HEBRON EVANGELICAL SCHOOL

  • Hebron, Palestine
  • Founded in 1954
  • Grades K – 6 
  • Enrollment of over 400 students
  • Boys and girls in attendance
  • Arabic curriculum

The Hebron Evangelical School has been a part of the Hebron community for 70 years. In that time over 3000 children have been educated and empowered, many of whom have gone on to be effective leaders in government, business, and civil affairs. Today, children continue to be educated and nurtured. Hebron Evangelical School gives them a hope for a better future, and equips them for being productive members of their society.

Click to read more about the Hebron Evangelical School

Hebron has a rich biblical history. It is the location of the Tomb of the Patriarchs, known locally as the Ibrahami Mosque. As the burial site of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah, it is an important landmark for Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike.

Twin sisters Ida and Ada Stoluzfus, from Morgantown, PA, arrived here in 1948, having been selected by the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC, from Akron, OH). Their assignment was providing needy citizens with food and clothing. It wasn’t long before they focused on the needs of the children, who’s plight in this stricken land was particularly heart rending. They opened an orphanage for boys in 1952- the first in the area. The orphanage was expanded in 1954 to include a school. Their first class was 13 young boys. In the nearly 40 years they spent in Hebron, Miss Ida and Miss Ada made the Hebron School an integral part of the ebb and flow of life in Hebron.

They lost their original funding in the sixties and had a difficult choice to make. Follow a new assignment from the MCC or stay with the school and become independent. They chose to stay with the school and minister to “their children”. After a number of very lean and challenging years, they met Ron and J.J. Armstrong, in 1982. The Armstrongs had just formed Holy Land Ministries and were looking for a school to help. The relationship between the Armstrongs and the sisters grew, and Holy Land Ministries eventually accepted control of the school. Their first priority was to repair and restore the physical plant, which had fallen into a state of disrepair.

While Ron & J.J. continued their efforts to support the school from here in the states, in 1999 Gregg and Rawda Doolittle became the on-site directors. Gregg and Rawda’s efforts have resulted in continued improvements in the quality of education, as well as a concentration on bolstering the spiritual life of the school. Enrollment has also been strengthened through this period, and there are now nearly 500 students in attendance (grades K – 6).

Through these years we have adjusted to the needs of the community. The original orphanage transitioned to a boarding program for a number of years, before being phased out around 2020. There was also a Hearing Impaired program and a class for slow learners for a time. These programs have also been phased out due to changing conditions of the community.

Teachers on staff are all fully certified and demonstrate love and compassion to our students that are responsible for instilling new hope in each of these children. Many of our students have gone on to fill important positions of leadership, in their community and internationally. We enjoy a number of visits from former students on a regular basis.

 

 

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Joelle

This young lady has overcome many challenges in her young life, including her mother having been through the ordeal of fighting cancer. With that, and other family issues to deal with, Joelle often felt a bit adrift in school. She didn’t quite know where she fit in, struggled with grades, and had trouble finding friends. Early high school was hard. With the help of some kind teachers, and lots of hard work, Joelle found her stride as a junior. She discovered a love of art and literature, and excelled at both. She hopes to become an author someday, or be involved in the film industry. Joelle was one of Bethlehem Academy’s first graduates, and did very well taking her CLEP exams her senior year. She’s an excellent example of a student who left BEA with a great deal of hope for a productive and gratifying future in her post BEA years.

Hamza

Hamza dealt with a blow that is hard to imagine for many of us; his father was killed in a workplace accident. Rather than tell him the truth, his family told him that his father had gone abroad for a job opportunity. He is an inquisitive kid and it wasn’t long before he knew something was not right. After persistent questioning, his family finally told him the truth. The loss of his father, along with the deception, caused a downward spiral in his grades and behavior at school. The school administration along with the entire staff poured themselves into this young man’s life and he began to slowly recover from his loss. Hamza still misses his father every day, but with his friends and teachers encouragement he is beginning to find his smile again.  

Ziyad

Ziyad joined us in kindergarten, and was a normal, happy boy. His life got challenging though when his mother was diagnosed with some severe mental health issues, fighting a battle with anxiety and depression. Life at home became a challenge. She got the help she needed, but it was hard on Ziyad. Our teaching staff was aware of this situation and came along side to love and encourage him as much as they could. With their extra care and attention, he was able to cope successfully with this situation. Ziyad is now doing well and is actively developing a newfound love for art. He has also developed many close relationships with his classmates. (We understand his mother is doing much better as well.)