Milwaukee pilgrimage organizer Tom Golding is working with three faith leaders to plan a pilgrimage to Turkey. The local Friendship Force club is hosting an inbound delegation from Izmir, Turkey in the summer of 2009 -- a good chance to begin building relationships that would enrich a subsequent pilgrimage to Turkey. Dr. Zuliqar Ali Shah, Religious Director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee is the Muslim faith leader. The Jewish leader is Rabbi Marc Berkson of Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun. Dr. Jesuit Simon Harak, professor of theology and Director of the Center for Peacemaking at Marquette University is the Christian faith leader.

Communities in Western North Carolina were originally planning a pilgrimage to Turkey for the fall of 2008, but they have decided to postpone it in order to do more interfaith bridge building. The communities involved include Asheville, Hendersonville and Weaverville. They held two highly successful benefit concerts in September that raised $2500 toward scholarships for pilgrims.

The Northern Illinois Friendship Force club is planning a pilgrimage from Chicago to two of Chicago’s sister cities in Israel and Palestine. Pilgrimage Coordinator Dave Meyer is working with Rabbi Michael Zekek of Emmanual Congregation, Rev. Eddie D. Gaines of Shiloh M. B. Church, and Gerald Hankerson, Outreach Coordinator for the Council on American Islamic Relations in Chicago.

Other communities planning pilgrimages include Charlottesville VA, Dayton OH, San Francisco and Los Angeles CA, Lincoln NE and Hartford CT.

If you are interested in learning more about any of these pilgrimages or starting a pilgrimage planning committee in your area, contact Leslie Withers lwithers@thefriendshipforce.org, national Pilgrimage Project Coordinator for Friendship Force International.