Join us for conversation, stories, and pictures of Christmas past and present with Christians living in Bethlehem with Wi’am Founder and Director Zoughbi Alzoughbi and West Bank Tour Planner Usama Nicola
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Webinar donations will be split between Pilgrims of Ibillin and Wi’am: Palestinian Center for Conflict Transformation, Bethlehem.
As we participate in Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020, Pilgrims of Ibillin asks for your gifts to help us foster peace and justice in Israel and Palestine through education.
Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI), one of Pilgrims’ Peace Partners, has become a shining beacon of hope for all people of the Holy Land – and around the world. MEEI was the inspiration of Abuna Elias Chacour. He realized that the future of the villagers in Ibillin, the citizens of the state of Israel, and indeed all of God’s children in the Holy Land, would depend on educating the young in the ways of peace, reconciliation, respect, and justice. That vision is now alive in the schools of Ibillin for more than 3,000 students and faculty of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Druze heritage, who study and teach together as one community of learning and service.
Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for people around the world to use their individual power of generosity to remain connected and support their communities. It’s a day when everyone comes together to give back in all forms – acts of kindness, gifts, of voice, time, talent or treasure. Pilgrims of Ibillin can leverage the energy of Giving Tuesday to tell our stories, engage lifelong advocates and build a movement toward a just peace through education in Israel and Palestine.
In this time of uncertainty, stress, and even despair, one thing that gives us hope is that this crisis is catalyzing innovation like we’ve never seen before.
Remember Pilgrims of Ibillin on Giving Tuesday. Thank you for your donations and sharing your stories of the work being done for peace.
During these days being home-bound, a glimpse of hope shined around us with the return back of the younger children from first to fourth grades to the classrooms. With their arrival, we felt as if life is coming back to the campus. During these nine months of being home-bound, we realized that no matter what, the campus was of little importance, if any, without the students.
These times are giving us the chance to maintain and clean the campus. The maintenance team with the cleaning ladies were always present working. We have done a lot in the middle school. This old building looks nicely renewed, and effectively restored. It’s becoming the beauty of the campus. All this is because of your keen assistance and financial help. We are very grateful for your help and indeed the Pilgrims of Ibillin are an important factor in keeping hope alive. Specifically the 60K recently sent for scholarships for needy students is so very useful.
You are the Beautiful Face of America You probably know that my response to your generosity makes me pray for you and pray for your country. You represent for us through your prayer and your assistance, the beautiful face, which is the reality of America. How often watching the disturbing newsfrom the USA whether the invasion of the Corona Virus or the racial problems there, the Pilgrims of Ibillin come to our minds as being the best ambassador of the United States. What the Pilgrims do is bring a factor of hope. To say thank you is not enough. To pray is one thing, and to wish you God’s blessing is an important factor as well. We nurture the hope that soon you would be able to come and visit us and see for yourself what unity we have here within our diversity.
The World Needs Oneness l do believe despite the fact that many of us have never met, we are one, and this oneness is what the world is in need of. Please continue, don’t give up with your prayers and your material assistance and your important friendship. You are reaching a wider part of the world society. It is important to know that the Mar Elias Educational Institutions exist because a large group of people are working together. Come and see, you will be most encouraged by meeting with the students. This is how we can change a whole society. We have been blessed by God and confirmed in our faith through your friendship, your prayers and your assistance.
In the near future, as well as in the far future, people in Galilee will mention with appreciation the relations we organized between our school and our friends, Pilgrims of lbillin.
Yours with affection and gratitude,
Abuna Elias Chacour Greek Catholic Archbishop em. of Galilee
Dear Fellow Pilgrims, There are so many things in the world that we cannot control. So many things we cannot change. And so many people who are really struggling, especially children and youth who are learning from home during the pandemic. We can’t fix everything, but we can all do something. Thank you for choosing to do what you could in 2020.
Your gifts to Pilgrims enabled the Mar Elias Educational Institution to respond to the needs of the increasing number of students who needed scholarships. Your support also changed the dynamic of a difficult year by supporting the work of our Peace Partners like Wi’Am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center in Bethlehem.
Your gifts to Pilgrims also sent the strong message to the children and youth of Ibillin that they are loved and valued. We can’t all personally fix a pandemic, but you chose to do something to make a difference and what a difference it made.
