On Tuesday 11 through Thursday 13 October, Sabeel held its annual clergy retreat at the Sea of Galilee. 32 clergy participated in the retreat. The retreat built connections among the clergy and also among the wives of the church leaders. The retreat included a half-day workshop on developing sermons and discussions about the challenges that our Christian families are going through in Palestine/Israel (specifically the issue of divorce in our society), proper financial management, governance, and listening to the community.
Early October, Friends of Sabeel Sweden held their board meeting. At the meeting, Friends of Sabeel Sweden formally changed the chairmanship of the board from Kenneth Cumming to Lars-Inge Claesson. We want to give thanks for the service of Kenneth and pray for the service of Lars-Inge.
At the end of September and beginning of October, staff and volunteers from Sabeel attended the Lausanne World Creation Care Network Conference on the Environment for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. The conference took place in Jordan. Climate justice is part of our liberation theology at Sabeel and we have been investing in this issue during the past years in small ways in our work. We are planning to give more attention to climate justice over the coming years. 75 people participated in the conference. The Sabeel delegation included seven Palestinian Christian female leaders.
On Wednesday 28 September, Sabeel organized a meeting between local Christian and Muslim clergy. They discussed the need for continued interfaith work to deal with the continued challenges Palestinians are facing.
On Friday 23 September, Sabeel and a coalition of Christian organizations and activists organized a day of pilgrimage in the Old City of Jerusalem. The first part of the pilgrimage was held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a holy place for Christians. Over 450 people started the day by visiting the church, lighting candles, and singing hymns. The participants met with the local community. We ended the day with a time of fellowship in the Old City’s Armenian Quarter, where we lit candles. At the Armenian Quarter, the community lit a bonfire, which is the tradition of the Holy Fire ceremony. People came from different cities and villages and 12 parishes from throughout the Holy Land to participate in the pilgrimage.
The Feast of the Cross celebrates the finding of Jesus’ cross by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine. When the cross was found, fire signals were lit from Jerusalem to Constantinople, this is why we celebrate the feast day by starting a bonfire. The feast is also a celebration of the power of the cross that overcomes sin and suffering.
On Sunday 18 September, Friends of Sabeel France held a meeting with the Palestine Museum of Natural History. Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh from the museum spoke about the impact of the wall and settlements on Palestinian biodiversity.
On Saturday 17 September, Friends of Sabeel Australia held an online session with Shaima Hamad about Palestinian food and heritage. Shaima studied International Law at Birzeit University, and she is passionate about food and heritage. In recent years, she has been documenting Palestinian recipes.
On Friday 16 September, the Sabeel health insurance committee presented a new insurance policy that will be introduced in communities throughout the West Bank and Gaza. Sabeel has been promoting the health insurance program so that more people can benefit from it. Since the beginning of September, 2000 people have already renewed their insurance. Sabeel hopes to reach 8000 participants this year. Since the program was launched in September 2021, we believe that we have developed more statistics about Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza to be able to introduce a policy that is even more sustainable.
Currently, there are 45 organizations and schools and over 2000 individual participants that come from 36 different parishes participating in the program.
In September 2021, Sabeel and the community launched a new, ground-breaking health insurance program. Previously, individual Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza did not have access to health insurance. Sabeel has been bringing people together to solve this problem affecting the community. Churches, non-profit organizations, laypeople, and businesses have been working together, including a Palestinian Christian-owned company that is financially supporting the health insurance plan.
On Tuesday 13 September, Sabeel held a Kumi Now online session about Bethlehem. In the month of September, Kumi Now commemorates the separation by the Israeli government of Palestinians from Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem. Rachel’s Tomb has always been a site of worship for Palestinians. For the past 20 years, the Israeli government has denied Palestinians access to the holy site.Usama Zoghbi, a Palestinian guide and activist who is part of the organization Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center, provided an update about the situation in Bethlehem today.
On Monday 12 September, Sabeel’s Director Omar Haramy spoke at the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Sabeel UK. Omar gave a presentation about the work of Sabeel and the current situation in Palestine. Over 60 people attended the workshop.
