This video captures a performance on Thursday April 4, 2013 in Madison, WI of a one man play–We Belong to the Land–based on the life of world-renowned Palestinian peacemaker, Elias Chacour. The Archbishop of Galilee of the Malkite Greek Catholic Church, Chacour is also a founder of the nonprofit “Pilgrims of Ibillin,” which works to advance understandings about persons of all faiths living in Israel. Its projects include the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin (a small village located just east of Haifa in what is now northern Israel), where Christians, Jews, Muslims and Druze are educated without regard to religion or ethnic background. Much of the work of the program is made possible by support from American churches and other institutions and individuals, several of them in greater Madison.
The play tells a remarkable story of peace and reconciliation in the face of a life that began at the time of the disruption of Palestinian lives that coincided with the birth of Israel. Born in the village of Kafr Bir’im in Upper Galilee to a Palestinian Christian family, Elisa Chacour’s family was forced to take refuge in the neighboring village of Jish after Bir’im was occupied by occupying forces for Israeli independence. Chacour and his family became Israeli citizens in 1948, shortly after the establishment of the Israeli state.
An advocate of non-violence, Chacour travels often between the Middle East and other countries around the world. In addition, many visitors, fact-finding missions, and pilgrims have come to Ibillin. In recognition of his humanitarian efforts he has received honors including the World Methodist Peace Award, the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, and the Niwano Peace Prize (Japan) as well as honorary doctorates from five universities including Duke and Emory. In 2001 Chacour was named “Man of the Year” in Israel. Chacour is the author of two best selling books, Blood Brothers and We Belong to the Land.
The play was co-sponsored by “Pilgrims of Ibillin,” and “The Crossing,” an interfaith campus ministry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which also provided the venue. Members of “The Crossing” have supported Chacour’s work and the Pilgrims of Ibillin for more than a decade. See crossingministries.org/.
Further background on the show was provided on WORT’s A Public Affair (hosted by videographer John Quinlan) the previous Monday. That show is archived at wortfm.org/we-belong-to-the-land/ .
For more information, please go to pilgrimsofibillin.org or contact Programs of Ibillin Executive Director Joan Deming at 608-235-1046 or via email at jdeming7@gmail.com .
It is indeed difficult to express my admiration for your long-lasting fidelity and friendship to Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin, Galilee. With this message I want to wish you All a very happy Christmas and a thoroughly joyful New Year.
What you have done through Pilgrims of Ibillin was far more than a sign of solidarity, since it was indeed an act preserving life and allowing progress and development. We have gone through extremely complicated and cruel circumstances. Had we been left alone we might have given up on most, if not on everything. Your constant generosity sustained us and encouraged everyone at the school to persevere. You helped us serve hundreds of young men and women, planting in their hearts the seed of hope, or rather awakening this hope, despite the fact that many factors around us try to kill hope in our youth.
Because of you and of your friendship and your generosity we continue with a unique power to believe that only unity within the present diversity can bring peace and justice to us all. Education is the best tool to achieve such a goal. We shall overcome. Our vision will become a reality. Children – Jewish and Palestinian – will learn together one day in the near future.
For this Christmas season we organized an inter-schools competition for children of our Melkite schools and it was broadcast on the ‘Voice of Israel’ radio every Wednesday afternoon through December 18th. This was the very first time that such extra-curricular activity was organized. Maybe the fact that the ‘Voice of Israel’ agreed to broadcast directly each one-and-a-half hour session is in itself a sign of real hope for religious plurality inside the state of Israel. Very much has still to be done, but we are present to act and to witness for this great vision of ours.
Soon we will be celebrating the birth of Christ: Christmas and the New Year. We will be praying for you and thanking God for putting you on our way toward the Kingdom of Heaven. Thank you. Thanks so very much for your friendship and for your prayers, which I cherish so dearly, but also thank God and thank you for your continued commitment and generosity.
