Two stories from volunteers who spent the summer in Jerusalem working for ATS pro Terra Sancta projects

Federica worked for the project “Telling the Story of the Holy Land” while Claudio worked as part of “Books, Bridges of Peace“: here are the experiences of two young volunteers who came to Jerusalem over the summer to work in support of ATS pro Terra Sancta.

“I have a degree in archaeology and I’m in charge of cataloguing the numerous exhibits in the Archaeological Museum of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, under the supervision of Father Eugenio Alliata ofm. My job is therefore to look critically at the objects found during lengthy excavations, or from private collections, by analysing their form and function. The aim is to create a database that collects and summarises a lot of information. I work with other recent graduates and I’ve learned many things thanks to them. They also showed me round the city and the surrounding neighbourhoods. I’m very passionate about the month I spent in the Holy Land because I had a stimulating job, I got to know some wonderful people and I visited places steeped in history. I hope to come back soon!” Federica.

“This trip to the Holy Land has been an amazing experience; everything started a month ago, when I stepped into the Library of San Salvatore together with my co-workers and discovered thousands of books and boxes anxiously waiting to be moved to the new high-tech library.
It was a month of hard work, with “ancient” 500-year-old dust and toes crushed under piles of books, hard work which was also accompanied by wonderful journeys in the company of so many young people who, whether volunteers or not, were able to welcome me like a family. Together we walked around the Holy Land discovering wonderful places and cities, such as Acre, Bethlehem, Tiberias, the Dead Sea, Eilat, Petra and many others. This summer has been unlike any other: my first time in the Near East and the first time this country has taught me how many different cultures, religions and peoples can coexist in the same country, sometimes with friction, but also with love and peace. It’s been diverse summer, a summer that I will never forget.” Claudio.