schools of the latin patriarchate of jerusalem -...

August 2013 Issue #1

Monthly Bulletin Students and teachers have been busy preparing for the

2013/2014 academic year. True

to the spirit of the Patriarchate

schools, all students, regardless of

their religion or

family were

welcomed with open

arms. In his address

to all members of the

schools as well as the

parents, the

General

Director of

the Latin

Patriarchate

Schools, Father Faysal

Hijazin declared the

mission of the schools for

the 2013/2014 academic year

to be to promote a respect of all groups through

education and the building of trusting relationships.

Address from Fr. Faysal Hijazin, Director General of

the Latin Patriarchate Schools:

I congratulate all of you on the occasion starting the

2013/2014 academic year, and congratulations on the

celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

This year I urge you to focus on the essence of education,

namely, the mental, moral, and civil qualities,

encouraging the overall growth of the entire human

being. Education not only concerns teaching, but is

about learning through a comprehensive upbringing

based on fundamental moral principles. We have

dedicated ourselves to being active in community service,

and strive to foster a non discriminatory community by

opening our doors wide to both Christians and Muslims.

Our mission this year is to promote a mutual respect

through education and the building of trusting

relationships.

In response to the political, ideological and religious

struggles happening in our Arab countries, we are called

to focus on the importance of education to find solutions

to this bitter reality. Through education we may

understand our differences based on mutual respect. We

invite our students to be aware of their dignity as human

beings and defend their rights which arise from that

dignity. In addition to their rights as human beings, they

are called to defend their ethnic identity, cultural

homeland, and their ideas and choices in life. Through

education, we are called to respect the religious

teachings, symbols, and

values of others, as well

as a respect for their

religious leaders and

places of worship. We

are called to raise

future generations in a

culture of respect for the

ideas of others around

us.

We entrust this mission to you, our colleagues,

custodians of educational and scientific knowledge, to

speak, write, and educate in a way which respects others.

I invite you to be a good example for the children in

order to raise them in these values. I raise my prayers to

God that he will bless your efforts and give you strength

to move forward in achieving your heavenly goal.

To you I give all of my respect, love and appreciation.

Father Faysal Hijazen 19/8/2013

Schools of the Latin

Patriarchate of Jerusalem

August 2013 Issue # 1 “Ut Cognoscant Te”


Ut Cognoscant Te: Our Heritage, Our Pledge

The Latin Patriarchate Schools (LPS) are

committed to protecting Palestinian cultural

heritage in the present and preparing the next

generation to lead their culture to a brighter

future. Our pursuit of this goal is measured by

our efforts on behalf of our students, most

importantly, as well as their families, their

communities, and Palestinian society as a whole.

To our students, we offer a rigorous

curriculum from Kindergarten through Taujihi

(12th Grade) for boys and girls,

Christians and Muslims, and

special needs students. Our

curriculum is in accord with the

Palestinian National Authority’s

requirements, but strives to

exceed these minimum

standards with additional

courses in French Language,

Music, Ecological Studies, Peace

Studies, and Catechism. The

LPS employ capable teachers

and seek to maintain a

competitive faculty-to-student

ratio. The LPS also sponsor

training programs to ensure

that these teachers are aware

of effective contemporary

teaching methods and have

opportunities to network with

each other. As evidence of our

concern for holistic

development, the LPS support

our students outside the

classroom with psychological counseling and a

variety of team sports.

The LPS recognize parents as the first

teachers in the lives of their children and regards

the family as the fundamental building block of a

Christian community and a functional society

alike. As such, we promise regular contact with

parents about the performance of their students

through both report cards and optional

conferences with teachers. The LPS recognize the

substantial financial investment families make in

the education of their children. To that end, the

LPS use a sliding scale for tuition charges,

subsidizing tuition costs for families that

demonstrate a need.

The history of the LPS demonstrates our

willingness to target underserved communities

and to make ourselves known

in places where others cannot

or will not go. To our

communities, we offer a

consistent and reliable

presence as a means of

stabilizing the towns we

serve. Beyond offering

employment to qualified

individuals in the community,

we make our facilities

available to organizations that

adhere to our values, and our

faculty and staff members are

equally available in cases

where their expertise can be

of some assistance.

