Join us on Saturday, March 23rd for an interfaith pilgrimage dedicated to calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. We will use our bodies to map Gaza onto the East Bay, turning grief and rage into action as we pilgrimage together in unity, urging for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza.
This pilgrimage is part of a broader global movement of solidarity pilgrimages, taking place in 145 cities in 18 countries, including a pilgrimage on every continent! Over 300 individuals have already committed to joining the walk, including over 500 adults and 60 children from over 40 faith communities.
Event Details:
- Date & Time: Saturday, March 23rd, 7 am – 7 pm
- Location: East Bay, CA (Starting in Berkeley, ending in Alameda)
- Distance: 22-mile walk, symbolizing the distance from Gaza City to the Rafah crossing refugee camp.
Purpose:
This daylong journey will include scheduled stops for collective prayer and action, with opportunities for participants to join for shorter legs. A route can be previewed here.
Objectives:
Through this pilgrimage, we advocate for:
- Enduring and Sustained Ceasefire.
- Immediate flow of life saving food, water, aid, fuel and humanitarian assistance.
- Release of all hostages – both the Israeli hostages held by Hamas – and the Palestinian hostages held in the Israeli prison system.
- End of occupation so a just-peace can begin.
Proposed Schedule:
Our 22-mile collective pilgrimage will be broken up into the following legs, with meeting times and locations noted:
(Note: Schedule might be subject to minor changes. A final, confirmed route will be released the week of.)
- Leg 1 (5.3 miles) : Meet @ 7am at Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley
- Leg 2 (5.3 miles): Meet @ 9:30 am at St Columba Catholic Church, Oakland. Will include mini Shabbat service.
- Leg 3 (1.5 miles): Meet @ 1145am at Buddhist Church of Oakland – MASS PARTICIPATION FOCUS
- Leg 4 (3.8 miles): Meet @ 1pm at First Congregational Church of Oakland
- Leg 5 (4.0 miles): Meet @ 345pm at Lake Merritt United Methodist, Oakland.
- Leg 6 (2.0 miles): Meet @ 545pm at Buena Vista United Methodist Church, Alameda.
- Closing Ceremony: Meet @7-730pm at the Islamic Center of Alameda (meeting at the Maya Lin School).
Mass Participation Focus:
We have created a 1.5 mile communal walk at 11:45am, from Buddhist Church in Oakland to First Congregational Church in Oakland – culminating in a community ritual and press conference. If your time is limited or you’d like to join for only one portion, we encourage you to consider participation with Leg 3.
Open to people of all faith backgrounds or none, the event embraces the tradition of sacred pilgrimage traditions, inviting participation in prayer, liturgy, and ritual.
*For those interested in participating in the Ceasefire Pilgrimage on March 23rd, we would like to provide full disclosure that you, your participating party, and loved ones may be captured in photos and film. We kindly ask that you be mindful if you prefer not to be filmed. Rest assured, images of participating children will be respectfully covered.
As part of our commitment to transparency and inclusivity, we encourage participants to use the following hashtags to help circulate the message around the global movement: #GCPilgrimages and #GCPEastBay.
Your involvement in this event signifies your support for peace and justice, and we look forward to coming together as a community to make a meaningful impact!
Participating Organizations and Congregations:
- Albany/El Cerrito 4 Ceasefire
- Alameda Family and Friends for Ceasefire
- All Souls Episcopal
- Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists
- Berkeley Methodist United Church
- Bethel Community Presbyterian
- Beyt Tikkun Synagogue
- Buddhist Church of Oakland
- Buena Vista United Methodist Church
- Church Without Walls Berkeley
- Clergy for Black Lives
- College Ave. Presbyterian
- First Congregational Church of Alameda
- First Congregational Oakland
- First Presbyterian Church of Hayward
- First Unitarian Church Oakland
- Freely in Hope
- Haven Berkeley
- If Not Now- Bay Area
- Imani Community Church
- Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
- Islamic Cultural Center of Northern CA
- Jewish Voice for Peace
- Kehilla Community Synagogue
- Lake Merritt United Methodist Church
- Lakeshore Ave. Baptist Church
- Lighthouse Mosque
- Middle East Children’s Alliance
- Montclair Presbyterian Church
- New Hope Covenant Church
- Oak Life Church
- Palestinian Christians for Justice
- Plymouth United Church of Christ
- Rabbis for Ceasefire
- Sacred Heart Oakland
- Sama Sama Cooperative
- Save West Berkeley Shellmound
- Shomeret Shalom Community
- Sojourner Truth Presbyterian
- St. Columba Catholic Church
- Strawberry Creek Friends Meeting
- Twin Towers United Methodist Church
- Zen Peacemakers
Contributions:
Consider making a donation as a spiritual offering. Participants are encouraged to raise funds for direct relief and mutual aid to support Palestinians most impacted.
Sign-Up:
To participate in the walk, volunteer, or attend, please sign up here.
*We are making prayer scarves and signing up ensures we have one for you.
Stay Connected:
Join our Facebook event for updates and ongoing conversation.
Additional Information:
For more details and FAQs, please refer to our FAQ document.