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About Yisca Harani

Yisca Harani

Lecturer, advisor, researcher, and guide in the field of Christian history and Pilgrimage. Yisca has over 30 years of experience (since the first Christianity seminar held in Israel in 1989).  She has been instructing, counseling, and advising thousands of students, teachers, tour guides, Israeli foreign ministry diplomats and government officials in various subjects related to Christianity.

Education

Teaching

Tel Aviv University, world history department, religious studies program, B.A. with honors.

PhD studies (direct track)

Seminar Hakkibutzim (Kibbutzim College), Tel Aviv, Teaching certification.

Central school for Tourism, Tel Aviv, Tourist guide certification.

Ministry of Tourism: department of professional training in Tourism, school of Tourism 1995-2020
Ben-Zvi Institute: Head of the Tourist Guide program. In charge of the studies for acquiring a specialty certification in Christianity from the Ministry of Tourism 2006-2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Cadets course, conducted workshops about Christianity 2005-2020.
Adult education: lectures in various institutions such as Avshalom Institute, Ben Zvi Institute, Katedra, Haifa Museums, etc. 1999-2020.
Wesleyan University (USA branch in Jerusalem) Department of religious studies 1995-2000.
Long Island University (USA  branch in Jerusalem) Department of religious studies 1998-2000.
Beit Berl College: Department of Israel studies 1996, 2003
Tel Aviv University: Religious studies program 1996.

Leading and instructing of Study Tours

continuing education programs for Tourist guides, Ministry of Tourism
Instruction of students and staff.
Tel Aviv University, Ofakim program, Judaism as a culture study.
Hebrew University, Religious studies department, Revivim program,         Institute for advanced studies.
Van Leer Jerusalem Institute.
Instructing in International conferences:
Tel Aviv University
Ben Gurion University
Hebrew University, Institute for advanced studies
Van Leer Jerusalem Institute
Instructing guest lecturers (Peter Brown, Graham Stanton, Hans Dieter Betz, etc.)

Interfaith Activities

The Association for Promoting Interfaith Education in Israel. 1992-2005. Projects director, initiating, organizing and leading workshops and interfaith encounters.

Christians and Jews round table, sponsored by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Discussion group 2006.

Gesher LeKesher (“A connecting bridge”) – an elementary school program for acquaintance and meeting between Jewish and Arab children. 1999-2000, 2006-2009.

Mount Zion Project: established a group of activists and projects in order to document, rehabilitate and clean desecrated cemeteries on Mount Zion.

The Armenian Patriarchate: biannual conferences for Tour guides to learn about the Armenian genocide 2015-2020.

A laureate of Mount Zion Foundation award 2013

Mount Zion Foundation belongs to the Institute of Jewish-Christian Research (IJCF) at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland. It grants an award every two years to Jews, Christians and Muslims who contribute significantly to the interfaith dialogue or enhancing the understanding between the three monotheistic religions in Israel. In 2013 the committee chose to give the award to Yisca Harani- a Jewish woman who teaches Christianity and to Margaret Karahm, an Arab Christian who teaches Judaism.  The award was given for their achievements and projects to promote understanding and acceptance between the different religions in Israel.

Consultation

Ministry of interior security: Preparing for Holy Fire ceremonies, year 2000 celebrations.
Israel Broadcasting Authority: advising and presenting in a TV series “The Holy Land”.
Natures and Parks Authority: development of prayer spaces in nature and archeological sites.
Ben Gurion Airport: development of prayer spaces in the new terminal.
Ministry of Tourism: special programs for Evangelical pilgrims, programs following the footsteps of Popes visits, composing a calendar of annual Christian events and holidays. 
Government Tourism Company: The Bible Land routes.
Ministry of Tourism: The committee for training tour guides in Israel.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Division of Religious Affair

Publications

Harani Yisca: Christianity- booklet for guides, The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, 1994 (Hebrew)
Harani Yisca: The Bread Sacrifice and the Sacrifice of Bread. In Bread! Israeli Museum publishing, 2004 (Hebrew and English)
Harani Yisca: The Christian Communities: The Eastern Churches, in Jerusalem in the 19th Century. Goren H. and Bartel I. editors. Yad Ben Zvi publication, 2009. (Hebrew)
Harani Yisca: Christians sites around the Sea of Galilee. In Sovev Kineret, Meron E. editor. Yad Ben Zvi publication, 2011 (Hebrew)
Yisca Harani: Jewish Tour Guide – Christian Group: Interreligious Encounter without Pretext. In: Coexistence and Reconciliation in Israel, Voices for Interreligious Dialogue. Paulist Press, New York, 2015 .

David Gurevich and yisca harani: Philoumenos of Jacob’s Well: A Birth of a Contemporary Ritual Murder Narrative. In Israel Studies, Vol. 22, No. 2, Indiana University Press 2017.
 

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