SEPTEMBER 2026 E-NEWSLETTER | | |
A NEW YEAR OF HOPE AS STUDENTS HEAD
BACK TO SCHOOL ACROSS THE DIOCESE
| | Kindergarten students have fun meeting their new friends on the first day of school. Thanks to your support, young students can begin their educational journey in a welcoming environment filled with friendship, joy, and possibility. | | |
A child’s first day of school is filled with anticipation. New faces to meet, new routines to learn, and a world of possibilities just beginning to unfold. Across the Diocese of Jerusalem, some children are taking their first steps into a kindergarten classroom, while others are embarking on their final chapter of secondary school, already looking ahead to the moment they will cross the graduation stage.
But the beginning of a new school year looks different than it did just a few years ago. Students, families, teachers, and staff continue to navigate challenges brought by violence, regional conflict, and economic hardship.
Despite these challenges, schools are welcoming students back with joy, care, and a renewed sense of possibility. See how educators and students are beginning the new school year, and the moments of hope happening in classrooms throughout the Holy Land. Read the full story on our website.
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YOUR IMPACT THIS YEAR
Loving our neighbors in the Holy Land means standing with them in the toughest moments, and as American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, we choose to step up together. Between January and June 2026, individual donors and family foundations put an astounding $1.138M to work across the region. That shared investment continues to provide essential stability for the diocesan schools, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals who depend on us most. Because you choose to care, classrooms stay open, hospitals stay equipped, and hope stays alive across the Diocese.
We put together our Mid-Year Impact Report so you could see the tangible results of your compassion. Explore our Mid-Year Impact Report here.
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AHLI HOSPITAL TODAY
What does it take for a 50-bed hospital to treat more than 10,000 patients each month?
At Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, it means refusing to let scarcity determine who receives care. Emergency casualties continue to arrive, while thousands of people still need surgeries, rehabilitation, cancer screening, maternity care, and other routine medical services that have been delayed or disrupted for years. In a recent conversation with AFEDJ, General Director Dr. Suhaila Tarazi shares what life inside Ahli looks like today and discusses the challenges that staff and community continue to meet with astounding resilience. Read the full update here.
| | From left: Sarah Schofield-Mansur, AFEDJ Senior Director of Individual Giving; Eileen Spencer, AFEDJ Executive Director; Dr. Alice Abboud, Superintendent of Ahliyyah & Mutran; and Charis Bhagianathan, AFEDJ Director of Communications, during a visit to Ahliyyah & Mutran School in Amman, Jordan. | | |
AFEDJ AT MAJMA AND ACROSS THE DIOCESE
Earlier this month, AFEDJ Executive Director Eileen Spencer, Board Chair Endicott (Cotty) Peabody, Senior Director of Individual Giving Sarah Schofield-Mansur, and Director of Communications Charis Bhagianathan traveled to Jordan for the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem’s Majma, its annual convention. Nearly 100 clergy, lay leaders, and partners gathered around this year’s theme, “The Cross of Christ: Power and Life,” for a time of fellowship, reflection, and conversation about the life and work of the Diocese.
While in Amman, Eileen, Sarah, and Charis also visited the Ahliyyah & Mutran School, where they met with Superintendent Dr. Alice Abboud and toured the school. With roots stretching back a century, Ahliyyah & Mutran offers a holistic educational model designed to help students grow beyond academic achievement, developing as creative, engaged, and responsible members of their communities.
Eileen also visited Diocesan institutions and partners in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Nazareth, including St. Luke’s Hospital in Nablus and the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center in Ramallah. In Hebron, she joined the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre team for a visit to the Yatta Municipal Center where their partnership is bringing specialized care closer to children with disabilities.
From classrooms filled with students to hospital corridors and rehabilitation rooms, each visit offered a firsthand look at how Diocesan institutions are responding to the needs of their community in a time of profound hardship and uncertainty.
For AFEDJ, being present means listening to the people who know their communities best, learning what matters most to them, and deepening the relationships that connect American Friends with the people of the Holy Land.
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A NOTE ON GIVING BY CHECK
For USPS Mail: Checks should be made payable to "AFEDJ" and mailed to the preferred address: AFEDJ, PO Box 411814, Boston, MA, 02241-1814. While our former address is still valid it is only checked weekly and may result in slower processing time. For faster handling of your gift, we recommend using the preferred address above.
For FedEx and UPS: Please make your check payable to "AFEDJ" and send it to: AFEDJ, 25 Old Kings Hwy N, Ste 13, Darien, CT, 06820
If you have questions, please contact Betsy Wilson, Director of Operations and Donor Services at bwilson@afedj.org
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GIVE BY CREDIT CARD
Log onto www.afedj.org/give to make a secure, one-time donation or to become a monthly donor.
GIVE BY CHECK
For USPS Mail: Please make your check payable to "AFEDJ" and mail it to: AFEDJ, PO Box 411814, Boston, MA, 02241-1814
For FedEx and UPS: Please make your check payable to "AFEDJ" and send it to: AFEDJ, 25 Old Kings Hwy N, Ste 13, Darien, CT, 06820
DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS
Do you have a donor advised fund? Consider AFEDJ as a beneficiary of your generosity.
MATCHING GIFTS
Many companies match their employees’ charitable contributions. Consider matching funds to double your gift.
BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR
When you commit to giving monthly, you become a member of the Olive Tree Circle, our community of monthly donors.
LEGACY GIVING
When you support AFEDJ with a legacy gift you become a Jerusalem Saint ensuring the ministries of the Diocese of Jerusalem will continue to serve the next generation and beyond.
WHERE THE NEED IS GREATEST
Donations designated to “where the need is greatest” enable AFEDJ to meet urgent needs and swiftly respond to emerging opportunities.
DESIGNATED GIFTS
100% of designated donations go directly to the institution you specify.
| | AFEDJ offers a safe, secure channel to make gifts to support the work of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and its humanitarian institutions. | | | | |
