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Last month, the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem's (AFEDJ) Board Chair, the Rt. Rev Anne Hodges-Copple, and board member John Nasir, joined Executive Director Eileen Spencer and Director of Communications Charis Bhagianathan, on a visit to Amman, Jordan, where they participated in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem’s Majma (annual convention), alongside more than 200 clergy, lay leaders, and partners. Guided by the theme “Planning by the Spirit, Enlightened by the Word,” the gathering was a hopeful moment of vision-setting and fellowship in a time of uncertainty and fragile hope across the region.
Following the convention, the AFEDJ team visited several diocesan humanitarian institutions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, including the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre (JPBC), St. Luke’s Hospital in Nablus, the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School, and the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center in Ramallah. Each visit revealed a shared thread: extraordinary resilience in the face of instability and a tireless dedication to the upliftment of local communities.
A haven for learning and inclusion
The AFEDJ team also visited the Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center, one of JPBC’s 14 outreach clinics. Located on a hilltop surrounded by trees in the village of Abu Qash, between the cities of Ramallah and Birzeit, Star Mountain offers inclusive education, early childhood development, and vocational training for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The center’s 90 students receive daily meals, therapy, and a curriculum that blends imagination and skill-building, including art, drama, gardening, hospitality, and food production.
Yet the needs are growing. Families across the West Bank, already impacted by high unemployment, are unable to afford basic services as the cost of living rises. At Star Mountain, the team is doing everything they can. They plant vegetables in their own gardens to stretch resources, combine inclusive classrooms, and lean on the unfailing dedication of their small but mighty team.
Ranya Karam, the director of Star Mountain, shared how deeply committed the team is to the children and families they serve. “We have so many dreams for what this center could become,” she told us, “but we are constantly making tough choices because of limited funding.” From expanding therapy services to updating classroom resources, every plan is shaped by the realities of a growing financial strain, and it is all made worse by inflation and widespread unemployment in the region.
Hope as a daily practice
Despite these challenges, hope remains central to the center’s mission. “We see the possibility, not the disability,” said Dr. Waddah, the center’s sole visiting physician, who has dedicated years to this work, traveling to different centers in the region every day. For him and the Star Mountain team, hope is a daily practice. It is the belief that with the proper support, every child and adult who walks through Star Mountain’s doors can grow, learn, and thrive.
Thanks to a generous grant from Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), AFEDJ supports Star Mountain and 13 other outreach clinics operated by JPBC in the West Bank. Your gift magnifies this impact even further, ensuring children and adults with disabilities in under-resourced communities receive the care and opportunities they deserve, no matter the obstacles. By partnering with AFEDJ, you help safeguard essential services for communities that cannot afford to lose them. Today, we invite you to make a gift that strengthens this work and keeps care within reach for those who need it most.
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