In May, I participated in the annual meeting of our partner church the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and its international partners. This gathering provided the opportunity for Trina Gallop Blank, assistant to the bishop for communications and resource generation, and me to visit the schools of the ELCJHL where through the ELCIC Re-formation Challenge we are supporting scholarships for students, and the Environmental Education Centre where also through the Reformation Challenge we are supporting the planting of trees in Palestine.
The ELCJHL is responsible for four K–12 schools: Dar al-Kalima Evangelical Lutheran School in Bethlehem, Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour, Evangelical Lutheran School of Hope in Ramallah, and Talitha Kumi Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Jala.
Gender balance and equality is an emphasis of the ELCJHL schools, with all schools learning together in a coeducational framework in which 44% of students are female and 56% of students are male. Muslim and Christian populations in ELCJHL schools reflect closely the populations of their communities. On the whole, 52.5% of ELCJHL students are Christian, and 47.5% of students are Muslim.
Peace Education and Interfaith Dialogue are also key emphases of the ELCJHL schools. In addition to excellent academic teaching, the schools run a variety of creative programs including music therapy, mediation, environmental education, and peer coaching.
Since their beginnings, ELCJHL schools have served the youth of their communities, regardless of gender, race, religion or ability to pay. In the current deteriorating political situation, it is becoming even more difficult for families to provide payment for school fees. At this time more than 50% of the ELCJHL school’s students require varying levels of financial assistance to cover school fees.
As part of our ELCIC Reformation Challenge, we are trying to raise money for 500 scholarships for students in ELCJHL schools. A scholarship of $1,400 will help a child attend school for a year. Supporting this scholarship initiative is an excellent way to live out our commitment to working for peace in the Holy Land.
I encourage you to consider how you and your congregation might make a donation towards a scholarship for a student, and to keep the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land in your prayers, pray for its congregations and schools, and pray for peace in the Holy Land.
National Bishop Susan Johnson
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
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