American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

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American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

Our mission: Transforming lives of the vulnerable and displaced in the Middle East.

06/16/2026

In just two weeks, AFEDJ’s Carry the Light campaign will come to a close.

Over the past few months, you’ve read stories of hospitals treating patients during war, schools adapting to disruption and closures, and rehabilitation centers remaining open so children can receive the therapy and care they need to thrive.

While each institution faces unique challenges, they share one common reality: every day, people who have nowhere else to turn rely on the Diocese of Jerusalem for care, education, and healing.

As violence and economic instability place growing demands on staff and facilities, the resources to meet those needs depend entirely on friends like you.

As we enter the final two weeks of our campaign, we invite you to put your compassion into action with a gift today.

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/neforfor

06/11/2026

In a region where access to quality education can shape a student’s future in profound ways, reaching graduation is a moment that carries special meaning.

As another academic year came to a close, schools across the Diocese gathered to celebrate the achievements of their students and the futures they worked so hard to build. For some graduates, these milestones also represent historic moments, opening doors and shaping what comes next for future generations.

Join us in celebrating the incredible accomplishments of students from the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre Inclusive School, St. George’s School, and the Theodor Schneller School in our June e-newsletter. Also, meet AFEDJ’s new Board Chair, Endicott (Cotty) Peabody, and welcome our newest Board officers as they begin their leadership roles.

https://conta.cc/4vaw06X

Photo Credit: The Rev. Canon Donald D. Binder, PhD

06/10/2026

As AFEDJ’s Carry the Light campaign nears completion, Archbishop Hosam Naoum wanted to share a personal message of gratitude for the lasting friendship and compassion American Friends like you continue to extend to the people of the Holy Land.

When you partner with AFEDJ, your generosity goes directly to the heart of the Diocese, bringing immediate, tangible relief to communities who need it most. Your presence is felt in hospital rooms, classrooms, canters for disabilities, and many more spaces where hope feels fragile until you bring the light.

Thank you for carrying the light with such compassion and generosity. https://secure.qgiv.com/for/neforfor

06/09/2026

As AFEDJ’s Carry the Light campaign enters its final weeks, we invite you to join us in this work once again.

Because of friends like you, hospitals help patients in need of treatment, children with disabilities receive therapy and rehabilitation, students remain connected to learning, and families facing hardship receive practical assistance when they need it most.

In communities affected by war, economic instability, and displacement, the need remains urgent. Families continue to seek medical care, parents travel long distances so their children can receive specialized therapy, and the Diocese’s hospitals, schools, and centers work each day to meet evolving challenges with compassion, dignity, and hope.

Your support reaches people in very real and immediate ways. Carry the Light with your gift today: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/neforfor

05/21/2026

Early intervention provides children with the tools and support they need at the most formative stage of their lives. Yet, for many families, it remains out of reach.

When donors like you choose to stand with AFEDJ, more children can access the care they deserve, like Elias, who was diagnosed with autism at just 18 months old. His parents immediately began the difficult journey of finding the right support to help their son build the skills and confidence he needed to thrive.

Their search led them to the Noor Rehabilitation Center in Bethlehem and eventually to the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre (JPBC), where Elias was welcomed into a comprehensive rehabilitation program that supports the entire family through coordinated therapies and practical tools to continue progress at home.

Your generosity helps AFEDJ strengthen the connection between the Basma Centre and local partners like Noor Center, creating a network of care that reaches beyond a single institution. Together, these clinics can identify children with special needs earlier, streamline access to treatment, and bring essential care closer to home.

Today, we invite you to Carry the Light forward with a gift that helps more children discover their potential through the care they deserve.

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/neforfor

05/14/2026

For more than 70 years, Saviour’s School in Zarqa, Jordan has opened its doors to children seeking not just an education, but a place where they are seen, valued, and encouraged to thrive.

Since 2001, the school has led the way in inclusive education, integrating blind and low-vision students alongside their sighted peers. Today, students with visual disabilities are learning, growing, and building brighter futures in the same classrooms as their classmates.

