30 years ago, close friends Roger Tilles and the late Msgr. Thomas Hartman had the idea to bring together a group of Jewish and Catholic teens from Long Island to learn about each other's religion, more about their own religion and about themselves.  Through a 10 day journey to Israel, the teens travel to both Jewish and Catholic sites and learn from and with one another about their religion, their belief and their values.   The mission of Project Understanding could not be more relevant during these times of conflict and rising antisemitism at home and abroad. Our results have been uniformly to change the lives of our students who go, their families and the communities in which they live. They learn to communicate with one another, accept differences in beliefs and values, and learn first‐hand about the land of Israel and its people. It is our sincere hope that each of the participants of Project Understanding will be a light to the world and a force for peace and understanding. Young people who go through this program are chosen for their character, enthusiasm, communication skills and proven leadership ability. The program, led by Jewish and Catholic leaders, consists of two equally important components: monthly interfaith experiences here on Long Island and a trip to Israel,the holy land for both Catholics and Jews.