Hope in the Holy Land

Hope Pilgrim
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Conversations with people from Jerusalem and the West Bank about their life, the land and the challenges they face. We talk about their hope for the future and how the global community can support them in their pursuit of justice and peace.

  1. 1d ago

    Salwa Mussulam - Bethlehem

    A Palestinian Christian tour guide, Salwa Mussulam shares her family’s history, her deep connection to Bethlehem, and how war and the collapse in tourism have affected local families and livelihoods. Raised in Colombia and back in Bethlehem by the age of seven, Salwa speaks about the challenges facing the city’s Christian community, the impact of lost tourism on guides and small businesses, and why she has chosen to stay in the place she calls home. She also reflects on Palestinian Christian identity, life among Bethlehem’s churches and schools, and how visiting the Holy Land changed the way she reads the Bible. In this conversation, Salwa explains why tourism matters so much to Bethlehem and offers a heartfelt invitation to visit, learn, and support the people who live there. Her message is simple: come and see Bethlehem—not only its history, but the community that calls it home. More information about Salwa's Tours here.

  2. Sep 12

    Gaza Great Minds Foundation - Ahmad Abu Riziq - Gaza City

    This is an amazing episode. My conversation with Ahmad Riziq was both challenging and inspiring. He is the twenty-nine year old founder and CEO of Gaza Great Minds Foundation. This is an initiative created following the destruction of education facilities in Gaza over the last three years. Through GGM, some children in Gaza are able to access education and essential psychological support. Ahmad tells how GGM started in Spring 2024. He describes seeing a young boy carrying a school bag running through the streets. Initially assuming the child was going to school, he followed hoping to find a functioning school only to discover the boy was chasing parachuted aid packages. Convinced that he needed to do something about children's lost education, he and his colleagues established their first tent classroom offering free education. Initially they expected around 50 children but more than 200 arrived on the first day. On 7 May 2024 they connected with international activists who helped advocate and raise funds for the project. Today GGM provides education and professional psychological support to children affected by the continuing death and destruction in Gaza. They have established schools in northern and southern Gaza supporting thousands of students. More recently GGM have developed a creative writing initiative to help students deal with their trauma. In this podcast, Ahmad speaks of his own life, too - about his wife and their three children. He describes dealing with symptoms of trauma from the events he's experienced and how his elderly father was shot dead by a sniper following the "ceasefire". Despite the harrowing nature of this interview, it was still deeply inspiring. Ahmad's focus and determination is to continue to teach: “To ensure every child in Gaza has access to education and the chance to rebuild their lives, amidst the genocide & beyond." Through creativity, imagination and laughter - the children of GGM have the capacity to see the beauty of life again. While it is easy to believe there is little we can do in Britain to help the children of Gaza - the existence of GGM shows this is untrue. There is so much we can do that will make a real difference. First share this podcast with everyone you know. Tell people about GGM and let them know they can help. Share it with your Church community, Mosque or Synagogue. Encourage your children's schools to connect with GGM. Raise money and never stop talking about Gaza. There is a whole page of ways you can volunteer: https://gazagreatminds.org/volunteer/ Subscribe to their substack for regular updates https://substack.com/@UCz8JD8Tq7YrHsho0EIOkUzQ Become a paid follower on Patreon and check out their online store: https://www.patreon.com/cw/GazaGreatMinds https://www.youtube.com/@UCz8JD8Tq7YrHsho0EIOkUzQ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560810820215 https://instagram.com/gazagreatminds https://tiktok.com/@gazagreatminds https://twitter.com/gazagreatminds

  3. Sep 1

    Father Firas Khoury - Parish Priest - Zababdeh

    In this conversation, I speak with Father Firas Khoury - a Greek Melkite Catholic Priest in Zababdeh in the northern West Bank. We speak about life for Christians in Palestine, the local economy, and the urgent need for peace, justice, and practical support. Donate here: https://buymeacoffee.com/eringrimm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melkite2024... Key topics covered Father Firas introduces himself, his family’s long history in Zababdeh, and his identity as Palestinian, Arab, and Christian. He explains Zababdeh’s location, population, and mixed Christian-Muslim community life. The discussion explores the village’s Catholic school, agriculture, and the role of shared education in building peace. Father Firas describes severe economic hardship caused by war, permit restrictions, reduced salaries, unemployment, and loss of access to work in Israel. He details the impact of settlements, checkpoints, road restrictions, land confiscation, and water control on daily life. The conversation turns to the growing fear of emigration among Christian families and the risk of empty churches and disappearing Christian communities in the Holy Land. Father Firas reflects on the future of the two-state solution, the weakening of the Palestinian Authority, and fears of deeper instability. When asked what people in the UK, USA, and Europe should understand and do; Father Firas calls for prayer, courageous advocacy, and concrete support for justice and peace. We discuss educational support, community projects, and the importance of helping families remain through livelihoods rather than dependency. Father Firas shares his efforts to build peace projects, raise funds, and support schools, medical care, and families in need. The conversation ends with reflection on Church support, including the Church of England’s willingness to receive the Kairos II document, listening to Palestinian voices and the need for Roman Catholic engagement as well. Notable themes Peace-building across religious communities Christian survival in the Holy Land Economic hardship and forced emigration Land, water, and mobility restrictions The role of the global Church in advocacy and solidarity

  4. Aug 28 ·  Bonus

    The last Christians of the Holy Land

    This is the story of the world's oldest Christian community - and what may be the last generation of a 2000 year history in the land of the Resurrection. Join us to support the vulnerable communities of the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza. www.pilgrimsofhope.co.uk

