On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, eight pilgrims arrived at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City after completing the W2J (The Way to Jerusalem) pilgrimage route — walking 111 kilometers over six days from the Port of Jaffa to Jerusalem.
This first official "Global Pioneer Group" of W2J drew special attention because of its unique religious, cultural, and international mosaic. Pilgrims from Taiwan, the United States, Spain, and Israel - Evangelical Christians, Catholics, and Jews - walked side by side as one united group. Along the way, they shared stories, listened to one another, and transformed the journey into a living experience of interfaith and intercultural encounter.
What made this moment especially historic was that the pilgrims refused to give up. They waited patiently for months, and some even traveled to Europe in advance, remaining there until they were finally able to arrive in Israel in time to begin the pilgrimage from Jaffa.
The pilgrimage to Jerusalem has never been an easy journey. Throughout history, many pilgrims chose other destinations around the world. Yet this time, when these pilgrims realized that a structured, accessible, and welcoming pilgrimage route to Jerusalem now exists in Israel, they chose to come.
W2J - The Way to Jerusalem is a pilgrimage initiative of national importance, led by "The Way to Jerusalem Pilgrimage Association," founded by Golan Rice and Yael Tarasiuk. Its vision is to enable people from Israel and around the world to once again walk to Jerusalem in the footsteps of pilgrims who journeyed here for thousands of years. Just as in the past, the route invites pilgrims not only to walk, but also to encounter local communities, hear their stories, experience hospitality, and take part in meaningful multicultural dialogue.
Throughout the journey, the pilgrims passed through and stayed within diverse local communities. They listened to local stories and shared their own. Despite their different religions, cultures, and backgrounds, each person found something deeply personal and meaningful along the Way.
As part of the pilgrimage tradition, the pilgrims collected stamps in their Pilgrim's Credential at stations along the route. Upon arriving at Jaffa Gate and presenting their completed Pilgrim's Credential filled with stamps from the entire journey, they received the final stamp and were awarded the official "Jerushalma" Pilgrimage Certificate of W2J and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.
After centuries in which the pilgrimage route to Jerusalem had largely faded from living memory, W2J is bringing it back to life. The route follows the same landscapes, roads, and gateways once used by ancient pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. It is interwoven with historical, archaeological, and sacred sites significant to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, offering people from around the world the opportunity to journey physically toward Jerusalem while also experiencing an inner journey of reflection, connection, and human encounter.
W2J creates a bridge between cultures, faiths, and people - a path toward the "Jerusalem Above" through the walking journey to the "Jerusalem Below."
And in doing so, this Global Pioneer Group helped breathe life back into the Way to Jerusalem. Each pilgrim left a footprint upon the path that will never truly disappear. Perhaps centuries from now, future pilgrims walking this road will not remember the names of the first pioneers - but the Way itself will remember them.
Voices from the Way:
Ziva Shalev, Israel: "I came into the prayer at Latrun exhausted, empty, and without strength after a very difficult day. I am Jewish, not religious, and it was my first time ever in a monastery prayer. I still cannot fully explain it - but when the chanting ended half an hour later, I felt completely filled again. Full of strength, full of peace, full of life."
Ellen Chen, Taiwan: "On this journey, I feel my heart opening to different voices. It's as if something new is being formed within me - a new wineskin, ready to receive what I could not before."
Juan Comapopsada, Spain: "Tomorrow we arrive in Jerusalem, and my heart carries two opposite feelings: the deep desire to arrive… and the deep desire that this journey will never end."
John Brnat, USA: "I walk not in fear, but because I am called to walk in the footsteps of pilgrims before me, and to pave the way for those yet to come"
