Peace Hill at Avila

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Peace Hill at Avila

Grounding for Justice.

Peace Hill at Avila supports activists and organizers, nurturing contemplative and restorative practices to build a more compassionate and just society.

04/23/2026

Peace Hill was honored to welcome Susan Stein and her powerful one-woman play, “Etty,” to Durham last Friday evening. It was an unforgettable experience that brought to life the writings of Etty Hillesum in a way that moved and inspired everyone in attendance. NorthStar Church of the Arts was the perfect setting for the play.

A smaller group also had the unique opportunity to spend time with Susan during a transformative weekend retreat at Avila Center for Community Leadership.

As the founder of Etty Project, Susan propels Etty Hillesum’s little-known diaries into our own time, exploring the dangers and consequences of racism, antisemitism, and discrimination, promoting social justice.

If you’d like to support Susan’s important work, please consider donating here: https://ettyproject.org/donate/

04/14/2026

It's not too late to register! Join Peace Hill this Friday, April 17th, at NorthStar Church of the Arts for a performance of "Etty," a one-woman play adapted and performed by Susan Stein.

Standing alone on a bare stage, Etty Hillesum speaks directly to the audience as she wrestles to write the life she is living–her loves, her work, her sense of humor, her knowledge of self in this moment in history. She loves much of her life in 1942 occupied Amsterdam and even later in the Westerbork concentration camp, yet she also finds it horrifying. In her gentle yet forthright way, Etty asks us not to leave her at Auschwitz but to let her have a bit of a say in what she hopes will be a new world.

A disarming one-woman play, Etty invites the audience to be part of her intimate struggle to find a freedom within herself as the world closes in around her. Music from Westerbork’s cabaret weaves into Etty’s sharp accounts of the transports, the image of a guard picking purple lupines, and the shape of her lover’s mouth. The second act invites the audience to join the conversation Etty begins.

Register here ➡ https://peacehillavila.org/event/etty-a-one-woman-play-by-susan-stein/

(Image from Etty Project: https://ettyproject.org/)

04/01/2026

“Despite everything, life is full of beauty and meaning.”
― Etty Hillesum, Lettres de Westerbork

Join Peace Hill and Susan Stein this April as we find meaning and compassion with Etty’s spirit as our guide.

Susan will perform her one-woman play, “Etty,” at NorthStar on Friday, April 17, and she will lead a two-day retreat at Avila on April 18-19. Register today!

Learn more and register for the play: https://peacehillavila.org/event/etty-a-one-woman-play-by-susan-stein/
Learn more and register for the retreat: https://peacehillavila.org/event/finding-the-jasmine-again-and-again/

Learn about Etty Project, founded by Susan Stein, here: https://ettyproject.org/

02/19/2026

Join Peace Hill and Bhumi Durham on Saturday, March 7, at ERUUF for an evening talk with Lama Rod Owens! As the land around us awakens, we will settle into community practice, grounding ourselves in an awareness that helps us meet the world’s unraveling with clarity and compassion.
Register here: https://peacehillavila.org/event/public-talk-with-lama-rod-owens-2/

02/11/2026

It's not too late to register! Join Peace Hill at Avila for Elder Spirituality: The Possibilities of Now this weekend. Register here➡️ https://peacehillavila.org/event/elder-spirituality/

Our spiritual lives change as we age and as our circumstances change with it. During this weekend retreat, we will explore our spiritual journeys in the context of our later years, when there is more time in the rearview mirror than on the road ahead. What changes and losses are you grieving? What new opportunities and invitations are you noticing? What are you yearning for? What signposts of wisdom are you noticing within yourself? What makes you come alive now? Together, we will journey through this elder land and discover what might be possible and what we may need to leave behind.

Facilitated by Cate Alexander and Mary Kay Glazer.

01/30/2026

Rescheduled due to winter weather - residential and commuter spots are now available!

Register here➡️ https://peacehillavila.org/event/elder-spirituality/

Our spiritual lives change as we age and as our circumstances change with it. During this weekend retreat, we will explore our spiritual journeys in the context of our later years, when there is more time in the rearview mirror than on the road ahead. What changes and losses are you grieving? What new opportunities and invitations are you noticing? What are you yearning for? What signposts of wisdom are you noticing within yourself? What makes you come alive now? Together, we will journey through this elder land and discover what might be possible and what we may need to leave behind.

Facilitated by Cate Alexander and Mary Kay Glazer.

01/21/2026

Peace Hill and Bhumi Durham are excited to once again offer a public talk and a 48-hour residential retreat with Lama Rod Owens. As the land around us awakens, we will settle into community practice, grounding ourselves in an awareness that helps us meet the world’s unraveling with clarity and compassion.

Register for the March 7 evening talk here: https://peacehillavila.org/event/public-talk-with-lama-rod-owens-2/

Apply for the March 8-10 retreat here: https://peacehillavila.org/event/awakening-into-spring/

01/14/2026

“Your inner voice whispers, but speaks the loudest.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

Sometimes, you just need a quiet place to listen to your inner voice. If that’s something you’re seeking, take a look at our upcoming events: https://peacehillavila.org/our-events/

01/07/2026

“Peace is not something you must hope for in the future. It is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present, you will never find it.” — Thomas Merton

It’s easy to feel like peace is something we’ll find ahead in a better future. However, when we slow down, we realize that peace can be found in each present moment.

Wishing you presence, stillness, and peace in the New Year.

12/18/2025

Last chance to register! Join Peace Hill at Avila this Sunday, December 21 to celebrate the winter solstice ➡ https://peacehillavila.org/event/seasons-within-9/

The darkness invites our curiosity to rest in what we don’t yet know, and listen with compassion. On the longest night of the year, we’ll gather to ground, breathe, and remember that faith lives in the body. Together, we’ll witness ourselves and each other, honoring this sacred pause as the light begins to return. Come as you are. Leave as you will.

The winter retreat will be facilitated by Shakira Bethea. With over a decade of experience as a licensed massage and bodywork therapist, Shakira’s deep commitment to embodied living has evolved over time, shaping her brand Rhythmic Bloom. You can learn more about her work at www.rhythmicbloom.com.

12/02/2025

There’s still time to make a difference in 2025!

On , millions of people contribute to nonprofit organizations working toward a better world.

Peace Hill at Avila believes our vision for a better world cannot be realized without contemplative and restorative practices that support peace within and among each of us. Our capacity to be present, grounded, and connected is the foundation that makes transformation possible.

This , we hope you’ll consider supporting Peace Hill at Avila. Each gift strengthens our mission to build a more compassionate and just society.
https://support-peace-hill-this-giving-tuesday.raiselysite.com/

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Durham, NC

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https://peacehillavila.org/

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