A Cooperstown woman will be fulfilling one of her lifelong goals this week when she spends time at a conference in the city widely regarded as the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
Betsy Del Giacco Jay left Tuesday to spend 10 days in the Middle Eastern city of Bethlehem where she will attend the "Steps Toward Peace in Israel and Palestine" education event, sponsored by the U.S. Presbyterian Church.
Del Giacco Jay will be one of 97 people from Presbyteries - regional groupings of Presbyterian churches - around the nation attending the event. She said their major goal is to learn more about the turmoil constantly plaguing the region and to get more in-depth, first-hand insight into the situation.
"We can listen, ask questions, and reflect together on what we're hearing and seeing," she said. "To learn more about the situation and ask the question 'What can I do?'"
There are four steps to the event, she said. Praying for peace, listening to members of the three major faith groups, learning about the situation and problem and responding to what is learned in a positive manner.
She said much of this will take place as part of a five-member team visiting different areas and spending time with people seeing the effects various Israeli and Palestinian policies have on people.
She said one of the things they will see is "The Wall" Israel is constructing to separate the Israeli and Palestinian populations on the West Bank and how it affects people and communities which have been separated. She said they will also spend a day in Jerusalem, which is about six miles away from Bethlehem.
Del Giacco Jay, 49, is a Presbyterian minister who has been following the situation since she was a child in Sunday school, where she heard stories about refugee camps in the region with people who had lived there for two generations.
"I couldn't fathom that," she said. "My immediate reaction was that this is unjust. For me, this is a passion," she said.
She said in junior high her awareness expanded when she had a classmate whose grandmother had died at the infamous Nazi death camp Auschwitz during World War II.
While attending seminary school to become a minister, she said regularly scheduled trips to the Middle East were canceled due to the war between Israel and Lebanon, so she has never visited the region until now.
Del Giacco Jay said safety was an issue as the region is still occasionally wracked by violence, but the organizers were doing what they could to ensure their well-being.
"I think that they have taken all of the precautions that are reasonable to take," she said.
Although the trip itself is important, she said what she experiences when she returns May 5 will be the real story. Her group of five - all members of Presbyteries from New York state - will be meeting with other Presbyteries to spread the word and share what they've learned. She'll also share with anyone else who is interested.
"If there are other organizations or congregations interested (in hearing me speak), I'd be happy to do that," she said.