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ABOUT MEEI

Our History and Dreams
"Go to Galilee and there you will find Me" Jesus, The Risen Lord

BEGINNING • TODAY • FUTURE

MEEI - in the beginning ….. Imagine a barren, rocky, windswept mountain inhabited only by owls and hyrax and overlooking a small Christian/Muslim village whose inhabitants settled here from at least three different villages after the Arab dispersal and dispossession of 1948. There were no roads and in places no electricity when Abuna Chacour arrived as temporary parish priest in 1965. Only 90 of the 3000 residents, of whom 50% were under the age of 14 years, went to school beyond the eighth grade. The future for Arab cultural, social and economic development looked as bleak as the mountain, Jabal alGhoul, brooding over the valley.

The Bishop in Haifa forgot Abuna and indeed Abuna forgot himself as he became totally absorbed throughout the next 10 years, first in repairing family and community relationships, and then establishing a community center, library, and kindergarten in Ibillin. But the hopeless future of the young people was a constant source of sadness. There was no government response so Abuna determined to build a high school. He had no money, no resources, but there was a piece of land owned by the Melkite Church on Jabal al Ghoul.

With the Bishop's grudging permission and the many hours of labour and materials donated from the local community and later from overseas, the building began. Abuna himself carried bricks and poured concrete in between caring for his people's needs.

Despite the continued refusal of the authorities to grant a building permit, harassment by police, and the lack of roads, water, electricity, and sewerage facilities, Abuna was determined that nothing should stand in the way of providing the best possible education for the young people of Ibillin. Within 9 months, the first building of four floors opened its doors, and the mountain was proudly renamed "Jabal al Nuur" - the Mountain of Light.

Mar Elias High School first opened its doors in 1982 and the philosophy that has endured to this day was born. MEEI is an oasis for all regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or religious affiliation. During that first year, there were 80 students and four teachers.

A second building was soon underway in response to two overwhelming needs. The numbers of students swelled rapidly and quickly overflowed the original classrooms. Hearing of the courageous initiative of one parish priest who dared to make a difference in the lives of the people in the countryside of Galilee, hundreds of overseas volunteers found their way to the Mountain of Light. Some stayed a few days or a few weeks and some longer. They all needed somewhere to live whilst "getting their hands dirty" in building not only a school but relationships that have endured through the years. The "Peace Building" soon climbed the mountain encompassing the prayer Grotto and providing four new classrooms, a bedroom and office for Abuna, an administrative office, and four large guest dormitories with kitchen and bathroom facilities. The peace garden became a special project with its fruit trees, vines, and fragrant roses.

MEEI today …"What you are doing here is the key to peace and reconciliation because what you are trying to establish is a pluralistic institution of learning," James A Baker III, former Secretary of State, USA.

In this year, 2002, Mar Elias Educational Institutions celebrates 20 years of providing one of the highest standards of education in all of Israel. It has grown into a small village of six schools and is the only campus in Israel which welcomes Christians, Moslems, Druze and Jews - in the words of Abuna "a most beautiful composition of any society."

The campus of Mar Elias is an oasis of mutual recognition, understanding, and appreciation where students, faculty, and staff work and plan together for a future of coexistence and peace.

"We want to improve the social, educational, and economic status of the Palestinians in Israel, but more importantly, we want to create a mentality of self-reliance, restore shattered self-esteem and provide dignity. It is a matter of building bridges among the members of the same family: Christians, Jews, Moslems, and Druze. This is the meaning of 'becoming Godlike,'" Abuna Elias Chacour.

Mariam Bawardi Kindergarten prepares children up to 6 years of age for elementary school. This project began in 1968, just three years after Abuna's arrival in Ibillin.

Mar Elias High School, opened in 1982, is now the largest school on campus. It has developed into a unique center for much needed inter-religious relationships. "It is simply a privilege and a great joy to speak to all these children, boys and girls, Moslem, Christian, and Druze, to the faculty members, Christian, Moslem, Jewish, and Druze, every morning - and that is why I cannot get old. I just mature among all these young children of God," Abuna Elias Chacour.

Mar Elias College, established in 1994, offers a two year certificate for post-secondary students in areas such as Computer Technology, Engineering, Visual Arts, Architecture, Business Administration. The college has twice been granted the Israeli Award of Excellence.

Mar Elias School for Gifted Children targets the top 2% of our students from Grades 7 through 12. Established in 1998, it aims to provide extended skills and formation for possible future leaders.

Arab Regional Teachers' Center also opened in 1998 for the further and continuing education of Arab teachers. It is recognized as one of the most successful teachers' centers in Israel. The program comprises weekly sessions over four years in each of four areas - literacy, numeracy, science, and environment.

Mariam Bawardi Elementary School began in September 1998 to meet an increasingly growing and urgent call by parents who are determined to have their younger children study at MEEI. It will increase by one year level per annum and presently takes students from the first through fourth grades.

MEEI future visions and plans …

A PLACE TO GATHER AND CELEBRATE
By June 2002, MEEI will proudly open the doors of its new Auditorium which will become a focal point for student gatherings, graduation, community celebrations, and many other important encounters. The inaugural event will be the High School Graduation of 2002. It will then accommodate the gathering of visitors from around the globe for the 2002 International Galilee Conference celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Mar Elias Educational Institutions.

THE CHURCH OF THE BEATITUDES
After undergoing many design changes, to accommodate not only the budget but also the needs of a young, diverse and vibrant school community, the Chapel of the Sermon on the Mount is also projected to be opened and consecrated at the end of October 2002. For students, staff and parents it will be the heart of MEEI, a place of spiritual nourishment and refreshment.
It will reflect the generous gifts of time and money, commitment and dedication of hundreds of friends worldwide who have joined with us in "getting their hands dirty" in the service of peace and justice for God's children in the Galilee.

A CAFETERIA
We need to also nurture our physical bodies and the proposed cafeteria will be built on the top floor of the newest College building. The plans have already been submitted by one of our students. We are very proud of Shiraz Owkal from Shefaram. She graduated with honours in Architecture from METC.

Other projects:

COMPLETION OF THE COLLEGE BUILDING
Two more floors remain to be built to complete the building which serves the Technical College, School for Gifted Students, and the Regional Teachers' Center. We have been waiting for the building permit for over three years.

WOMEN'S RESIDENCE
Our Arab community is characterized by traditional habits and norms peculiar to our society, and therefore requires an environment that can meet their needs. Young women are generally discouraged from mixing in the more liberal Western community and therefore are less likely to graduate. Parents will only consider their daughters living away from home where there is suitable accommodation. A women's residence will provide a safe and secure environment where young Arab women will be given the opportunity to pursue higher education.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Currently the elementary classes are accommodated in the lower level of the high school building which is putting increasing strain on available space for the high school students. We have the land, and we have some funds to begin building the new elementary school classrooms, but we are still waiting for the building permit from the Israeli authorities.

GUEST ACCOMMODATION
As well as generating income for MEEI, additional accommodation is needed to enable MEEI to expand its overseas study program. Our vision is to share as widely as possible the ethos and principles of reconciliation and a just peace. Groups of overseas volunteers are very important to the MEEI community and to the ongoing maintenance of the facilities, and we want to provide more adequate and comfortable facilities for them.

The Pinnacle of the Dream:
MAR ELIAS UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
Discover more about our vision for the first Arab Christian Israeli University campus in the Galilee. MEU will be a sign of hope for the future, ensuring high quality tertiary education and employment opportunities for both Arab and Jewish graduates, giving them good reason to be proud of Israel with its two peoples, where both people's roots are so deeply grounded