An exhibition of professional crafts, sponsored by the Custody of the Holy Land, was held at the Holy Land School in Bethlehem. The work of middle school students was on display. The exhibition opened on May 13 and is divided into three sections: crafts made of olive wood, ceramics and mother-of-pearl. NIVEEN DEIBES Art teacher - Terra Sancta School of Bethlehem "Father Ibrahim encouraged us to turn the art education class into a vocational education class. Therefore, we transferred the students to a vocational center nearby to help them acquire vocational skills." Br IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm Director - Terra Sancta School of Bethlehem "At first the kids were surprised, but they liked the idea much more than I expected, and they were doing things no one could have imagined. This kid is an artist!" In his inaugural speech, Brother Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, addressed the students, emphasizing their belonging to "a great people, who did great works, for which the city of Bethlehem is famous, and the mosaics in the Church of the Nativity are among the works of your ancestors." The Terra Sancta school also has a long history, dating back to the 16th century: it is the oldest school in the Middle East. Br FRANCESCO PATTON, ofm Custos of the Holy Land "It is important to share the lives of local people. Over the centuries, we have worked to improve their lives, through schools, creating new job opportunities and providing apartments. This is part of our mission." Br. Francesco Patton cut the ribbon to open the exhibition, in the presence of the school's director, Father Ibrahim Faltas, the governor of Bethlehem, Kamel Hamid, and the director of the Directorate of Education, Nisreen Amro. The authorities then toured the various sections of the exhibition. The students' creativity was manifested through their artistic works and in the use of different materials. The glass painting works were very interesting, as they require great skill and accuracy, and added beauty to the paintings inspired by the reality in which they live. The drawings decorating the walls of the classroom were also made by one of the students from the school. Br IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm Director - Terra Sancta School of Bethlehem "First of all, we pray that the Lord will protect children in the difficult situations we are going through. Our commitment to them is to continue to educate them, because with culture and science they will be able to achieve their goals." This exhibition is a concrete example of the commitment and mission of the Schools of the Custody of the Holy Land, which offer not only educational and spiritual formation, but help students become aware of and value the heritage that comes from their tradition. Read More