Yours sincerely,
Abuna Elias Chacour
Archbishop of the Melkite Church in Galilee
Please come, if you live nearby! If not, invite your friends who do.
What are the Things that Make for Peace? Building Peace in the Midst of the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict
Dec. 2 – 7:00pm, St. Martin’s in the Fields Episcopal Church, 8000 St. Martin’s Lane, Philadelphia, PA. Free admission, free will offering. MODERATOR: Chris Satullo, Vice-President for News and Civic Dialogue of WHYY’s NEWSWORKS. • For more information, contact the Rev. Sharline A. Fulton • sharline213@gmail.com • 215-283-7342
Dec. 3 – 7:00pm, Eastern University Library Atrium, 1300 Eagle Road, St. Davids, PA. Phone 610-341-5800 with questions. Free admission, free-will offering.
Note: Abuna Chacour will also present the Opening Address at the Impact: Holy Land Conference at the Friends’ Center in Philadelphia, December 4 at 7:00pm. Registration is required. Visit www.impactholyland.org for information on this excellent conference sponsored by Evangelicals for Social Action.
Come to a public address by Archbishop Elias Chacour, Peace Activist and Leader of the Melkite Catholic Church of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and All Galilee
A free-will offering will be received to support Archbishop Chacour’s Peace-Building work
An Arab Palestinian Christian who is a citizen of Israel, Archbishop Chacour grew up walking the hillsides where Jesus lived, where Jesus taught “Blessed are the Peacemakers.” Archbishop Chacour has worked tirelessly for reconciliation and peace in the Middle East, especially by building high-quality schools in the Galilean village of Ibillin, where the students and faculty include Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Druze. More than 50% of the students are girls.
He is a three-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, and winner of the World Methodist Peace Award, the Niwano Peace Prize, and was Rotary’s Man of the Year in Israel in 2000.
His books include Blood Brothers and We Belong to the Land: the Story of a Palestinian Israeli who Lives for Peace and Reconciliation. (Both books will be available for signing at the event, as well as two DVDs about Abuna Chacour and the Mar Elias Schools in Ibillin.)
The Event: Following his 2011-12 Hebrew College year in Israel, rabbinical student David Fainsilber committed himself to support grassroots organizations working for a non-violent resolution to the conflict in Israel and Palestine. To fulfill his promise last year, David participated in his first-ever triathlon and raised $4,000 for the Mar Elias Educational Institutions.
Now he did it again: Doubling Down for Peace on 8/25/13!
The Goal: David’s working to raise $4248 in 2013 to benefit the Mar Elias Educational Institutions’ interfaith programming through his Triathlon August 25th. Why such an odd number? It’s last year’s goal of $3600 + 18%! Thanks, David.
A Matching Grant! A generous donor will match your gift dollar for dollar. Please be generous; you’ll literally be doubling down for peace.
What’s the background? David discovered the Mar Elias Schools after his Boston-based group of students spent an electrifying hour with Archbishop Elias Chacour during in Haifa in 2012. Abuna’s story of Building Peace on Desktops through the unique school he founded in Ibillin made David eager to see for himself. He found his way to Ibillin and spent an inspiring hour with Elias Abu Ghanima, Mar Elias’ spokesperson. A passion was born, and as soon as he returned to the US, David launched his support for Mar Elias’ dream of overcoming differences and teaching students to find a neighbor in “the Other” is lived out every day.
As a result: On August 25, 2013, David will race in his second triathlon to raise funds and awareness for Pilgrims of Ibillin in the USA and Peace it Together in Canada. Both organizations support programs in Israel that bring young people together across religious lines to cultivate peace and mutual understanding.
Why Pilgrims of Ibillin? It’s a US-based organization dedicated to supporting the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin, Israel (founded by Fr. Elias Chacour), as well as other mission projects that cultivate a just peace in Israel-Palestine. Pilgrims of Ibillin provides this support through financial resources, education, and peace building projects.
