Pilgrims of Ibillin Pilgrims’ Post€¦ · when Al-Monitor, an online Middle East news 1541...
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Special points of interest: Israel’s Best Student is a Graduate of Mar Elias!—p. 1 Highlights of Summer for Pilgrims of Ibillin’s Partners—p. 2 What’s happened with the Promised Funding for Christian Schools??—p. 2 Living Stones Pilgrimages 2016 - please join us!—p. 3 Donation and book order form—p. 4 Pilgrims of Ibillin Board of Directors Rev. Dr. Duncan Ferguson President Rev. Dr. Robert Sawyer Vice President Rev. Tom Pietila Secretary Mr. Donald Liebich Treasurer Mr. Christopher Dekki Mr. Billy Ekofo Rev. Dr. Lucy Forster-Smith Rev. Dr. Suzanne Watts Henderson Dr. Giselle Khoury Dr. Brenda Mehos Rev. Susan Mozena Mrs. Jane Settle Dr. Ted Settle Mr. George Shalabi Rev. Dr. Michael Spath Executive Director and Editor Rev. Joan Deming 1541 Comanche Glen Madison, WI 53704 [email protected] Newsletter Contributor Don Liebich, Pilgrims’ Board Member, Author, and Lecturer Volume 20, Issue 2 July 2016 Pilgrims’ Post Israel’s Smartest Student is an Arab…and a new Mar Elias Graduate! I have been privileged to be a member of the Board of Directors of Pilgrims of Ibillin for a number of years and I have had the pleasure of watching students and graduates of The Mar Elias Educational Institution not only succeed in their academic and career endeavors, but also grow into fine young adults, equipped to contribute in their society. This year the achievements of Mar Elias students were recognized around the world when Al-Monitor, an online Middle East news and commentary site reported, in an article by Israeli correspondent, Shlomi Eldar, “Israel’s Smartest Student is an Arab”. Mohammed Zeiden, a new Mar Elias graduate from the Arab town of Kafr Manda in northern Israel achieved the highest possible score of 800 points on the Psychometric Entrance Test, a high stakes college entrance exam similar to the U.S. SAT on steroids. Mar Elias graduates generally do very well on the exam, but Mohammed’s achievement is exceptional. He has received congratulations from Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Arab Knesset members. Mohammed’s parents and family have valued education and have been willing to take the steps to ensure that their children have every opportunity. Mohammed says “My family provided me with the right place to study. They did not oblige me to work (in order to provide family support)”. Mohammed’s older sister attended Mar Elias ahead of him and is now a medical student at the Israel Institute of Technology. As a result of his sister’s experience at Mar Elias, Mohammed, along with 20 other students from Kafr Manda, was also sent to Mar Elias. Mohammed says “Mar Elias high school is more than a normal school. It feels more like a family. There are special teachers. They are really great. As a Mar Elias student, I had the inner feeling that I can reach whatever I want if I try as hard as possible.” It wasn’t only family and school that contributed to Mohammed’s success. (Article by Don Liebich, continued on p. 3) Mohammed Zeidan with Archbishop Elias Chacour and High School Director Elias Abu Ghanima, Graduation, May 28, 2016
Transcript of Pilgrims of Ibillin Pilgrims’ Post€¦ · when Al-Monitor, an online Middle East news 1541...
Special points of interest:
Israel’s Best Student is a Graduate of Mar Elias!—p. 1
Highlights of Summer for Pilgrims of Ibillin’s Partners—p. 2
What’s happened with the Promised Funding for Christian Schools??—p. 2
Living Stones Pilgrimages 2016 - please join us!—p. 3
Donation and book order form—p. 4
Pilgrims of Ibillin
Board of Directors
Rev. Dr. Duncan Ferguson President Rev. Dr. Robert Sawyer Vice President Rev. Tom Pietila
Secretary Mr. Donald Liebich
Treasurer
Mr. Christopher Dekki Mr. Billy Ekofo Rev. Dr. Lucy Forster-Smith Rev. Dr. Suzanne Watts Henderson Dr. Giselle Khoury Dr. Brenda Mehos Rev. Susan Mozena Mrs. Jane Settle Dr. Ted Settle Mr. George Shalabi Rev. Dr. Michael Spath
Executive Director and Editor Rev. Joan Deming 1541 Comanche Glen Madison, WI 53704 [email protected]
Newsletter Contributor Don Liebich, Pilgrims’ Board Member, Author, and Lecturer
Volume 2
0,
Iss
ue 2
July
2016
Pilgrims’ Post
Israel’s Smartest Student is an Arab…and a new Mar Elias Graduate!
