Augusta Victoria Hospital continues to provide essential health care

Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, CEO of AVH, with board members and hospital staff. CLWR/R.Granke

The semi-annual board meeting of the Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) finished today in East Jerusalem. The board is chaired by Reverend Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and president of the Lutheran World Federation.

It has been my pleasure to serve as a Canadian board member for the past 10 years. At this meeting we received updates from Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, CEO of AVH. We learned about the many capital projects taking place at AVH. The hospital continues to undergo significant transformations, all aimed at improving the quality of care at AVH and providing essential specialized health services to Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza.

A key initiative which will receive considerable focus in the next few years is the development of an Elder and Palliative Care Pavilion that will be constructed on the Mount of Olives, just behind the hospital. The new pavilion will provide space for 120 patients receiving geriatric and palliative services. This includes skilled nursing, dementia and rehabilitation programming that will eventually feature outpatient support facilities. It is anticipated that the inpatient part will employ about 300 trained personnel. This type of care is not readily available in Palestine today.

It is gratifying to see the growth and development of AVH that has occurred in recent years. The hospital today has an annual budget of $23 million USD and is the primary specialized health care facility providing cancer care treatment for Palestinians.

During the next year, the AVH will undergo an accreditation that will confirm that it operates on the most stringent international health standards. CLWR is very proud to support the life-saving work of the Augusta Victoria Hospital, together with partners from around the world.

Robert Granke, CLWR executive director

Employment Training for Palestinian Women

A classroom for training Palestinian women in computer technology. CLWR/R. Granke

For many years, CLWR has supported the Vocational Training program of the Lutheran World Federation in Palestine. Since 1950, thousands of Palestinian young people have graduated from the Vocational Training Program (VTP) and are gainfully employed with jobs in the trades throughout the West Bank.

Recently, the VTP has taken steps to place a greater emphasis on the training of women. The aim is to provide relevant market related training to women and enable women to secure jobs that will improve their lives and the quality of life for their families.

A new training center has opened in Ramallah, West Bank. It is located in the middle of this growing city, which is the economic and political hub of Palestine. Classes have begun in courses

Yousef Shalian, director of the Vocational Training Program and Thaer Marrabeh, director of the Vocational Training Centre in Ramallah. CLWR/R. Granke

geared to the interests of women and the needs of the labor market. Courses in technical aspects of computers are equipping women to look for administrative jobs and support the growing business sector in Palestine.

Other courses in craft production are planned. Research is also taking place to develop curriculum that will expand into non-traditional skills for women. A new VTP strategic plan has been developed which provides for an expansion of female trainees and new course development.

CLWR is very proud to support the VTP. We rejoice in the opportunity to support the growth of the Palestinian economy through vocational training. This program is critical to the establishment of a vibrant private sector that serves as a foundation for peace and stability in the region.

Arts and Fitness for Palestinian Youth

On April 11^th I travelled to Bethlehem to meet with the Reverend Mitri Raheb, President of the Diyar Consortium. Rev. Raheb is also pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.

Theatre at Dar Al-Kalima College in Bethlehem. Photo: R. Granke

More than one year ago, CLWR received an unexpected donation of one million dollars from Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Calgary, which was designated to support two initiatives in Bethlehem. The first was to complete the interior of a theatre at Dar Al-Kalima College in Bethlehem (seating, sound system, etc.) The theatre serves as a lecture hall and arts venue with seating for 180+ people. It is now complete and looks wonderful. It is a modern theatre, which will serve the needs of Palestinian youth for many years to come. What a great way to invest in the arts in Palestine and provide opportunities for young people to pursue their interests and perhaps careers in the arts!

The second and more significant activity in terms of expenditures is the construction of a new sports auditorium or gym, which will be available to students in both the college and nearby high school.

This facility will be the largest indoor sports facility in the West Bank and not only provide a state of the art venue for sports recreation for the students, but also a venue for national Palestinian sports teams, including soccer, basketball and volleyball. There will be seating for 300 spectators.

