A 72 hour cease fire has been announced and there is HOPE that our prayers have been answered and the conflict between Israel and Gaza has ended.
Since 2010, teachers from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have built a bridge of friendship with the teachers from the Latin Patriarchate schools in the Holy Land.Our program is called HOPE (Holy Land Outreach Promoting Education), our underlying mission promotes peace and HOPE for the benefit of the teachers and most especially the children.
Just days before the conflict in the Holy Land began, our teachers returned home filled with HOPE and love for their twinning partners who live in Jaffa of Nazareth and Reineh schools located in Israel, and also the West Bank schools of Nablus, Zababdeh, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Our teachers were hosted in their homes by their Palestinian teacher counterparts where they experienced second to none hospitality, which created a bond of love and friendship that can last a life time.
The AOC and LPS educators now refer to one another as their brothers and sisters. Educational strategies were exchanged between the educators and promises were made to continue communication between their classrooms with the HOPE of bringing the children closer to the vision of peace.
Recent polls indicate our young people are sick of war. It has been said that “Peace begins in the classroom,” the LPS and AOC teachers whole heartedly believe this! Let us continue to bring HOPE
and pray for peace!
By: Nancy Hemminger
Changing the hearts and minds of people in the Holy Land–convincing them that hatred and war are futile–has proven to be very difficult, indeed.
Sadly, the older generations are as intractable as they’ve ever been and must pass on before much progress can be achieved.
One can only hope that the young people affiliated with HOPE–and, indeed, young people of all faiths throughout the Holy Land–will be as the tiny mustard seeds from which great things grow.