I have been privileged to be a member of the Board of Directors of Pilgrims of Ibillin for
a number of years and I have had the pleasure of watching students and graduates of The Mar Elias Educational Institution not only succeed in their academic and career endeavors, but also grow into fine young adults, equipped to contribute in their society. This year the achievements of Mar Elias students were recognized around the world when Al-Monitor, an online Middle East news and commentary site reported, in an article by Israeli correspondent, Shlomi Eldar, “Israel’s Smartest Student is an Arab”.
Mohammed Zeiden, a new Mar Elias graduate from the Arab town of Kafr Manda in
northern Israel achieved the highest possible score of 800 points on the Psychometric Entrance Test, a high stakes college entrance exam similar to the U.S. SAT on steroids. Mar Elias graduates generally do very well on the exam, but Mohammed’s achievement is exceptional. He has received congratulations from Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Arab Knesset members.
Mohammed’s parents and family have valued education and have been willing to take the steps to ensure that their children have every opportunity. Mohammed says “My family provided me with the right place to study. They did not oblige me to work (in order to
provide family support)”. Mohammed’s older sister attended Mar Elias ahead of him and is now a medical student at the Israel Institute of Technology. As a result of his sister’s experience at Mar Elias, Mohammed, along with 20 other students from Kafr Manda, was also sent to Mar Elias. Mohammed says “Mar Elias high school is more than a normal school. It feels more like a family. There are special teachers. They are really great. As a Mar Elias student, I had the inner feeling that I can reach whatever I want if I try as hard as possible.”
It wasn’t only family and school that contributed to Mohammed’s success.
(Article by Don Liebich, continued on p. 3)
Mohammed Zeidan with Archbishop Elias Chacour and High School Director Elias Abu Ghanima, Graduation, May 28, 2016
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Summer: Enrichment Time for Mar Elias Students
s ummer brought a variety of study/travel opportunities for Mar Elias students this year.
In addition to the trips shown on this page, a delegation of students and two teachers also visited Germany. Each of these are world-expanding trips, and the whole school benefits from returning students who share their broader perspective. (And stay tuned: we hope to sponsor another student trip to the US in August 2017.)
Turkey
Middle Schoolers from Mar Elias are participating in a Space Camp in Turkey this July with their intrepid teacher, Wafa Dow.
Check our Pilgrims of Ibillin facebook page for photos!
Northern Ireland
Bader Abo Hjol was one of 19 Mar Elias High School students who traveled to Derry, Northern Ireland, for 2 weeks in July, accompanied by English teacher and MEEI International Coordinator, Emil Haloun. They learned much about this city and country, including their commitment to Peace despite a complicated history. Meetings included the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Minister of Finance. Emil expects a return visit to Ibillin from these new friends and sees this trip as the beginning of a significant partnership between schools and communities with similar histories.
Italy—MEEI Students visited Italy, while other
Italian students visited Ibillin
Twenty-five students from Genoa, Italy had a wonderful time at Mar Elias for several days recently, hosted by friends from past exchanges.
At the same time, twelve Mar Elias students traveled to Tuscany in Italy to take part in the annual “Week of the World” which brought together Christian, Jewish, and Muslim students from Israel, Macedonia, Jordan, and Mexico to explore common ground and build bridges of understanding.
What has happened with the Promised Funding to
help the Israeli Christian Schools??
In a word, nothing. A one-time payment to the Christian Schools was promised when last September’s school strike was settled. However, the Ministry of Education has yet to release the promised funds. No new increases are announced yet either. We have asked Abuna Elias Chacour if inter-national friends can help by writing to Israeli authorities to let them know this funding matters to us. As soon as we get suggestions for where to write and what to request, we’ll post that information on our website: www.pilgrimsofibillin.org.
