A new era for Nazareth

The article appeared in the Spring 2010 edition of The Star in the East

BibleLands is delighted to have been able to help provide degree-level nursing training at the School of Nursing in Nazareth, thanks to the generous support of those who have remembered us in their will.

The school has an 80-year history and welcomes students of any religion or nationality, making it the only provider of nursing training for Arab students in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Some years ago, BibleLands embarked on an ambitious project to raise funds towards the total rebuilding of the school. Over the next few years, the work progressed well and the new state-of-the-art facilities opened in 2005.

A change in the law, however, soon put the school’s future in jeopardy. The Israeli state increased the minimum educational requirements for newly qualifying nurses to the equivalent of degree level. The school had previously been awarding a diploma qualification, and while its Principal, Dr Amal Khazin, was looking towards introducing a degree programme, the situation suddenly became more urgent. The school needed an auditorium to enable it to deliver the more advanced level of teaching, and BibleLands was pleased to step in once again to help make this happen. In 2008 and 2009 we received a large number of legacies and from these we were able to raise the £250,000 needed to build and equip the new auditorium. At a ceremony attended by students past and present, the school celebrated the opening of the new facilities in December 2009. For now the degree programme will be delivered in association with Haifa University, but in the future Dr Amal aims to make the school into a degree-awarding institution in its own right.

The new auditorium will have wide-ranging benefits for the whole community. As well as enabling lectures for the nursing students, it will also be a venue for courses for local people, whether or not they have ever had much chance to receive an education. The first programme planned is a parenting course for local mothers, and there will be seminars and community health awareness events. The auditorium will also be the perfect space for worship, giving local Christians the opportunity to attend services.

This wonderful resource for both nurse training and community development was made possible by those who have remembered BibleLands in their will. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people who have left legacies over the years, and hope that their bereaved families and friends gain some comfort from knowing that their support continues to change the lives of disadvantaged people in the lands where Christ walked. The names of all who leave a legacy are recorded in our Book of Remembrance, which is on display at our head office as a constant reminder of the contribution made by so many generous people. The good use to which their legacies are being put is reflected by the School of Nursing’s statement of faith:

As followers of Jesus of Nazareth we respect all people, serve unconditionally, are open and honest, work in co-operation and partnership, and strive for excellence.

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