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GAZA CRISIS UPDATE -----
January 16, 2009 - This is the perimeter wall of Ahli Hospital. Still doctors, nurses, aids, staff and volunteers continue to provide care despite shortages of equipment, food and sleep. They report that 20 to 40 patients arrive each day, one fourth of them children. Many need surgery. Ambulances are in short supply, but still the patients come.
Shipments of desperately needed fuel and medical supplies have been delayed by the bombing of the UNRWA facility that stores and distributes aid. But as of this evening, the UN has decided not to suspend operations so they can continue to address the urgent need.
Your support will provide the most needed items which include everything from blankets and food to the plates and screws needed for surgery, scrubbing soap for surgeons, even plastic cups for urine specimens.
Bishop Suheil Dawani praised the hospital staff, calling their service "heroic servanthood." Suhaila Tarazi, Director of Ahli Hospital, told Charles Cloughen by phone a few days ago that God's hand is above the hospital.
We are God's hands in the world. Please help us help them.
Click on image for larger view.
January 21, 2009 - The picture above was taken at Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. Notice two things. First the child has severe burns on his leg. But he does not cry. Also consider the exhaustion and sadness on the father's face. The cease fire has provided a respite for Gaza families, but there are unforeseen effects as well.
Psychological scars, depression, PTSD, and other signs of stress will need to be addressed.
The number of patients has actually slightly increased as those who feared to travel now venture out and seek help. Fortunately volunteer doctors, mostly surgeons, from Egypt, Jordan and Turkey have relieved some of the strain.
Hospital staff, who have worked non-stop for three weeks are enjoying their first days off beginning today to be with their families. We're grateful to each and every one of them.
"We are exhausted, but we must begin to resume normal operations. We must continue the services that the people of Gaza expect of Al Ahli. We cannot rest yet." Suhaila Tarazi, Director of the hospital, leads by example. We honor her work and those who clean, cook, and provide caring medical attention in desperate conditions.
Click on image for larger view.
February 12, 2009 - For the last six weeks, Ahli Hospital in Gaza has provided care to all who enter free of charge. Access to money is difficult and prompt attention to wounds is critical. Medicine is also distributed without charge. This in combination with safer streets since the cease fire has resulted in a new wave of patients seeking medical attention. The hospital is treating more needy patients than ever and is hard pressed to keep up with demand. Still the staff manages to offer caring professional services to both in- and out-patients.
March 5, 2009 - These black and white photos are not from an archive; they are current UN photos of a refugee camp in Gaza. Officials have identified sewage as the #1 problem. It's winter there -- 40 or 45 degrees at night. Homes have been destroyed and many families live in tents, exposed to the cold rain. Emotional trauma to the children is a pervasive problem. Many have lost a parent, their home, all fear thunder and lightening which reminds them of the bombing. These innocents suffer nightmares and psychosocial damage.
April 1, 2009 - Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza reports that they continue to be overwhelmed with patients like the little burn victim above. Since the embargo is still in force, they suffer from shortages in basics such as toilet paper, detergent, sheets -- things you don't think of as being important until you don't have them. Imagine trying to run a hospital without them.
Suhaila Tarazi, Director of the Hospital writes, "Through your most recent donation, we have bought fuel and medicine and have sustained the running of the free medical missions.
Since January we have treated 1074 patients and can distribute milk, safe water and nutritious biscuits to more than 1200 children. We also provide medical care for 200 chronically ill women." Click here to read more...
May 3, 2009 -The Arab Evangelical Episcopal School in Ramallah congratulates its new graduates! This is the latest class to move into the community with new problem-solving skills, an education built on tolerance and respect for others and the keen knowledge that their values matter. The Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani wrote recently, "We must educate future generations of peacemakers, investing in our Christian youth by enabling them to attend our primary and secondary schools where they will be...empowered with skills vital to productive members of society."
The class of 2009 is part of the 720 students now at AEES. It was a busy year. The school was chosen to participate in the Model School Network which trains teachers in modern methods for teaching science, math, and English. Continuously improving academic standards is a top priority.
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July 15, 2009
Click here to read the Press Release. St. Nicholas made a surprise visit from the Middle East to General Convention.
The Rev. Canon James Rosenthal, Director of the St. Nicholas Society, who embodies the spirit and occasionally the persona of St. Nicholas, visited the AFEDJ booth at General Convention on July 15.
June, 2009
As we address the physical and academic well-being of children living in deplorable conditions in Palestine, some get a chance to escape into music, art, dance and fun -- to be kids for a short time and balance the stress with joy.
Recent stories in the New York Times and elsewhere highlight programs to train art teachers, bring guest music instructors from Europe, and provide local dance classes. The girls pictured above are students at the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School in Ramallah. They grow in social skills, discipline and comfort with children from all backgrounds with each class.
