Hope at every desk - new fundraising campaign launched to support Church of Scotland school in Israel

A Christian school in Israel has launched a new fundraising campaign to ensure it continues to play a vital role in advancing peace, hope and co-existence.

Tabeetha School in Jaffa educates children and young people from Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other backgrounds aged 4-18, helping to foster a greater understanding of humanity in a country where divisions are deep.

Described by as a "living peace" project, the Church of Scotland school enables students of more than 40 nationalities, to learn and grow side by side in harmony.

One former pupil Dr Rana Abu Manneh said the cycle of ignorance leading to fear and hatred is broken within the walls.

Yousef, a grade 11 pupil, said: "Tabeetha has taught me to look beyond labels and appreciate people for who they really are.

"Inside these walls, kindness, respect and unity shape our every day."

However, conflict in the region has had a severe financial impact on the school, international enrolment has reduced, local families are facing increased financial pressure and urgent support is needed.

The "Hope at Every Desk" digital fundraising campaign is running from 5 June to 11 July to raise £20,000 to equip all 13 classrooms with the essential tools students need to thrive in an environment where dialogue, dignity and academic excellence is prized highly.

People are encouraged to gift money to buy textbooks, personal whiteboards, pens, pencils and other classroom equipment.

The school was founded in 1863 by Jane Walker–Arnott, the eldest daughter of a Glasgow University professor, with the help of the famed travel agent Thomas Cook, to give the girls of Jaffa a measure of dignity and independence in what was an oppressive society.

Today, it is a place where peace is not just taught, but lived every day through a English language curriculum that promotes understanding, friendship and mutual respect across cultures.

Government run schools in Israel generally cater to individual communities, which gives children no chance to learn about anyone different from themselves, resulting in fear of Jew or Arab.

Tabeetha School development officer Kate Freedman said: "This campaign comes at a critical time for Tabeetha School.

"The effects of the ongoing conflict continue to strain the school's budget and place pressure on families and staff.

"At the same time, divisions in the region feel more acute than ever.

"Donations to Tabeetha not only provide immediate resources for teaching and learning, they also place hope at every desk.

"Hope that children of all faiths can learn together in peace and mutual respect.

"Every gift helps us sustain a values-based education that nurtures understanding, compassion and a brighter future for this region."

Prior to taking on her current role, Ms Freedman worked as a teacher at the school from 2019-2024.

She taught Grade 4 for three years and was then Head of Primary for two years.

Ms Freedman credited the Church of Scotland for fostering the values that underpin the pupil experience.

"They're inspired by the Great Christian values, but they are values for all people - respect, open mindedness, hope, peace," she added.

His Excellency Per Egil Selvaag, Norway's Ambassador to Israel, attended Tabeetha School from 1967-1970 and said his time there was "perhaps been the most important preparation for my job as my country's ambassador here now".

Not only did he meet many foreign nationals but half his class were Israelis from different backgrounds.

He said: "Tabeetha's very existence is a peace project.

"It is an enabler for greater understanding and through that, peace and security for all."

Liam Wakileh, who graduated from Tabeetha in 2021 and is currently studying computer engineering at the Israel Institute of Technology, credits Tabeetha with teaching him respect for difference.

"At Tabeetha, you understand that people are people," he said."

What matters is not where someone comes from, but who they are."

Dr Rana Abu Manneh, who graduated in 2013, added: "Tabeetha instilled in us core values of respect and tolerance and love for each other and open-mindness.

"Ignorance leads to fear, which leads to hatred and that cycle is broken at Tabeetha."

For more information on how to support the school, email Kate Freedman. kfreedman@tabeethaschool.org.