Thank you! Please keep us in mind as you make decisions about end-of-year giving. We would love to do more to help MEEI continue to respond to this pandemic and the needs of their students. As we move into the year 2021, Pilgrims also values your support and input as we search for a new executive director. In the meantime, we are thankful for the work of Brenda Mehos, our Interim Executive Director. Again, thank you for fostering Peace and Justice through Education in Ibillin, Israel and Palestine.
Grace and peace,
The Rev. Dr. Peter J. M. Henry
President of the Board of Directors of Pilgrims of Ibillin Davidson College Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 337, 100 North Main St Davidson, NC 28036 (313) 600-7370 | peter.henry@alum.ptsem.edu
Thank you for registering and participating in the free October 31 Webinar, “Resistance in Battir- Then and Now.” Special thanks to our presenters, Usama Nicola and Dr. Celene Lillie, as well as board members – facilitator Brenda Mehos, Pilgrims interim executive director, and webinar technician Sarah Morgan. Donations offered in response to the webinar are appreciated and will be split between Pilgrims and Wil’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center.
Letter from Rana Khoury, vice president of development and outreach at Diyar to Pilgrims board member Susan Mozena. Pilgrims is proud to be partners with the team!
Diyar Girls’ Soccer Team Our ministry with the young girls in sports, has been deeply impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as Bethlehem faced heavy lock-downs for many months during this year starting in March, and again applied in late June. So, it was impossible to really do much in terms of training while all events and public gatherings have been cancelled so far. However, we had major moments that we would like to share with you and highlight here below:
January 2020: our first soccer team conducted an activity to empower the relations between female players in Palestine at different clubs, so 20 participants from different female soccer teams participated at a soccer tournament that was organized and led by our female leaders at Dar al Kalima sport hall in Bethlehem for one day. This event contributed in building peaceful and positive relations between girls from different backgrounds in an unforgettable way.
January 2020: our team mate Tala Abu Eid who is one of the first female soccer players in Palestine, had the chance to participate and represent our team at “promoting Gender Equality through women’s empowerment in Football in North Lebanon and the MENA Region” workshop in Berlin-Germany. So she participated in a panel discussion there as well during the conference and attached is a picture for her during her participation.
February 2020: our Under 15 youngsters soccer team with the supervision of Coach Sarab Alshaer was able to be the first on the south clubs participants list who were participating with them at the “U15 Palestinian soccer competition that was organized by the Palestinian football federation”. They were supposed to continue the playing the rest of games (to play against other winning teams from central and north areas to determine the team that will be the Champions of Palestine for U15). But unfortunately they had to stop due to COVID-19 pandemic situation. And we do not know until now when they will continue the competition.
March 2020: our first soccer team participated in raising awareness about the importance of #STAYING HOME DURING COVID-19 pandemic situation. They formed together a short video by which they sent the health messages to all people and team’s fans on Facebook platform.
September 2020: 4 of our first soccer team members were able to get a scholarship from Dar Al-kalima University College to join the Sports management Program for a BA degree (this is a new degree that have been accredited this year).
October 2020: our first soccer team started their training with Coach Farah Zakharia twice a week again with being committed to all safety Procedures.
October 2020: the head of Diyar club- Jackline Jazrawi represented Diyar at a dialogue called (Women’s Voices in Dialogue-SPORTS) that was organized by the General Consulate of Spain in Jerusalem. She had the opportunity to talk about the development of women soccer in Palestine and especially at Diyar women sport club as a success story.
And perhaps the good news in all of this is that despite the very difficult situation that makes it challenging for many young girls and women to join the teams at this moment, as many have not be able to, we still have 53 young girls and women players going strong and being committed. Actually, the majority indicated that their commitment and strength is because they continue to be active in our sports programs. Therefore, one of our main tasks for 2021 is to increase again the number of youngsters playing soccer so as to have a strong base to build on for our First team. The players are divided on the following teams:
1. Diyar First Soccer team- Above 16 years: 23 female players. 2. Diyar soccer youngsters Team A+B- Under 15 years: 15 female players. 3. Diyar Female volleyball team: 15 female Players
