2019: USHS Study Abroad

Dec 14, 2017 | Announcements

Come and drink from the ancient holy sites of Sufism and Islam.

 Click below to be taken to program details:

We will be voyaging on a journey to the holy land of Jerusalem. Let your heart expand to absorb the beauty and majesty of the ancient world of Islam, and follow a path of Sufi treasures guided by Kamila Shenmen, Salima Adelstein, Fawzia al-Rawi, and other beloved community leaders.

The trip will be worth 10 credits. These credits can be used to make up for missing credits in a student’s transcript, where programs are marked incomplete. Space is limited and is assigned on a first come first served basis.


Journey to  Jerusalem

Cost: $1000 USD deposit

2100 EUR paid upon arrival

Trip including arrival and departure dates: June 6 – June 15, 2018

Experience Ramadan, and celebrate Lailat-al-Qadr,  in the holy city of Jerusalem with the family and close friends and followers of our beloved guide Sidi Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal.

Trips have included a visit to Sidi’s school in Jerusalem, jumu’ah prayer and tarawih prayers at  the Dome of the Rock, breaking fast in the African zawiyya near the Holy Mount,  as well as at Sidi’s home on the Mount of Olives. We have visited many holy sites within Jerusalem – Rabi’ah’s tomb, the Garden of Gethsemane, the tomb of Isa and Mary’s tomb, the Dome of the Rock and the cave beneath the rock from where Muhammad (pbuh) made his night journey, the Gates to the old city.

Previous trips have also included a selection of day trips by bus outside of Jerusalem, to visit and pray at the tomb of Musa, the tombs of Ibrahim and Sarah in Hebron, the cities of Jericho and Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, the site of the birth of John the Baptist and Mary’s spring, the oldest Shadhiliyya zawiyya in Palestine, the Palestinian city where Sidi was born and his family’s farm, as well as breaking fast with Palestinian families in some of these places.

Note: It is necessary to have taken the shahada to join this trip. The holy site where the Dome of the Rock and al Aqsa mosque are located is closed to non-Muslims during Ramadan, so we will be asked  by Israeli and Muslim guards whether we are Muslims and will also be asked to prove it by reciting  well-known surahs, such as al-Fatihah or al-Ikhlas, or describing wudu, and other Muslim practices.

Any questions? Feel free to contact Kamila at kamilashenmen@sufiuniversity.org


Journey to  Morocco

2000 EUR paid upon arrival (additional nights 55 EUR each)

Dates: April 13-20, 2019

Morocco is a country which has been blessed by many of Allah’s great beloveds and by many different faces of Sufism and Islam.
To come to Morocco, and in particular to the city of Marrakesh, means to deepen one’s understanding of spirituality and to experience it in everyday life.

Our journey will take us to the Seven Holy Men who protect, hold and inspire this city and its inhabitants, to the outskirts of the desert for meditation and contemplation. We will also experience the joys and the beauty of the hammams and the art of henna. Last but not least, we will visit zawiyas and embed ourselves in the rhythm of the prayers. Teachings include a deeper understanding of the Quran, the Divine Names and Qualities as well as traditional healing methods.
Together we will get a taste of Dervish whirling and of healing rituals, visit traditional herbalists, read the history of the people through their art of carpet weaving, and enjoy the beauty of the vibrant, lively and wonderful city of Marrakesh.

Travelling to Marrakesh is to embark on a journey where our eyes and heart open to Unity through tasting multiplicity.