▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁with ▁an ▁inaug ural ▁community ▁of ▁thirty ▁sch ol ars ▁and ▁their ▁families , ▁six ▁Bened ict ine ▁( C atholic ) ▁mon ks ▁from ▁Mont ser rat ▁in ▁Spain , ▁and ▁five ▁international ▁staff . ▁In ▁total , ▁ten ▁national ities ▁and ▁th ir teen ▁religious ▁ident ities ▁were ▁represented . ▁Y ves ▁Cong ar , ▁OP , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁senior ▁sch ol ars ▁to ▁res ide ▁in ▁community ▁at ▁T ant ur . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s ▁there ▁was ▁increased ▁interest ▁among ▁the ▁churches ▁in ▁inter rel ig ious ▁dialog ue ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁‘ life ▁and ▁work ’ ▁aspect ▁of ▁ec umen ism , ▁especially ▁in ▁conflict ▁resolution ▁and ▁peace building . ▁The ▁First ▁Int if ada ▁( 1 9 8 7 - 1 9 9 1 ) ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁decre ased ▁interest ▁in ▁international ▁sch ol ars ▁sp ending ▁time ▁in ▁Jerusalem ▁for ▁research . ▁As ▁local ▁t ensions ▁e ased , ▁the ▁ec umen ical ▁movement ▁entered ▁what ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁its ▁" ec umen ical ▁winter ". ▁The ▁combination ▁of ▁these ▁factors ▁had ▁a ▁des ult ory ▁effect ▁on ▁T ant ur ▁programs ▁and ▁participation . ▁ ▁Br ief ly ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Notre ▁D ame ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁lac una ▁by ▁using ▁T ant ur ▁as ▁a ▁site ▁for ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁international ▁study - ab road ▁programs