‘It was an extraordinary and inspiring experience, from which I learnt so much that I realised I knew so much less. This encourages me to travel, to experience, and to learn even further and even more.’ James Lee, Year 11, Israel and Jordon trip.
In the October half term, 29 boys from Year 11 and the Upper School embarked upon an expedition to Jordan and Israel. The 11 days covered scrambling in Petra, surveying the Golan Heights from the Syrian border, snorkelling in the Red Sea, floating and beautifying with mud at the Dead Sea, looking over ‘The Promised Land’ from Mount Nebo, sleeping under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert and witnessing Shabbat at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Over four days, 40 Year 9 boys explored The Vatican City, including The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, experienced some of Rome’s best–preserved Early Christian Catacombs and visited The Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon and Spanish Steps. The scale and quality of Rome’s cultural, religious and architectural history did not fail to impress them. The RS Gym is held regularly on a Tuesday afternoon, and in the past year topics have included the state of the economy, the most dangerous man in Tudor England: William Tyndale, religion in North Korea, and Islam’s relationship with the West. Perhaps the most controversial seminar this year was held with Dr. Cue (Head of Biology) and Mr. Fox (Head of RT), who tried to defend opposing positions on the place of religion in society. This year, some
excellent questions arose out of several boys seeing the very successful play, The God Particle, which had rave reviews at last year’s Edinburgh festival and which played locally recently. All boys studying RT in Year 13 prepare a presentation on a subject of interest to them to present to the society. When they study Hinduism, Year 7 boys visit the Hindu Swaminaryan Mandir in Neasden. The boys can appreciate the Hindu religion as a living faith that gives meaning and purpose to the lives of a large number of people, not only here in London but worldwide.
On their visit to the West London Synagogue, boys learn Hebrew from a Torah Scroll smuggled out of Nazi Germany.
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