West Bank gym under construction. Photo: R. Granke

The gym is to be inaugurated November 30, 2012 with Robert Granke and other Canadian officials attending. At this moment the foundation and basic infrastructure is completed and the roof will be installed within the next month, followed by the finishing of the interior.

There remains significant needs for funding of a change room facility, equipment and other interior supports. CLWR has committed to working with Rev Raheb to fundraise for the additional $500,000 required to complete the project. While the gym will be functional in the initial phase, we aim to have the full package in place by early fall such that a grand opening can occur in late November with all aspects completed.

These facilities are essential to the quality of life of Palestinians generally and especially for young people in Palestine. The gym will not only provide an opportunity for physical fitness but also promote healthy social interaction amongst Palestinians and countries in the region, while the theatre will enable further development of the arts in Palestine. It is a pleasure for CLWR to be a part of these ventures and work with Rev Raheb and his colleagues.

Robert Granke

CLWR Executive Director

Roll Away The Stone Of Religious Extremism

“Christ is risen, He has risen indeed”

Two worship services this Easter morning, one at 5:30 am, on the Mount of Olives, and then at 9 a.m. in the main sanctuary of Redeemer Lutheran Church in the old city of Jerusalem.

Each service was wonderful, each very unique and both with a central theme…Christ has risen, to which we replied…He has risen indeed! Bishop Munib Younan referred to this as the Jerusalem greeting, one that was repeated numerous times during the services and on the streets.

One can more easily imagine the context of the resurrection while looking down over the Jordan valley in early dawn’s light. It was the time of the day when the women arrived at the entrance of the tomb expecting to anoint the body of Jesus, and wondering who would roll away the stone from the tomb?

In his sermon, Bishop Younan asked “what stones need to be removed in your life…in our world today?” He focused on the need for the rolling away of the stone of ‘religious extremism’, a kind of extremism, which preoccupies the world. “If we can remove the ‘stone of extremism’ then all world religions and people of faith can use their time and energy to get to know one another better and look for ways to work together in support of respectful dialogue and global peace.

Easy perhaps to say, but it is a good and commendable goal. Let us look for commonalities and mutually supportive ideals that will make a positive impact on our world and in our relationships with others, especially people of other faiths.

These past days have enabled me to gain insights into the passion story in so many new ways. I give thanks for this opportunity and look forward to sharing more with you about the important role Canadians play in this region of the world.

Robert Granke

Executive Director

We Have Been Given The Power To Do Something

The old city of Jerusalem is a bustling place on most days, however during Holy Week, the level of activity is magnified by many times over.

We gathered, Anglicans and Lutherans, at the first station of the cross on the Via Dolorosa, at 6:30 am, in the early light of day. For about one hour, we journeyed together, stopping to hear scripture and pray at each of the 14 Stations of the Cross under the theme of “The Way of the Cross”. Anglican and Lutheran clergy shared the responsibility for carrying a wooden cross. It was a small cross, but still a chore to carry and walk the distances between stations, up and down the uneven streets of the old city, towards Golgotha.

We were reminded of the encounters with Jesus at each station, from the trial, the receiving of the cross, the three falls along the way and Simone of Cyrene carrying the cross for some of the way. At station 8, Jesus encountered the women of Jerusalem, where according to the Gospel of Luke, He specifically addressed the women who ‘bewailed and lamented’ Him. Each stop along the way of the cross, the leader spoke the words “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you” to which we the people replied, “Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world”.

It is through the experience that I was reminded of the public humiliation, the indescribable pain and great physical suffering which Jesus was subjected to and our utter failure to put a stop to the torture and death of Jesus.

Many in our world suffer greatly. Our prayers today linked the suffering of Christ with that which we see around our world today. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been given the power to do something and not stand by, as the crowd did on Good Friday, while Jesus made His way through Jerusalem.

And let the people say, “ Christ have mercy”.

