“I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. (…) I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the wilderness; I will plant junipers, plane trees, and cypresses together in the desert; so that all may see and understand and consider it in their hearts and measure that the hand of the Lord has made this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:17-20
Israel – a land full of God's wonders. This autumn, we are planning a special trip where we will discover Israel together and become part of what God is doing in this land. We want to contribute to planting trees in the desert and making it green and blooming. We will spend the first few days on a farm in the heart of the Negev Desert, helping the owners with the olive harvest. Afterward, we will participate in a reforestation project in a forest near Be'er Sheva. In the second part of the trip, we will travel from Jerusalem to various farms, working alongside Israelis on day trips.
We also want to meet people who have experienced personal times of hardship. We will spend time with both Holocaust survivors and survivors of the October 7th attacks, listen to their stories, and offer them a little comfort.
In addition to practical work, we are particularly keen to create space for personal encounters and exchange. We want to gain a deeper understanding of the Jewish perspective on the Word of God and allow ourselves to be moved, enriched, and inspired by it. The end of our journey will take us to Jerusalem. Here, we will receive biblical instruction from Johannes Gerloff and would especially like to offer those traveling to Israel for the first time the opportunity to discover selected sights.
Our accommodations and meals on this trip will be very basic. In the desert, we will bring our own sleeping bags and sleep in tents. Since the specific needs and deployment plans of our partners cannot yet be fully assessed, flexibility and openness are essential for participation. Furthermore, participants should possess a basic level of physical fitness for the practical work assignments.
Number of participants: 14 people
Our tour guide:
Claudia Schall
Claudia has traveled to Israel many times. Carrying the message "Israel, you are not alone – God has not rejected you," she visited the country almost every vacation after October 7, 2023. She usually joined harvest worker groups, met numerous farmers, and learned their moving stories. These experiences and encounters touched her so deeply that she began organizing her own travel groups. In 2025, she took a group of volunteers to Israel for the first time, with support from CSI.
Livia Tiersch
Livia's connection to Israel dates back to her childhood. Following the events of October 7, 2023, she traveled to Israel several times as a volunteer, providing hands-on assistance on farms and in various kibbutzim, and offering comfort to the local people during difficult times. Her deepest desire is to make her love for God's people tangible in a practical way. Since the beginning of this year, she has been a valuable member of the aid projects team at CSI.