Thanks for keeping hope alive

March – April 2006

These days the international press is taking note of the Middle East with Hamas winning an unprecedented majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council; reactions to cartoons of the Prophet; and an Israeli man with explosives in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth on the 1 st Friday of Lent.

 

In the midst of these events, your support of BethlehemUniversity is making a difference! Yes, your support helps to make “little resurrections” happen every day at BethlehemUniversity!

 

Thanks to your support, the daily efforts of the faculty to foster shared values, moral principles, and dedication to serving the common good resulted in the students initiating a Christian-Muslim Forum on February 9 th focusing on the cartoons of the Prophet. They invited Brother Daniel Casey, Vice Chancellor, to join with more than 500 students and faculty as together, our Muslim and Christian students engaged in dialogue with Greek Orthodox Bishop Attallah Hanna, Sheikh Abdel Majid Ata (1984 Bethlehem University graduate and Mufti of Bethlehem District) and Mr. Naser Lahham (1994 Bethlehem University graduate and chief editor at Ma’an News Agency). The students and faculty resolved to continue to strengthen their strong Christian and Muslim bonds and not to allow the seeds of intolerance spread by others to take root in their lives. (For photos and more information, please visit our web site: http://www.bethlehem.edu).

 

Another example of a “little resurrection” is Lila, a 33 year old first year student. Completing her secondary schooling in 1990, Lila began working as a secretary to support her two siblings and her parents. While the deteriorating economy soon left Lila unemployed, with donor funds the University was able to hire Lila for a temporary job, providing her family with much needed income. While working at the University, Lila grew in her self-confidence and decided to pursue her long-delayed dream to earn a University education. Again, your generosity provided Lila and many other students with a scholarship to pursue her education. Thanks to you, Lila just completed her first semester, majoring in English with a 3.21 GPA!

 

I invite you to consider “a little resurrection gift” to continue to support our students with their $1,200 per year tuition as together we create a better future here in the Holy Land.

 

We appreciate your support!   CLICK HERE for more information

 

                                           

Brother Jack Curran, FSC, PhD

Vice President for Development