Follow this link for an excellent story in the New York Times about Dalia, a 16 year old flutist in Ramallah with a borrowed instrument and a dream.
July, 2009
Sunday, December 6 is St. Nicholas Day! St. Nicholas, a bishop in what is now Turkey, provided for needy children with gifts of money, food and safe haven. Not unlike needs in the Holy Land today.
Help celebrate this beloved symbol of generosity and love with AFEDJ. Resources for parish celebrations will be ready in the fall to help you tell the story, sing, pray and gather gifts for children needing homes, healthcare, therapy, education, and much more.
Contact Rev. Deborah Dresser at: deborahdresser@gmail.com for more information or to find out how you can contribute your creative talent. We look forward to a nation-wide outpouring of support for the work of the Diocese. Approach Advent with the Nicholas point of view!
September, 2009
Phoebe Griswold, President of the Board
Our recent visit to the Diocese was filled with energy, hope and families making difficult choices. At St. George's School in Jerusalem. we met a family with three boys enrolled. They were so happy to have their children in an academically enriching environment with respect for differences, listening and Christian values embedded in the curriculum. They're a Muslim family. They value the parenting skills and encouragement they receive. But their
two girls are almost school age and even with
scholarship help, they struggle to pay the boy's fees. We can't let these children down. Will you help us educate every child in an atmosphere of tolerance and love? This is where peace begins.
Join the fun! Celebrate St. Nicholas Day and connect with the spirit of the real St. Nicholas, Bishop in Turkey in the fourth century. He's the patron saint of needy children in the Middle East and inspires us to help needy children there today. Perform the Christmas pageant, sing the hymn, pray and have fun with the tools we've provided at www.afedj.org. All free. Refocus your Christmas spirit and help a child in the Holy Land with your ingathering or individual gift. Our children will get more than a shiny toy. They'll receive an education, healthcare, therapy, a chance at a new life. Help us help them. Make a gift or organize a celebration in your parish, your family, your town, your club. Kids are hoping.....
Gaza Update – February 2010
We received the following report from Suhaila Terazi, Director of Ahli Hospital in Gaza:
"Infrastructure, homes and businesses remain badly damaged, with severely restricted supplies
entering Gaza through official border crossings. Goods that are available are not affordable to
most residents. Families make tough decisions about how and who to feed. Sickness is prevalent
given substandard housing and lack of sanitary water and facilities.
"The staff at Ahli Hospital with your support continues to operate their vital mobile medical
clinic, visiting the poor in their own neighborhoods. The programs for malnourished children and
elderly, and for chronically ill women dramatically improves the quality of life for many. The new
mental health outreach program has been expanded, providing for post and ongoing traumatic
stress care for families. This specialized program was designed especially for Gaza, with training
provided to mothers who ten take learned stress reduction techniques and lessons home to their
families." Your generosity made a difference is desperate situation. Thank you!
The urgent news from East Jerusalem about land ownership and buildings brings into
clear focus the role of the Episcopal Church in the Middle East. Major institutions of the church are in East Jerusalem. The Cathedral, Diocesan offices, its guest house, St George's College, St George's K-12 school for boys (girls newly admitted in kindergarten and first grade) and The Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children all have long and respected histories in East Jerusalem. This is an Anglican/Christian presence that we must support.
End of March 2010
understand the importance of the academics and the values taught here. Nearby the Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children treats children of all faiths who have been damaged by birth or war. The Center works with the whole family sending achild home with parents who can care for their special physical or mental needs. Some children even come from Gaza, when then can
get out. It's a regional referral center and a critical asset to every disabled child in the Diocese.
With all eyes in the world on East Jerusalem, even though we are far from this Holy City, we can support the Christian presence and the work of the Episcopal Diocese through the AFEDJ. We are already there healing, teaching and praying. By strengthening the institutions which
teach and heal, we strengthen families and communities. We provide hope at a time
when there may be a chance. What is your part? It is to support this work by sending a donation now and encouraging your congregation to do the same. Let's not see the Christian population fall below the present 1.5% because we did not recognize our responsibility to our very own Christian family.
With love and hope,
Phoebe Griswold, President of the Board
AFEDJ
At St. George's School, 800 Muslim and Christian boys are being educated in a rigorous curriculum so they can graduate and lead productive lives. Just around the corner, other boys are throwing rocks and getting arrested. Education offers an alternative to this frustration. Diocesan schools includes respect for differences and tolerance as an integral part of the curriculum - so critical in this environment. I've seen the older boys at St. George's during recess where the playground is the size of a postage stamp. They need playgrounds to work off their energy and practice team sports. They don't have that opportunity, yet the waiting list remains long because families
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