New York, NY, June 21, 2006 …Catholic school teachers from across the country will travel to Israel to learn about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust as part of the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) nationally acclaimed Advanced Bearing Witness program.

Bearing Witness Advanced: Anti-Semitism, The Holocaust & Contemporary Issues will give the educators an opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of Israel against the backdrop of Jewish history, the Holocaust, and Catholic-Jewish relations.

"By visiting these historic cities and sites, the teachers will have the opportunity to witness history still unfolding in modern day Israel," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and Holocaust Survivor.  "They will not only hear about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust from survivors and experts but they will combine their textbook knowledge with real-life experience."

The 30 educators will gather at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore for an intensive two-day series of seminars prior to their departure.  Lectures on a range of subjects including Jewish-Catholic relations, the meaning of Israel to the Jewish people, and the history of holy sites in Israel will be offered. Presentations will be given by Fr. Dennis McManus, Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor of ADL, and Bishop Dennis Madden. The group will also spend a day at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

In Israel, the teachers will visit many Christian holy sites including the Church of the Annunciation, the Garden of Gethsemane, Via Del Rosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  They will also spend time in Safed, tour the Golan Heights, visit the Western Wall, climb to Masada and float in the Dead Sea.  Local scholars and political figures, including the Papal Nuncio, will address the participants throughout their visit.

Bearing Witness Advanced takes place from July 9-19. The educators hail from the District of Columbia and 10 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.