Weekend for Families: A Unifying Experience in Tiberias

Friday: Gatherings and Connection

The experience began with room check-ins starting from 4:30 PM, followed by a gathering over coffee to prepare for the atmosphere of unity. At 5:30 PM, an opening meeting took place during which we spoke about the experience of the last weeks and the influence of the war on our families. This was followed by an evening prayer at 6:30 PM. The day concluded with a pleasant dinner (with Shabbat welcoming prayer) and a unique experience of a Rosary prayer at 8:00 PM.

Saturday: Insights, Sharing, and More

The second day of the event opened with a morning prayer at 8:00 AM and a substantial breakfast. Following that, there were informative sessions related to the theme of the Holy Family from Nazareth (by fr.. Piotr) the communication in our families and the way we react in difficult situations (by Ania). During the breaks, coffee was served, and after lunch and a traditional siesta Fr. Apo gave a talk about the history of the nativity scene.

In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche, or in Italian presepio or presepe) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects representing the birth of Jesus. While the term "nativity scene" may be used of any representation of the very common subject of the Nativity of Jesus in art, it has a more specialized sense referring to seasonal displays, in particular sets of individual sculptural figures and props that are arranged for display.

This year marks 800 years since St. Francis built the first manger scene in Greccio.

The entire afternoon our families built the mangers. The weekend concluded with the Holy Mass celebrated by fr. Piotr.

After the Mass, all participants enjoyed a delightful refreshment of Hannukah donuts prepared by Ibrahim and Paula and safely traveled home with extraordinary experiences and moments of unparalleled unity.

The Story Continues Beyond Words

The Weekend for Families in Tiberias was not just about spiritual nourishment but also about human connections. In the near future, we plan to continue and expand activities, inviting everyone to collaborate and stay updated on upcoming events and activities on our website.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making the weekend a unique experience: Fr. Piotr, Fr. Apolinary, Ania, Saja and Rivka (who could not be present with us).

Big thank-you to Fr. Andrej and the entire Community Koinonia John the Baptist for the hospitality.

If you have photos from the event, we invite you to share them with the community on our Facebook page.