The Aliyah Return Center, located at Kibbutz Beit Zera on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee, is a unique institution that welcomes Christian volunteers from around the world who come to Israel to serve, to study the Bible in its original landscape, and to express their support for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. The center operates as a volunteer base where participants work in agriculture, community service, and restoration projects while studying the biblical and historical connections to the land.
Mission
The center is rooted in the biblical concept of the “nations” coming alongside Israel, drawing on passages like Isaiah 61:5: “Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.” Volunteers from dozens of countries, many of them young Christians on gap years or sabbaticals, spend weeks or months at the center, combining physical labor with Bible study, Hebrew language learning, and tours of the biblical sites of the Galilee.
Volunteer Experience
Volunteers at the Aliyah Return Center typically serve for three months to a year. They work in agriculture (picking dates, tending fishponds, maintaining grounds), in community projects (helping elderly kibbutz members, working with at-risk youth), and in restoration of historical sites. In return, they receive housing, meals, Hebrew classes, and organized tours to biblical sites. Many volunteers describe the experience as transformative, combining physical work in the biblical landscape with spiritual growth and a deepening connection to Israel.
The center also hosts short-term groups, churches, and pilgrim delegations who come for a week or two to volunteer and tour. These groups often combine their time at the center with visits to the Gospel sites of the Galilee: Capernaum, Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes, and the baptismal site on the Jordan River.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Aliyah Return Center is a window into the growing movement of Christian engagement with Israel. Hoshen Tours includes it for groups interested in Jewish-Christian relations and the volunteer community at the Sea of Galilee.