It is the belief of the

LPS that we are an integral

part of Palestinian society,

and we are glad for it. The

above goals define us as an

institution, but they also

represent our considerable

contribution to greater Palestine. Education is

crucial to the cultivation of the human potential,

and the degree to which Palestinians, as a people,

improve themselves will ultimately determine the

survival of the culture. It is the Latin Patriarchate

Schools’ honor and great privilege to contribute to

that noble endeavor.


Latin Patriarchate Schools

The Schools of the Latin Patriarchate of

Jerusalem have a long history in the Holy

Land. The first school was founded

immediately after the restoration of the

Latin Patriarchate in 1847. The schools

were distinct in that they offered

education to every child, regardless of

his or her religion, family, or race.

Today the Patriarchate boasts a total of

44 schools, with five in Galilee, fourteen

in Palestine (two of which are in Gaza)

and twenty-five in Jordan. A

goal of many of the schools is

to be far from the main cities so that students in smaller

villages will have the opportunity to attend a Latin

school. The schools are open to both Christians and

Muslims, both among the students and the staff.

Currently, the schools are attended by over 20,000

students and over 1,500 staff. The schools offer students

in all levels of kindergarten through 12th grade a place to

study.

While our schools do charge tuition, they do not aim to

make a profit. The tuition rates are merely symbolic. In

fact, it does not even cover half of the cost of a student.

The remainder of the tuition is paid by the with the

generous support of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher

and other benefactors.

The schools are an important part of society here, and the

Patriarchate sees them as the most important institution

behind the family to building strong foundations for a

growing church. We here at the Latin Patriarchate of

Jerusalem strive to make the education received by

students at our schools one which will stay with them for

the rest of their lives.

Beit Jala 1895

Beit Jala 2013


School NewsTeacher Sessions

Teachers from around the diocese have been busy

preparing for students to return and are active in making

this the most fruitful academic year so far. The teachers,

and thus, the students,

have been blessed to

have attended multiple

conferences on teaching

strategies on how to

best reach the students

in their care. Over three

hundred teachers

attended multiple

sessions from all over

the Patriarchate on how

to encourage critical and

creative thinking in

students and also how to

implement Gardner’s

theory of Multiple

Intelligence. All

religion teachers in the

Patriarchate had a

conference of their own.

The focus of this

conference was twofold. It sought improve the spiritual

life of the students as well as to better the quality of

religious education. In addition to learning how to

implement the theory of Multiple Intelligence, teachers

were instructed in the importance of the liturgy and how

to make religion an important part in each student’s life.

Taybeh First Day 2013

First Day of School!

On Saturday, August 24, students came back from

summer vacation to all the schools in the Patriarchate. In

Beit Jala, the excitement was in the air. Even before

school started, one could hear laughter and playing

coming from the basketball court behind the school.

Then the teachers gathered all the students into their

grades, said

a prayer and

filed in for

the start of

an exciting

new year!

Teacher Conference August 2013

Beit Jala First Day 2013

Students Return to Seminary in Beit Jala


News Beat

A Special Visit

The Chief of the Bureau of Education in Bethlehem,

Sami Murra paid a visit for the first day of school to the

students and teachers in Beit Jala on Saturday, August

24.

Sami Murra visiting a class in Beit Jala

Meeting with Teachers

The general Director of Patriarchate Schools, Fr. Faysal

Hijazen met with teachers in Israel on Monday, August

26, and teachers in Beit Jala on Tuesday, August 27. He

discussed the mission for the year as being to see and

respect “the other as myself”

New Religion Book Published

The general

Secretary of

Christian Schools

has published a 12th

grade religion book

to be used in all

Christian schools in

Palestine. So far 700

students have the

book and it is being

sent to Israel and

Jordan for use as

well.

Meeting with Representatives

On August 26, Fr, Faysal Hijazen also met with

representatives of all the Christian schools in Israel at St.

Joseph’s school in Jafa Nazareth.

A Celebration!!!

