In Beit Hanina, as in many of the Franciscan parishes, summer is for the young and for the friars’ summer camps. A meeting with Fra Haitham who is welcoming over 280 children five days a week in the Beit Hanina parish center.
It is 8:30 in the morning and the children arrive to the rhythmic strains of the World Cup anthem. They are wearing blue t-shirts that were the gift of the Beit Hanina parish, each decorated with a cross and the motto of Pope Francis’ visit to the Holy Land, “Let all be one”. Every day begins in the same way: a sign of the cross, an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and the camp song that the children sing ear splittingly loud, their arms reaching up to the sky. This year over 280 children are participating in the camp offered by the Franciscan parish and directed by Fra Haitham. To accompany them, there is a staff of forty volunteers and a supervisor, Tamer Nasrallah, newly graduated from Bethlehem University.
Tamer lives with his family in one of the 42 apartments that the Custody built in Beit Hanina and has been preparing for the camp since February. He had to choose and train the volunteers and group leaders. “We gave training in first aid and group leadership,” shares the young man, who is unceasingly called for on all sides. Setting up the groups, defining objectives for the twelve activities offered to the children, daily meetings, evaluation – nothing escapes his vigilant attention. He is an invaluable assistant for Father Haitham. “With the incidents of recent days (violent confrontations at Shuafat and Beit Hanina between Palestinians and Israelis), we have had to reconsider our excursions and projects, but the center has not stopped operation, happily, because our children need a change of ideas,” he says.
“Last year we had 160 children; this year more than 280 aged 3 to 14 years. It is encouraging, but it requires greater preparation and investment. Fortunately, there is a great response from the adults in the parish,” says Fra Haitham gratefully. Among them is Hani. Instructor and choir director at the Custody’s Magnificat Institute, he is giving his free time to the parish for the month of July. Teaching singing, animating weekly ceremonies or simply as a friend and confidant, he appreciates seeing his parish center so much alive. “We spend a lot of time in the center, we young Christians. We grow up here and Christian youth needs a place to get together.” There is also Maria, a young lady of seventeen years, who has been participating in the camp for five years. “This year I’m on the activity team. I love to dance and I belong to a dabke troupe, so I am giving the children a chance to learn the choreography that we will put on for the end-of-camp show,” she explains with a big smile.
With 2014 being the Year of the Family, Fra Haitham celebrates Mass for a congregation of children every Monday morning. Microphone in hand, he goes up and down the aisles of the church, asking the children questions and inviting them to think about the place Jesus holds in their lives and families. “The young ones have fun, run around, dance, paint, but they need to understand that this joy is a gift from God,” concludes Fra Haitham as he hurries back to the football pitch where the older children are waiting for him.
E.R.
It is 8:30 in the morning and the children arrive to the rhythmic strains of the World Cup anthem. They are wearing blue t-shirts that were the gift of the Beit Hanina parish, each decorated with a cross and the motto of Pope Francis’ visit to the Holy Land, “Let all be one”. Every day begins in the same way: a sign of the cross, an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and the camp song that the children sing ear splittingly loud, their arms reaching up to the sky. This year over 280 children are participating in the camp offered by the Franciscan parish and directed by Fra Haitham. To accompany them, there is a staff of forty volunteers and a supervisor, Tamer Nasrallah, newly graduated from Bethlehem University.
Tamer lives with his family in one of the 42 apartments that the Custody built in Beit Hanina and has been preparing for the camp since February. He had to choose and train the volunteers and group leaders. “We gave training in first aid and group leadership,” shares the young man, who is unceasingly called for on all sides. Setting up the groups, defining objectives for the twelve activities offered to the children, daily meetings, evaluation – nothing escapes his vigilant attention. He is an invaluable assistant for Father Haitham. “With the incidents of recent days (violent confrontations at Shuafat and Beit Hanina between Palestinians and Israelis), we have had to reconsider our excursions and projects, but the center has not stopped operation, happily, because our children need a change of ideas,” he says.
“Last year we had 160 children; this year more than 280 aged 3 to 14 years. It is encouraging, but it requires greater preparation and investment. Fortunately, there is a great response from the adults in the parish,” says Fra Haitham gratefully. Among them is Hani. Instructor and choir director at the Custody’s Magnificat Institute, he is giving his free time to the parish for the month of July. Teaching singing, animating weekly ceremonies or simply as a friend and confidant, he appreciates seeing his parish center so much alive. “We spend a lot of time in the center, we young Christians. We grow up here and Christian youth needs a place to get together.” There is also Maria, a young lady of seventeen years, who has been participating in the camp for five years. “This year I’m on the activity team. I love to dance and I belong to a dabke troupe, so I am giving the children a chance to learn the choreography that we will put on for the end-of-camp show,” she explains with a big smile.
With 2014 being the Year of the Family, Fra Haitham celebrates Mass for a congregation of children every Monday morning. Microphone in hand, he goes up and down the aisles of the church, asking the children questions and inviting them to think about the place Jesus holds in their lives and families. “The young ones have fun, run around, dance, paint, but they need to understand that this joy is a gift from God,” concludes Fra Haitham as he hurries back to the football pitch where the older children are waiting for him.
E.R.