But the reality facing families in Zarqa is increasingly difficult. Rising poverty, unemployment, and the growing cost of basic necessities, compounded by regional instability and the strain on local resources, have placed enormous pressure on families. Too often, these hardships force parents into heartbreaking decisions, including withdrawing their children from school.

Across the Diocese of Jerusalem, schools like Saviour’s are a steady presence in their communities, offering safety, consistency, and opportunity. AFEDJ’s support sustains this work, strengthening these institutions as they respond to the evolving needs of their communities and expand access to education for those most at risk of being left behind.

Learn more about Saviour’s and how your flexible support sustains vital institutions across the Diocese in our May e-news: https://conta.cc/4wr9U17

05/12/2026

Right now in Lebanon, the basics of daily life are out of reach for thousands of families. Economic collapse and intensifying conflict have pushed 80 percent of the population into poverty.

Because friends like you choose to stand with us, AFEDJ had the resources ready to help close this gap.

When the Diocese reached out with an urgent request, support directed to the area of greatest need allowed us to act immediately. We were able to provide a $100,000 grant to deliver humanitarian food and hygiene vouchers to displaced families in southern Lebanon, reaching more than 1,500 people without reliable access to food or basic supplies.

While we have deployed these resources in Lebanon, broad upheaval across the Middle East continues to demand agility. Your gift today replenished the support we dedicate to the area of greatest need, providing the momentum required to act without hesitation the moment the next call for help arrives.

Make your gift today: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/neforfor

05/07/2026

While the news from the Holy Land changes by the hour, it is rare to hear directly from those leading the mission on the ground.

Read a reflection from Archbishop Hosam Naoum that offers a window into the endurance and faith required of the Diocese right now: https://bit.ly/4drnwBS

Archbishop Naoum reminds us that while the headlines capture conflict and distress, they rarely highlight the quiet, faithful work happening everyday inside diocesan hospitals, schools, and centers for children with disabilities.

This work continues because of partners like you.

Gifts directed to where the need is greatest creates critical breathing room across the Diocese. Please make your gift today and help keep these life-preserving services running and available for vulnerable families across the Holy Land. https://secure.qgiv.com/for/neforfor

04/30/2026

Right now, families across the Holy Land have no other option but to navigate a landscape of deepening uncertainty.

In these difficult moments, they turn to hospitals, schools, and clinics owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Places that against all odds, refuse to close their doors.

AFEDJ’s spring campaign, Carry the Light, is already underway and has raised $375K towards our goal of $1M, thanks to the generosity of friends like you.

The challenges in the region continue to mount, but your partnership with AFEDJ proves that compassion is a powerful, active force capable of changing lives.

Every dollar moves us closer to our goal of ensuring that essential services remain available to those who depend on them. It’s not too late to step into this story of hope.

Please join us in carrying the light today.
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/neforfor

04/23/2026

Lebanon is currently facing a severe and compounding humanitarian crisis. Daily life is increasingly shaped by uncertainty, as conflict and economic strain continue to escalate, leaving devastation behind. For so many, a sense of safety and stability is slipping dangerously out of reach.

As conditions continue to deteriorate, the need for stability and support has only intensified.

In Beit Mery, located just twenty minutes from the areas most devastated by recent violence, St. Luke’s Center for Rehabilitation continues to serve children and young adults with cognitive disabilities. Here students receive education, therapy, and vocational training, alongside something else that is just as essential: dignity, routine, and a sense of belonging.

Due to the recent unrest and violence, the Center made the difficult decision to close for several weeks to ensure the safety of its students and staff. Though it has since reopened, operations remain fragile.

Learn more about the current challenges in Lebanon and how your support can reach communities across the Diocese of Jerusalem in our April e-news:
https://conta.cc/4tnKgbs

Address

Darien, CT
06820

Telephone

+12036553575

Website

http://www.afedj.org/

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