Both Pilgrims of Ibillin (USA) and Peace it Together (Canada) are registered charities. You will receive an official tax receipt with your donation, if you live in the same country as the charity through which you contribute.
Click here to make your contribution! It will be doubled by the matching grant and will directly benefit the students of Mar Elias. Then invite your friends and family, through emails or your own social networks, to join you in supporting this worthy cause.
Peace advocate and author Archbishop Elias Chacour will speak at church gatherings in Laguna Beach and San Marino, CA on April 14, 2013.
Archbishop Chacour was born in Palestine in 1939. He became a priest in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, which traces its roots to the Byzantine period. Father Chacour is Archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and All Galilee. He has worked tirelessly for reconciliation between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East and is author of several books, including Blood Brothers and We Belong to the Land. He is a recipient of the World Methodist Peace Award and the Niwano (Buddhist) Peace Prize for his work in education as founder of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions, which have more than 3,000 students and faculty, including Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Jews.
All are invited to hear this well-known advocate for a peaceful resolution of the “Arab-Israeli” conflict.
Sunday, April 14, 8:30 & 10:00am — Preaching in both worship services at Laguna Presbyterian Church,
415 Forest Ave, Laguna Beach, CA. For information about worship call the church at (949) 494-7555. Click here for worship times and travel directions.
Sunday, April 14, 7:00pm — Presentation, “What Are the Things that Make for Peace?” at San Marino Community Church, 1750 Virginia Road, San Marino, CA. Click here for Google Maps directions to the church. Questions for the church: Call (626) 282-4181.
Questions about Pilgrims of Ibillin, the sponsor of Abuna’s visit? Contact Executive Director Joan Deming at (608) 235-1046 or email jdeming7@gmail.com.
Peace advocate and author Archbishop Elias Chacour will speak at church gatherings in the Washington, DC area April 10-12, 2013.
Archbishop Chacour was born in Palestine in 1939. He became a priest in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, which traces its roots to the Byzantine period. Father Chacour is Archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and All Galilee. He has worked tirelessly for reconciliation between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East and is author of several books, including Blood Brothers and We Belong to the Land. He is a recipient of the World Methodist Peace Award and the Niwano Peace Prize for his work in education as founder of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions, which have more than 3,000 students and faculty, including Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Jews.
All are invited to hear this well-known advocate for a peaceful resolution of the “Arab-Israeli” conflict.
Thursday, April 11, Fundraising Dinner followed by Public Presentation — Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church, on the Campus at Randolph-Macon College, 201 Henry St, Ashland, VA.
5:30pm Dinner, Fellowship Hall. Suggested donation $50. Contact the church office for reservations: 804-798-7224
7;00pm Presentation in the Sanctuary, Free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be received to provide scholarships for students at the Mar Elias Educational Institutions, founded by Fr. Chacour in Ibillin, Israel
Although I have kept silent too long from writing to you, that means in no way forgetting to pray with thanksgiving for your friendship and for your continued support to Pilgrims of Ibillin.
I keep mentioning what you have done for the schools in Ibillin during the past few years; it was an extremely important help and an encouragement to our faith here in Galilee.
I am writing right before Christmas. During this week we are kept very busy mainly because of the important visits of dignitaries from within Israel and from abroad. We started the reception for Christmas by greeting the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres, and among others we are expecting the Palestinian Minister of Religious Affairs sent by Abu Mazen. Many Parliament members also come to congratulate through us all the Christians of the Holy Land. We make sure that representatives of major Christian denominations are invited to join us with this honor, as well as the directors of our schools and our clergy.
During this past month we had exciting visits with each of our Melkite schools where we met with the faculty to have an open discussion of questions and answers – before wishing them a Happy Christmas and a blessed New Year.
