In this episode of In the Shadows of the Holy Land, we begin by widening the frame with Fr Shiran Fonseka, a Redemptorist priest from Sri Lanka now based in Melbourne. Shiran reflects on three decades of civil war, how neighbours learned to see one another as enemies, and how the Church worked to rebuild trust through preaching justice, defending human dignity, and simply staying with communities while everything around them fell apart. His story, including his congregation’s response to the recent floods in Sri Lanka , reminds us that war and reconciliation are human stories, not tribal ones.

From there, we turn to our main conversation with Sami El-Yousef, CEO of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and a lifelong Christian resident of the Old City. Sami outlines the fragile yet deeply rooted Christian presence in Palestine and Gaza, the network of schools, parishes, and institutions that often step in where the state cannot, and how the Church navigates its mission under both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. He speaks candidly about the scale of destruction in Gaza and the West Bank, the loss of hope, international silence, and the Church’s courage to name injustice without becoming a political pawn.

Together, these two conversations invite us to recognise patterns that repeat across continents: division, dehumanisation, courageous leadership, and the slow, patient work of rebuilding trust. What does it mean for the Church to stand with people in the midst of war , and what might genuine solidarity look like from places like Australia?

Tune in and find out.

In this episode, we talk with Hana Bendcowsky, Program Director at the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations at the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue. For more than two decades, Hanna has worked at the heart of Jewish–Christian relations , creating programs that bring communities together across painful histories, unequal realities, and deeply felt fears.

Growing up as part of the majority in Israel shaped how she sees responsibility, empathy, and the moral weight of dialogue. In this conversation, she reflects on what happens when people carry trauma, faith, and identity into the same room, and why genuine encounter matters even, and especially, during times of war.

Hanna speaks candidly about the challenges of teaching religious literacy in a place where religion is often weaponised, and the quiet courage required to stay in conversation when everything around you pulls towards division.

This episode offers a grounded, human look at what interfaith dialogue can be when the stakes are unbearably high.

Watch the full video at www.commonhome.tv

Visit the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue to learn more about their work for peace in a time of war.

This premiere of In the Shadow of the Holy Land lays the foundation for the series; a commitment to good-faith conversation grounded in the equal dignity of every life.

Our guest is Br Peter Bray FSC, former Vice-Chancellor of Bethlehem University. He traces the modern history of the conflict, explains the differences between the West Bank and Gaza, and shows how occupation is lived through movement, checkpoints, and economic control. We also hear directly from Bethlehem University students about crossing the wall each day and why being listened to matters. Peter reflects on his goal to make education “an oasis of peace” and on the discipline of nonviolence. He shares how a solidarity Camino shaped his hope, and why telling the truth need not humiliate or hate.

Subscribe on YouTube or your favourite podcast app to catch next week’s episode with Hanna Bendcowsky of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish–Christian Relations.