  5. Aug 26

    Usama Nicola - Peace Activist - Bethlehem

    In episode 7 of the Hope in the Holy Land podcast, I speak with Usama Nicola - tour guide and peace activist from Bethlehem. This episode is notable for its emphasis on the doctrine of the Incarnation and its unique relevance to the Palestinian Christian pursuit of justice and peace. As always, it was a pleasure to speak with Usama Nicola. Please subscribe to his Patreon page for his regular "Updates from Bethlehem" Patreon Facebook #bethlehem #justiceandpeace #hopefortheholyland #pilgrimsofhope #westbank

  6. Aug 24

    Amoun Sleem - Domari Society of Gypsies in Jerusalem

    Between the Lion and the Stork you'll find the gypsies of Bab Hutta... Amoun Sleem was born and raised in this neighbourhood, and she lives there to this day with the families of her five brothers and four sisters. When I first met Amoun in January 2025, it was four miles north of Bab Hutta in the district of Shuafat at the “Domari Society of Gypsies in Jerusalem.” In the following interview she describes her journey. From anger at the discrimination which cut short her own education, to developing a program that transforms the lives of women and girls in a community where female illiteracy is 80%. After a brief catch-up, the conversation continued as recorded. #domari #jerusalem #hopefortheholyland #pilgrimsofhope #ethicaltourism #babhutta #burjalluqluq If you would like to learn mo9re about the work of the Domari Society and support their work, please click here: https://www.domarisociety.com/support-a-program Timestamps 00:00 - Introducing Amun Sleem and the Domari Society 00:43 - The Dom people’s history and roots in India 01:42 - On the word "Gypsy" and why it is still used 03:09 - Dom, Roma, and Lom: related but distinct groups 04:18 - Living between Palestinian and Israeli societies 06:01 - How many Dom people live in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza 07:16 - Dom neighborhoods in and around Jerusalem 08:34 - Crossing checkpoints from Shuafat and Qalandia 09:55 - Residency, citizenship, and identity in Jerusalem 10:49 - Life in Bab Hutta near Lions Gate 13:50 - Growing up in a mixed neighborhood in the Old City 15:53 - School discrimination and dropping out as a child 18:15 - Returning to education to build a better future 18:38 - A large extended family living together in the Old City 19:40 - Marriage within the community and more recent intermarriage 20:29 - Religion in the Dom community 21:35 - Jobs, unemployment, and limited career paths 23:37 - Why Amun founded the Domari Society 26:12 - Building the nonprofit and opening the center 27:10 - Programs for women, children, and struggling families 29:31 - Skills training that helps women earn from home 30:46 - The Domari language as a spoken-only language 32:10 - Cultural differences in look, weddings, and traditions 37:47 - Family history in the same neighborhood for more than 120 years 39:42 - The community’s historical movement through the Middle East 40:21 - A young woman from tutoring to law school 42:25 - Why men in the community struggle with addiction and low opportunity 44:29 - Summer camp, school supplies, and children’s activities 45:59 - The impact of war, COVID, and funding cuts 49:32 - Tourism, visitors, and how they used to support the center 51:34 - Amun’s message to listeners in the UK and USA 52:23 - Travel limits and the need to raise awareness 53:25 - What would happen if the community center closed 54:42 - Domari food, hospitality, and cultural sharing 56:21 - Final thoughts on visiting Jerusalem and supporting the community Notable quotes "We are one of the most discriminated society in the Holy Land." "In the place of anger, I turn it to a place where I can really make bridges between us and between others." "If we close this community center, it's mean the gypsies not exist in the Holy Land."

  7. Aug 19

    Amir Tamer - Gaza City

    In this episode I speak to Amir Tamer - a twenty-one year old man from Gaza. We speak about his childhood, the current reality and how he sees the future for himself and the children of his neighbourhood, Al-Deraj, where the local school was bombed in 2024. This was an incredibly poignant conversation. It made me recall the year I started University and my own daughter starting her undergraduate studies, too. The constant noise of children in the background, and wondering what their lives will be like make this very difficult but necessary listening. Those children can have a future - but it depends on what the world does next... "Then, around eighteen, you start to make plans and become ambitious. You think about achieving things, trying things… About travelling and deciding what you want to do. I actually had a conditional offer to study at Goldsmiths University in London, but the summer I turned eighteen ended on October 7th and our lives were turned upside down. It is like something takes you from being young man and makes you take responsibility. Not only for yourself, but for the people around you. We don’t have the chance to be young anymore, and it will never come back." Donate to Amir's gofundme page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-and-my-family-to-resist-genocide?attribution_id=sl:96ad8687-ec64-47f8-a9f5-74f3d33e902b&lang=en_US&utm_campaign=man_ss_icons&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link Amir's YouTube address: https://youtube.com/@ameer-prince1?si=ecmc76J4HMZlGEnK

  8. Aug 12 ·  Bonus

    Blog Post: First Holy Communion in Gaza - 1000 days later

    This is an audio recording of a blog post that was first written about the children of Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City who made their First Holy Communion in 2024. It is also a reflection on the conditions prevailing in Gaza today and the effect 1000 days of conflict is likely to have on a generation of children.

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About

Conversations with people from Jerusalem and the West Bank about their life, the land and the challenges they face. We talk about their hope for the future and how the global community can support them in their pursuit of justice and peace.

Information

  • Creator
    Hope Pilgrim
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hope Pilgrim