At MEEI, besides meeting with teachers and with the students themselves, I had the pleasure of welcoming new leaders of both Mariam Bawardi Elementary School and Mar Elias High School. Some of you know very well Ms. Nawar Mussallam, who retired in 2012 after leading our kindergarten and elementary school from their very beginning. (Although retired, Nawar continues to carry important responsibilities for our whole school.) We had to find a new principal for that very successful school and we appointed Juhaina Matar, a very special, wise, and committed teacher, to replace Nawar.
As for the High school, we celebrate that our Principal, Mr. Asem Khoury, has become the inspector in Hebrew Language instruction for all the Israeli schools. I met several times with all the teachers to discuss the needs of the school. In December, we appointed a new director who has in fact been a leader in the school already for a long time: Elias Abu Ghanima. We look forward with much hope to his leadership; he will promote the level of achievement of the schools.
As we move into a new year, we will discreetly accompany these leaders in their new jobs. Please pray for them and pray for us and our work so that the name of the Lord may be better known.
I could write more and more exciting things about experiences in the schools such as the famous story of our director in Nazareth who requested a leave for one month to go into the election campaign in order to become a Parliament member. (Stay tuned: the election is in January.)
We do not have a dull time here! As we go from one major event to another, we try to keep our serenity and it is only through prayer and reading the bible that we can find such serenity. As we said to the President of the State of Israel during his visit, Christianity means for us to have confidence like the angels who said to the shepherds: “Fear not; today we bring you good tidings, a savior has been born for you.” The angels announce the same message for each of you: “Be not afraid, rejoice for a savior has been born for you, Jesus Christ”.
I wish you a Happy Christmas and a very blessed New Year.
From the Land Where The Three Abrahamic Faiths Meet
At full moon, in late October – it’s colder now –we went to the roof of the Mariam Bawardi Elementary School and took this picture with the Church of the Sermon of the Mount in the background. The church is part of the campus of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions where we are volunteering, through Pilgrims of Ibillin, for the school year. When you have time, please check out our blog for updates on our activities, complete with pictures.
It is easy just to give Christmas greetings and act as if all is ok. In fact we know that it is not. Recent events in the US and Gaza and ongoing events in other places, especially in Palestine/Israel, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan (add your own), remind us that peace and justice are not present in our experiences, and that the “fear not” extended to the shepherds in the fields in Beit Sahour is a most needed experience for us in our age. Philosophers have categorized different ages in different ways; it seems our age is the “age of fear,” with its attendant building of walls and barriers, not bridges. We echo the prayer of Walter Brueggemann (Prayers for a Privileged People):
You, you beyond the smell and the din and the smoke.
You, beyond our hopes and our hates.
You, our beginning before time, our end beyond time
Be present in ways we cannot imagine.
Be present – save us from our power
save us from our violence,
save us from our fear and hatred,
save us as only you can do.
Save us as you have before saved us —
in love and power
in compassion and justice
in miracle and in waiting
Save us because we are your people
and because this is your world.
Alternative Gift-Giving: YOU can make a difference!
Your donations not only provide much-needed income for the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Israel/Palestine; your gift also tells “the Living Stones” in Ibillin that they are remembered and loved by brothers and sisters around the world.
Homily for Community Thanksgiving Service at Mary Lyon Church…Nov. 20, 2012
The Rev. Cara B. Hochhalter, Charlemont, MA
When we were driving here tonight…a beautiful white owl flew by our window and we thought perhaps it was a sign of peace…Good evening…
When we decided to be thankful for peacemaking on this night… we didn’t know then that there would be such violence erupting from Israel and Gaza. I DID know that I would be just coming back from a 2-week study/tour through Israel/Palestine with “the Pilgrims of Ibillin” and I figured I would have at least one story to share….but I did not imagine that I would share about peace out of this global context of bombing and fear… I hear that a truce may be imminent …May it be so!
Here’s a little snapshot of two people…two peacemakers…one Palestinian Arab Christian, the other, a Jewish Israeli…both are women.