Teachers in Jaffa Nazareth celebrated an esteemed

faculty member on August 28. They had a party at the

YMCA Restaurant in Nazareth for Mrs. Klara Nicola

Marjeh in celebration of her sixtieth birthday and 42nd

year of teaching at the school. We all give Mrs. Klara a

warm congratulations!!!

Meeting with Representatives in Nazareth

Mrs. Klara’s Husband, Mrs. Klara, Fr. Elias, Fr. Faysal, Qaissar

Rashed, Saad Rahhal (Lto R)

The new Religion book


Official Visits

On August 28, students and teachers of the Latin

Patriarchate Schools in Jaffa of Nazareth, Reneh and

Rameh were blessed to welcome both the Vicar of

Nazareth, H.E. Giacinto-BoulosMarcuzzo, and the

general director of Patriarchate Schools, Fr. Faysal

Hijazen. They presented the students, teachers and

parents with a prayer to say everyday as well as the

YOUCAT, youth catecism to better the student’s

knowledge of their faith. In his address to the students,

the Vicar emphasized three points:

- We must work as a team

- The mission of the teachers is not just to educate

by teaching, but to educate by example

- The dignity of the child must always be

respected

We hope that this visit will help strengthen the resolve of

the students and teachers to actively live out their faith.

Vicar of Nazareth visits teachers in Reneh

A student listens in Jaffa of Nazareth

Vicar speaks in Rameh

Vicar with teachers in Rameh


.

Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali made his

official visit to schools in Beit Jala and Beit

Sahour on August 31. He visited the

Elementary School in Beit Jala, the

Secondary School in Beit Jala, the Seminary

in Beit Jala, and the Elementary School in

Beit Sahour. At each of them, he stressed the

need for prayer and gave the students

andteachers a prayer to say everyday for their

education. Students were also given a prayer

for their parents to take home. In his address

to the students, Bishop Shomali stressed both

faith and morals as being paramount to life as

a Christian. When speaking to teachers, he

stressed thatthey are not teaching the faith by

only their words, but through their example.

Showing how faith affects daily life is

priceless to the development of the whole

student.

Bishop Shomali at the Elementary School in Beit Jala

Bishope Shomali speaks at the Elementary School In Beit Sahour

Bishope Shomali at the Secondary School in Beit Jala Bishope Shomali with teachers at the Seminary in Beit Jala

Saying a prayer for students at the Seminary in Beit Jala


TAYBEH

Taybeh is a small village near Ramallah and holds the

distinction of being the last entirely Christian community

in the West Bank. During the New Testament period,

Taybeh was known as Ephraim and was where Jesus

rested with his disciples after raising Lazarus. Blessed

Charles de Foucauld

also passed through

and was so inspired

that he wrote “Eight

Days in Aphram,

retreat of 1898, from

Monday after IV Lent

Sunday, (March 14)

through Monday, after

IV Lent Sunday

(March 21)”

The Latin Patriarchate School was founded in 1869 and

became the first school in the village as the Ottomans

gave no importance to education. At its founding, there

were two parts of the schools, one for boys and one for

girls. During

its first year,

twenty five

male

students

studied and

fifteen girl

students

studied

there. The

schools were

able to

provide

basic

education in the subjects of Arabic, Mathematics and

Religion.

In 1961 school added the first kindergarten in the village.

Then, twelve years later, in 1978, the school expanded

and became a secondary school. This allowed for

students from neighboring villages to join the school.

The school made no distinction between religion or

family and

all were

invited to

study

there.

Today,

over four

hundred

and fifty

students

study at

Taybeh. It

is split

down the

middle between Christians and non-Christians. The

school has around

forty well qualified

teachers on the

staff, both male

and female. A

variety of extra-

curricular activities

allow the students

to grow mentally,

socially, physically

and spiritually.

The children’s choir of Taybeh is another point of

distinction for the school. The choir sings regularly for

the Latin Parish at Sunday mass, but its reputation goes

far beyond Taybeh. Multiple concerts around the West

Bank have been organized, and they even participated in

the release of a CD in 2004 which promoted peace in the

region.


Taybeh School 1950's

Taybeh Class of 2013

Taybeh 2013

Taybeh Choir


TAYBEH PEACE LAMPS

Of particular note in Taybeh is the Peace Lamp Initiative.