Meanwhile, your gifts for scholarships are truly helping Mar Elias keep the doors open and the lights on. Make your donation today, if possible. Use the enclosed envelope, or make an online gift. Thank you!!
Page 3 Israel’s Best Student is a Graduate of Mar Elias, cont. from page 1
When Shlomi Eldar asked him, “Did studying in such a school help you to do so well on an exam designed to test the knowledge of an Israeli student attending a typical Jewish school?” Mohammed responded, “When Knesset member Ahmed Tibi called to congratulate me, he said that the test was culture-dependent. In other words, it has to do with the culture you come from. But I hated to tell him that it has nothing to do with it. It doesn’t reflect intelligence, either. It only reflects the time you put into it. The harder you work, the more you’ll succeed.”
Mohammed plans to follow his sister to Israel Institute of Technology and to study software engineering.
~ Don Liebich, Author and Lecturer. His most recent book (published this year), Faultlines: Understanding America’s Role in the Middle East and the Circumstances Leading to the Rise of ISIS, is available through Amazon.com.
Also check out Don’s blog at www.donliebich.com.
Mohammed and his class, 40 of the 290 Mar Elias seniors who graduated in 2016. The high scores of the entire class place Mar Elias among
the top tier high schools in all Israel.
A Pilgrimage Invitation: Come Meet the Living Stones — October 18-31, 2016
I f traveling is an option for you, consider joining our fall Living Stones Pilgrimage, October 18-31. And if you know someone else who might be interested, please forward this invitation. Meet the Living Stones of Palestine and Israel!
Pilgrims of Ibillin offers a unique study/travel opportunity to visit in-depth with leaders who are working for understanding and a just peace on both sides of the Green Line. You'll meet Christians, Muslims, and Jews from Israel and Palestine -- hear their stories, see the challenging realities they live with, and begin to understand the complexity of building peace in the Holy Land. You'll also visit holy sites, find new life in biblical tradition, and deepen your own faith.
Do you have questions about the safety of traveling in this region? Check out responses (see our travel blog at www.livingstonespilgrimage.org) from recent participants. Our local guides and hosts monitor the news constantly. We may change some plans as we go, but we will stay safe -- and busy!
Note that this is a physically active trip. Be prepared for walking on uneven paths, often uphill or down. I'd love to hear if you are interested, even if you're not ready to commit. Register by August 10 if at all possible, but please call or email Joan Deming about availability any time until October 10th.
Questions or comments? Call me at 608-235-1046 or email [email protected]. A Full brochure and registration form are available online at http://www.pilgrimsofibillin.org/living-stones-pilgrimage/
Note - If you're interested but this October doesn't work for you, pencil in approximately May 15-27 OR October 16-29, for 2017 pilgrimage opportunities.
Our May 2016 pilgrimage group was invited into a 4th grade Problem-Solving class at the Ramallah Friends School.
We want these students’ help the next time any of us faces a major problem!
Newsletter Address: 1541 Comanche Glen Madison, WI 53704
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July 2016 Pilgrims’ Post
Pilgrims of Ibillin
My Gift for Tuition or Peace-building Programs — Opening Doors, Hearts, and Minds
____$35 _____$60 ____$100 ____$340* ____$500 ____Other $________
*$340 = cost of one year’s high school tuition at MEEI
To give securely by credit card, visit http:/www.pilgrimsofibillin.org
or complete the following:
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BOOK & DVD
ORDERS:
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________ Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour with David Hazard Foreword by Lynne Hybels & Gabe Lyons, Afterword by James A. Baker III
________ We Belong to the Land, by Elias Chacour with Mary E. Jensen
_______ Hermanos de Sangre, Spanish translation of Blood Brothers
_______ Blessed are the Peacemakers by Patricia Griggs with Elias Chacour (middle school readers and older)
_______ DVD: Building Peace on Desktops (12 min. documentary)
Donations for these resources will be used to further the work of Pilgrims of Ibillin.
$________________Total enclosed (suggestion: $15 per book, $10 per DVD)
Make checks payable to Pilgrims of Ibillin or pay securely by credit card through our website “Donate Now” tab: www.pilgrimsofibillin.org.
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Send order to: Joan Deming, Executive Director, 1541 Comanche Glen, Madison, WI 53704
