Dear Beloved friends,

I wonder if I am allowed to make an appeal which is more like an S.O.S.; I am not used to issue such appeals.

The Mar Elias Educational Institutions is overwhelmed with the financial situation, resulting from the sudden drastic cuts of the small subsidies which we used to receive from the Ministry of Education.

The reason is financing the ongoing war in Gaza. We used to receive 70% of what the governmental schools enjoy every month. With the new drastic cuts our subsidies became 35%, which handicaps us. It’s a problem of paying the salaries of our 200 staff members.

The association “Amuta” took drastic measures of imposing on the parents 300 NIS more per year. Likewise, they limited to the minimum the important daily expenses and were able to reduce the deficit to about 30%, but still there is a deficit from September 2023 to May 2024, amounting to over Three Million Shekels.

We are contemplating to take a bank loan, but for the association it’s legally impossible. That would impose on us the interest on the loan. We hesitate seriously in taking this step, since we need to insure paying the loan back to the bank plus the interest.

I call on you since you were always our refuge and our supporters. Indeed, I am embarrassed to ask you for such help, but we need to overcome our shyness.

We hope that soon the war would end and peace would come back in order to be reestablished. The situation has been aggravated with the closure of the country, no tourism, no visits from abroad which bring very little if any additional income to cover the deficit.

I dare leave all that to your care, to your possibilities, and to your generosity. Any contribution would be highly appreciated.

Yours Fraternally,

Abuna Elias Chacour
Archbishop Emeritus of Galilee