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I have read many books on the situation in Palestine over the past year, since my church was visited by a Christian Palestinian pastor from Bethlehem. Blood Brothers stands out for me as the best - if you can only read one book about Palestine, I would say read this one. The powerful faith of Abuna Chacour and his work for peace are profoundly moving to me
This is the autobiography of Abuna (Father) Elias Chacour. A three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Elias Chacour is now the Archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church for Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and all Galilee. He was born to a Palestinian Christian family in the village of Biram in Upper Galilee in 1939. Along with his whole village he experienced the tragedy of eviction by the Israeli authorities in 1948 and became a refugee in his own land. He and all his family members became citizens of Israel when the state was created. Father Chacour realized early on that his work in Ibillin would require more than routine priestly duties. His vision was, and is, that through education, children, youth, and young adults of different faith traditions will learn to live and work together in peace. That vision is a reality in the schools of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI). As Father Chacours dreams became reality, schools were established in Ibillin over 30 years. The cluster of schools now serve 2,500 students from preschool through high school (info from Pilgrims of Ibillin website).
This well-written account merges personal details of Abuna Chacour's life and struggles with historical research to give a broad and coherent overview of the conflict in the region.
This is the autobiography of Abuna (Father) Elias Chacour. A three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Elias Chacour is now the Archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church for Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and all Galilee. He was born to a Palestinian Christian family in the village of Biram in Upper Galilee in 1939. Along with his whole village he experienced the tragedy of eviction by the Israeli authorities in 1948 and became a refugee in his own land. He and all his family members became citizens of Israel when the state was created. Father Chacour realized early on that his work in Ibillin would require more than routine priestly duties. His vision was, and is, that through education, children, youth, and young adults of different faith traditions will learn to live and work together in peace. That vision is a reality in the schools of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI). As Father Chacours dreams became reality, schools were established in Ibillin over 30 years. The cluster of schools now serve 2,500 students from preschool through high school (info from Pilgrims of Ibillin website).
This well-written account merges personal details of Abuna Chacour's life and struggles with historical research to give a broad and coherent overview of the conflict in the region.