The initiative launched in 2004 and stems from this

analysis by Father Raed Abusahlia, the parish priest of

Taybeh.

In the terrible conflict that harms the Holy Land, Israelis

and Palestinians have tried all possible means of action

to put an end to it, using both violence and non-violence,

but with little success.

As our last resort, we address a prayer for Peace in the

Holy Land to our Lord with a simple and symbolic idea:

unite over 100, 000 churches,

through our lamps, in a

common prayer for peace in

the Holy Land.

Thus, the lamp, together with

the oil and the light, becomes a

message o f peace from our

side and a sign of solidarity

towards the Holy Land from

the churches all around the

world:

- Whilst uniting all Christians and people of faith

around the world in a prayer for peace in the Holy

Land, this initiative is also a major information tool

on the living conditions the Christian communities

face in the Holy Land, due to the conflict.

- This initiative also helps the Christian communities in

the Holy Land to fight unemployment. These lamps

are produced in Taybeh's new ceramic workshop, and

provide jobs to 20 young men and women who now

earn a decent salary and can live with their families

in dignity on the land they cherish.

- Finally, this initiative provides a needed marketing

opportunity for the olive oil produced in the Holy

Land

The "Lamps for Peace in the Holy Land" initiative was

officially launched on November 16th 2004, in a

ceremony during which it received the blessing of the

Cardinal of Florence, H.E Ennio Antonelli as well as the

one of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, H.B. Michel

Sabbah.

Our hope can be summed up

like this: With 100 000

churches united in a prayer

for Peace in the Holy Land,

the Lord will hear his

congregation. He won't have

the choice!!

P. Raed Abusahlia

Then parish priest of Taybeh

Currently Director of Caritas Jerusalem

OUR PRAYER FOR PEACE IN THE

HOLY LAND

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called

sons of God" (Matthew 5:9)

Lord, help us to be peacemakers in the Holy Land.

"Now the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace

always by all means," (II Thessalonians 3:16)

Lord, give the Holy Land peace by Your means.

"For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and

hath broken down the middle wall of partition

between us. (Ephesians 2:14)

Lord, be our peace and break down the walls of

partition dividing the Holy Land.

"I am the light of the world." (John 8:12)

Lord, help us to be lights to the Holy Land.

"They will hammer their swords into ploughshares

and the spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword

against nation, no longer will they learn how to make

war." (Isaiah 2:4)

Lord, fulfill this promise now in the Holy Land.

"But Esau ran to meet him (Jacob), took him in his

arms, threw himself on his neck and wept as he kissed

him." (Genesis 33:4)

Lord, help the people of the Holy Land follow the

example of Jacob and Esau and reconcile

themselves to each other.

"Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my

path." (Psalm 119:105)

Lord, as we light this lamp, let your Spirit enter

into the hearts of those in the Holy Land and be a

lamp unto their feet and a light to their path.

"Peace I leave you with, My Peace I give to you: …"

(John 14:27)

Lord, we thank you for your peace and we accept

it in the Holy Land.

Amen!


THANK YOU!!!

Thank you for reading and showing an interest in the

schools of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Because

the education of our youth is of such paramount

importance in today’s world, we think it necessary to

keep updates coming regularly.

This is the first edition of the English Bulletin of the

Schools of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem but more

will be released every month!

We ask you for your prayers in this, our very important

duty in the Holy Land. It is through education and prayer

that we can hope to achieve a lasting peace here.

For more information about the schools or Patriarchate,

our contact information is below:

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

General Administration of Schools

Mailing Address: Jaffa Gate, PO Box 14152

Jerusalem, Israel 91141

Website: http://latin-schools.org/home/en/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +970 2 2750442

http://latin-schools.org/home/en/

mailto:[email protected]


With your help, we can complete projects to renovate buildings, purchase

lab equipment, school supplies and furniture, as well as many more

necessities!!

You can even give a poor child the priceless gift of education by providing

his or her tuition!

If you feel called to help the students in the schools of The Latin Patriarchate

of Jerusalem, the bank details are below.

schools of the latin patriarchate of jerusalem -...

Documents