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Installation of Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad, the 5th Lutheran Bishop of the ELCJHL
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“Children’s Dreams” Art Exhibition
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Beyond Palestine, The ELCJHL students’ voices from all four schools in the Holy Land reached the world through the “Children’s Dreams” Art Exhibition, currently hosted in the Church of Sweden’s Diocese of Strängnäs. Visitors shared how deeply moved they were by the children’s expressions of hope, imagination, and resilience. The exhibition included collaborative art workshops, a philosophy café, and artistic interpretations inspired directly by students’ work—powerful testimony to the universal language of children’s dreams.
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“Children’s Dreams” Art Exhibition portraying ELCJHL student art in Sweden
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Palestinian student art from one of the Lutheran schools at the “Children’s Dreams” Art Exhibition
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Over the past two months, ELCJHL schools have continued to stand as beacons of hope, dignity, and excellence despite increasing political, economic, and humanitarian pressures. Your giving makes this work possible, and we wish to share both the joyful progress and the urgent needs facing the Lutheran schools in Jordan and the Holy Land.
For the first time since the war against Gaza, Christmas was celebrated in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem, and surrounding areas with a renewed sense of joy. The Lutheran schools in Palestine held their annual Christmas celebrations, where students presented carols, plays, prayers, and performances. Parents were able to attend, many for the first time in years, strengthening family bonds and restoring a sense of community that had been deeply missed.
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Christmas Celebration at The Evangelical Lutheran School, Beit Sahour in December 2025
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Palestinian Teachers' Day
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After many years of separation and restriction, teachers from all Lutheran schools gathered again to celebrate Palestinian Teachers’ Day. The day was filled with fellowship, sports activities, shared meals, and moments of laughter, reminding us that educators, too, need spaces of care and encouragement in order to continue serving our children with love and commitment.
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Palestinian Teachers’ Day at Talitha Kumi
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In January 2026, forty students from the four Lutheran schools participated in PalMUN under the theme “Documenting the Truth.” The students engaged in high-level committees including the Human Rights Council, ICJ, ICC, UN Women, UNICEF, and OCHA. Several students received awards for outstanding participation, reflecting the schools’ commitment to human rights education, critical thinking, and ethical leadership.
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Despite the severe challenges facing the schools at ELCJHL, the schools are deeply grateful for the funds received through Opportunity Palestine, which provided critical relief. Still, urgent and sustained support is needed to ensure that no child is denied education due to financial hardship.
Education remains one of the strongest forms of steadfastness in the Holy Land. By supporting Lutheran schools, you are investing not only in classrooms, but in peace-builders, truth-tellers, and future leaders rooted in faith and justice.
In a time when families in both the United States and Palestine are feeling the strain of rising costs, inflation, and unstable exchange rates that erode purchasing power, generosity becomes an act of shared resilience rather than excess. Amid economic uncertainty and deepening hardship, choosing to give is a way of sustaining one another across borders and affirming that solidarity, even in difficult times, remains a source of blessing and hope.
We thank all of those who continue to support Opportunity Palestine even in hardship. Your generosity ensures that the ELCJHL schools remain places where children can learn, dream, and thrive now more than ever.
With gratitude and hope,
Opportunity Palestine Board of Directors
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