Emily and Edmund's Journey to Palestine

My name is Nadia Milleron. I am going on a journey with the Tree of Life Educational Fund from March 12-26 to witness conditions of people in Palestine. The Tree of Life Educational Fund is a fantastic organization that was established to "provide cross-cultural and transnational travel experiences, interfaith conferences and educational opportunities to help participants to become more enlightened and more engaged in making this a more just and peaceful world in which to live." This is planned to be an amazing journey, born out of the friendship between members of the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford and The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, and open to all in the inter- and non-faith communities.

This GoFundMe page is to support the journey of Emily Kress and her son Edmund, unable to participate without help, so they can go on the trip.

This journey will have a special focus on the role of women, past and present, in their struggle to give birth to a New Creation. The Land of Canaan, sometimes called the “Holy Land” or the “Land of Promise”, is a place replete with the sacred stories of women who by their love, courage, resilience and determination endeavor to make their communities a place where all God’s children could learn to live together in peace. The purpose of the Tree of Life journey is to bring outside communities into touch with those in the Palestinian territories as well as Palestinians living as refugees away from their heritage homes. It is a quest to understand the experience of those who have had to adapt in the face of violence, turmoil, and their resilience as well as a quest for human rights and peace.  

The trip itinerary will include visits to: the Bedouin community of the Negev, the city of Bethlehem, Hebron, Taybeh, Nablus (and Jacob's Wall), Sea of Galilee and Mount of Beatitudes, the old City of Jerusalem, and then the Jordan extension in Wadi Rum, Petra, and Amman. For full itinerary details see: http://www.tolef.org/journeys/tree-of-life-journey-march-2019/tol-journey-march-2019-information/. 

The cost of the trip is as follows: tickets and insurance for 2 RT airfares to Amman - $2,284 , transportation - $3,700 each, as well as accommodation and food for the rest of the trip. The total we need to raise for Emily & Edmund is $8,184.  

For those of you who know Emily and Edmund - this is a fantastic opportunity for a wonderful mother and son, who are important members of your own community, to experience a trip of this magnitude and thoughtfulness. I am thrilled that they have decided to travel with us, and know that if each person who knows them can support a little bit, that this will be a successful shared effort. It would also be such an incredible opportunity for Emily and Edmund to have the time to bond together during this trip as well as with others across the world. Plus I know they will be thrilled to share stories from their travels with each of you upon their return.

For those of you who don't know this kind family, please consider supporting with whatever you can. And consider that Tree of Life has annual trips open to all - perhaps you can keep connected and join one of the journeys in the future!

Each person going commits to talk about the experience upon returning - which means that Emily and Edmund will explain to faith and non-faith communities what they have witnessed on the journey. It is a way for communities in the US to engage with one other on a deeper level about the realities of conflict, peace, and opportunities of people in Palestine and Israel and to share important experiences for a longstanding connection.

Thank you in advance for your generosity! If you are curious to learn more, I would be pleased to give you more information about the trip or about the Tree of Life Education Fund organization. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to all!


Emily and six of her nine children including Edmund.