“Stay with me, watch and pray”

Maunday Thursday services in Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem. April 5, 2012. CLWR/R.Granke

On the holiest night of the year, we gathered for worship in the old city of Jerusalem. Throughout the service, we worshipped in 3 languages, Arabic, English and German. Our prayers, in more languages than I could understand or count.

The theme of the service was simple and clear…stay with me, watch and pray. So were the words of Jesus to his disciples then, and to us today. The followers of Jesus at that time were challenged to be alert and stay with the plan. This of course is our story today as well.

This evening, as we processed through the old city of Jerusalem, amid the cars on narrow streets, loud music and people watching our group of 100 as we made our way to the garden of Gethsemane, there were those who watched, who prayed and sought to stay alert to God’s plan for us and for humanity. Not easy to do when there are so many distractions.

We sang, “O Lord hear our prayer”, “Dona nobis pacem”, and “Lord, listen to your children praying”.  Some took note, some even joined the procession. Even in the land called ‘holy’ one cannot assume a rightful place and the attention of the local inhabitants.

We lit candles in the garden, reminding us of Jesus, the light of the world. We heard scripture, mainly from the Gospel of Matthew, and were reminded of what took place in the garden, where “even the olive trees cried for their Lord”.

What a gift to be a part of such a gathering of believers in such a holy place, on this holiest of nights. We gather Friday, 6:30 am on the Via Dolorosa. The night is short, but profound.

Robert Granke,

CLWR Executive Director

Greetings from Jerusalem

I arrived today in Jerusalem for an extended period during which it will be my privilege to participate in a variety of religious and professional activities.

Olive trees along the wall of the old city in Jerusalem.

During Holy Week, I will be worshiping with the English-speaking congregation, The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Old City Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday will be like no other for me. At 4:30 pm there will be a multi language Eucharistic service in the main sanctuary at Redeemer. After the service we process while singing Lenten hymns to Gethsemane for a short service of prayer, song and readings.

6:30 am Good Friday there will be a joint Anglican-Lutheran Way of the Cross beginning at station one on the Via Dolorosa, ending at Redeemer Lutheran Church.

On Easter Sunday, there will be a sunrise service at 5:30 am on the Mount of Olives, east of the Augusta Victoria Hospital, followed by Easter Brunch outdoors behind the home of Mark and Susanne Brown. Mark is the LWF rep in the Middle East. Then at 9:00 am, there is a traditional Easter service in Arabic and English at Redeemer, with the Reverend Bishop Younan, preaching.

All of this is bound to be wonderful and enriching! In the coming days and weeks, I will be happy to share my observations from these experiences and information as well as stories of the important service work of the Lutheran World Federation here in the region. This will include the LWF Augusta Victoria Hospital and the LWF Vocational Training Program.

May God bless this time together, to the glory of God!

Robert Granke

CLWR Executive Director

Opening of the refurbished AVH skilled nursing center

Canadian’s support the elderly in Palestine

 

It was a pleasure to witness and participate in the official opening today of the geriatric ward (skilled nursing it is referred to here) of the Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem. After some years of planning and preparation, CLWR President Mark Harris and Executive Director Robert Granke were present to join Canadian government officials and the Board of the AVH as the geriatric wing of the hospital was opened during a festive ceremony in Jerusalem.

 

The refurbished wing of the 3^rd floor of the AVH has been expanded to serve 25 patients and families receiving long – term care by the LWF, run hospital. The patients and families are receiving exceptional care by well – trained doctors and nurses. The elderly are able to receive expert medical care and be able to live remaining days in a positive and caring environment.

 

CLWR has been actively engaged in support of the LWF Middle East program since the 1950’s through a special initiative together with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada including support from LCC and many Lutherans and friends in Canada. CLWR is represented on the AVH Board by Robert Granke. Bishop Munib Younan serves as the Chair of the AVH Board.

 

Canadian representative Graham McIntyre was present for the opening ceremony and joined in providing best wishes and congratulations to all involved in making this achievement possible.