Her name is Amal… she is a Palestinian who comes from a long line of generations who have lived on top of one of the highest hills about 7 kilometers from Bethlehem in the West Bank. Her family has deeds of ownership for this 100 acres from the Ottomans, then the British, then the Jordanians, as well as the Israelis, but in 1991 their land was called “state land” and Amal and her brothers were not to farm there….but they are. They continue to grow olive trees, almond trees, fig trees and cactus among many flowers….They invite classes of 80 to 100 students to come for camping sessions to learn about living off the land, how to collect water from the rain and use solar for electricity. They teach non-violence and peace to people who come from all over the world to learn from this family of peace-makers.
Amal told us a story… because their farm is not supposed to exist, there have been boulders placed at the lower part of their hill so they cannot use vehicles to get in or out….but one day she was in a town nearby at the bus stop, she saw a Jewish woman who was going to the settlement that covers the hilltop across from where Amal lives.
Instead of ignoring each other and looking down, Amal, decided to make conversation…and in these few words… she began to form a small bridge…a beginning at making peace! She introduced herself to the other woman who asked where Amal’s home was…she told her that her family lived on top of that mountain.
“Impossible,” said the woman, “No one lives on that mountain. We were told that no one lives there…we are people on land where there are no people…” But Amal assured her that for generations, her family had lived there. She told her about their farm and their efforts at educating young people. Amal handed her her card as they parted.
A few weeks later, Amal received a call from her. She wanted to come and see. And so she did…she was served a beautiful lunch, just as we were served…and they talked at the long table looking out over the expanse of hills, a distant Palestinian village, and Jewish settlements.
Amal told us, “You have to know your neighbor if you are going to love them.”
A few months after this visit, Amal received another call from her Jewish neighbor who asked if she could bring her husband to visit because he didn’t believe her when she told him of the family who lives on the mountain and teaches environmental classes and peace-making. He came… And the bridge between these neighbors is building…But it is very hard. Their farm is called, The Tent of Nations as their goal is to bring many different people from all religions and nationalities…together.
The second story is about a woman that some of you may have already read about…in the book The Lemon Tree, by Sandy Tolan. On a rainy evening we pulled up to the very home in Ramla, near Tel Aviv, where the Palestinian family had had to flee and the Jewish family moved in after 1948. In this true story, the Jewish daughter, Dalia Landau, becomes friends with Bashir of the Palestinian family and through their life-long communications, they decide that their home should be used for a preschool for children.
It is now called “The Open House.”…What a privilege it was to sit on little preschool chairs in a circle with Dalia, now a grown woman with reddish hair and a kind smile …The house is not just a place where Muslim and Christian children come to play, but many programs that bring people together are sponsored from this once contested home, summer camps for Jewish and Palestinian youth who seek the creative space that is in the middle between them…women of all faiths work on projects together…
Dalia said it isn’t easy…but she says that “not knowing the other, is a tragedy.”
When I sat listening to her…just a week ago…she told us about something that was going to happen on November 20… today! In light of the turmoil…I can only hope they were able to continue with this program…Today they were to celebrate a Day for Prayer and Action for the rights of children!… How poignant this is as the news images we have seen coming from this same region are pictures of injured children…From “The Open House” they are going to teach about the rights for education and safety and non-violence….The staff were to go into Hebrew and Palestinian Schools …and make stories or plays that demonstrate these rights…they were also to stress the power of prayer from all religions. Today… they were to bring Jewish and Palestinian volunteers into a Bedouin school…and the children would see an example of peace-making in action.
Dalia said that HOPE is a spiritual quality…and I hope and pray that these bridges of peacemaking continue and continue and continue…I give great thanks tonight…for the people whom I met in Israel/Palestine and the people I know right here among you…who dare to reach across to the “other” ….and in that space, in that reach…I believe something of the Holy, enters in…and peace is made visible!
