On the first day of school, Abuna welcomes students back (in Arabic).

Click below to view Abuna's welcome videos.

Science class in Zababdeh

Dear Friend,

We have been busy preparing for the first Living Stones Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in three years. We are so excited to have another group of travelers join us to visit key sites and meet the incredible Living Stones of Israel and Palestine — many of whom are peace partners. The group departs later this month and we wish them a wonderful journey and experience!

Our colleagues at Mar Elias have spent the summer getting ready to welcome students back for the 2022-2023 school year, which they did last week.

With help from supporters such as yourself, MEEI purchased and installed almost four dozen new computers in the elementary school. When Mar Elias learned that electricity rates were due to increase 20% in January, they knew they needed to address this issue so that utility costs did not overwhelm the budget. Pilgrims of Ibillin sent funds to assist with the purchase of new air conditioning units throughout the lower school.

MEEI leaders also spent time this summer discussing means to improve school processes, teacher-student relationships, and discipline. Because MEEI strives for and achieves excellence, they were recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Education as being one of the top schools in the country!

We are so very proud to play a small role in this success! (You’ll see more on this and other topics referenced in the newsletter below)

Blessings and thanks to you,

Essrea Cherin

Executive Director

Newer A/C units will bring utility costs down to a manageable level and improved conditions for students and faculty who spend much time indoors. 

We are happy to have been able to help out in these ways — thanks to the many generous donors who support the mission to build peace on desktops.

MEEI listed as top school in Israel

The entire family of MEEI is thrilled with the recent announcement that Mar Elias High School has been chosen as one of the top schools out of 351 high schools in Israel. 

The Ministry of Education published the list of the high schools that excelled in the values, social and academic fields in the past school year. The schools were selected according to the degree of success and improvement rates in a series of indicators, including: matriculation eligibility rate, dropout prevention, and admission of special education students.

Mar Elias was named at the highest ranking level, again.

Congratulations to the students, faculty, and staff for this success and who have earned the recognition.

Over 6 days Bertie walked 90 miles along Hadrian’s Wall in the United Kingdom to raise $987 (!!) for Mar Elias. She said that “originally I wasn’t keen on asking my friends and family to sponsor my walk… but I am deeply grateful that they did as I know the funds go towards a really meaningful cause: building peace through education in Palestine and Israel.

The journey was also quite difficult and agonizing; she worked hard for the sponsorship and to bring awareness to Palestine.

Bertie originally learned about Abuna’s work and Mar Elias through a friend whose daughter was a visiting teacher at MEEI. She was inspired to read Abuna’s book, “Blood Brothers,” and to travel to Palestine to help rebuild Palestinian homes demolished by the Israeli occupation forces through the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

We are so impressed by Bertie’s tenacity to walk 90 miles and invite her community to support Mar Elias’ efforts to build peace through education! 

Thank you, Bertie, and thank you to all our supporters!

As Abuna would say: “you are a light in the darkness.” 

New library and storytelling center in Kufor Aqab

We are excited by the recent news that our peace partner, Seraj, has just opened a new library and storytelling center in the historic old village in the Jerusalem-area community of Kufor Aqab! We send our congratulations as we know this vision has been many years in the making.

The idea of establishing a Palestinian national storytelling center arose from the need in preserving and retelling community stories and folklore. This has been a journey of several years, which included searching for the right space, rehabilitating that space, delaying work due to covid, facing security concerns, designing an inspirational center and creating simple but meaningful and effective programs.

Providing safe spaces for communities

Seraj, along with several other cultural and community-focused organizations, are part of a strategy designed by the architectural preservation organization, Riwaq, to bring to life the old buildings and add much-needed safe spaces to community members.

The work in Kufor Aqab is extremely important. First of all, providing a safe and beautiful space to the community to allow access to information, knowledge and culture is sorely needed. This is especially important in such a high-pressure, crowded, and often unsafe community.

Stories can heal, empower and build communities

Secondly, storytelling connects us as humans, and stories can be incredibly powerful. Stories can be used to victimize and sow hatred between people, but can also heal, empower, and build communities. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have in our toolbox as humans, we each have untold stories inside of us, and it is our responsibility to take these stories out, shape them and share them. Stories connect us to the past and help us to build our future.

Huge congratulations to our friends at Seraj Libraries!

Trip leaders Dr. Rev. James Thomas and Dr. Brenda Mehos embark upon a Living Stones Pilgrimage later this month.

We and our partners are so excited for this visit after nearly three years of absence! We will post pictures and reports from the pilgrimage in our social media channels and website.

If you’d like to follow along, be sure to like or follow Pilgrims’s channels and you’ll receive updates each step of the way:

•  Facebook

•  Instagram

•  Twitter

•  LinkedIn

•  Living Stones Blog Page

Your donations will support the ongoing work of

Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI) and

Pilgrims' Peace Partners in fostering peace

through education in Israel and Palestine.

Thank you.