Bethlehem University Appreciates Support – We are OPEN!

Troubles in Jericho – The University’s Education Continuing

16 March 2006

Bethlehem University wishes to express its appreciation to the many graduates, friends, and benefactors who have contacted us in recent days. We appreciate your prayers and concern for our students and faculty – and for the people of the Holy Land. We are most grateful for the dedication of our students and faculty to their educational activities in the midst of the troubling situation in Jericho these past couple of days.

The University is OPEN -- classes and activities are happening as "normal" as is possible, given the daily realities of the Israeli occupation, the Separation Wall in Bethlehem, the checkpoints and travel restrictions – and the recent activity in Jericho which have heightened the negative consequences of the on-going Israeli military occupation. While the University Administration suspended a few classes so as to allow the University community to hold some forums to discuss the upsetting situation in Jericho and to express our anger and concern, classes are in session.

In addition to the classes continuing, among the previously planned events which are being held this week at the University are:

• A Student Senate Forum entitled “The Threats Concerning Jerusalem” during the Thursday, 16 March Student Activities Period. Two guest speakers from Jerusalem are participating in this forum: Dr. Geries Khoury, Director of the Al-Liqa Center for Religious and Heritage Studies in the Holy Land, and Muhamed Abu Teir, recently elected Palestinian Legislative Council for Jerusalem, and

• The Faculty of Science’s Annual Science Fair which is expected to attract over 1,500 high school students and teachers to the University this Friday and Saturday, 17 and 18 March.

Additionally in the city of Bethlehem, at the Bethlehem Peace Center in Manger Square as part of this week’s Cultural Week is

• A book exhibit highlighting local authors to be opened by the Minister of Culture, Mr. Yakhlef, and organized by the Peace Center, the Cardinal House, Arab Women’s Union and Bethlehem University. This book exhibit will highlight titles authored by Bethlehem University faculty.

• A video presentation on the Cultural Heritage of Bethlehem produced by Dr. Costandi Shomali of Bethlehem University’s faculty will be shown along with a lecture about Palestinian Theatre.

• A showing of the movie “Rachel: An American Conscience” by the Palestinian director Yahia Barakat. The film sheds light on the International Solidarity Movement and the death of the American activist Rachel Corrie while she was peacefully demonstrating against house demolition in Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Bethlehem University is grateful to the Ladah Foundation for establishing two scholarships at Bethlehem University in Memory of Rachel Courie, in addition to the other scholarship support the Ladah Foundation provides to BethlehemUniversity.