Help Traumatized Palestinian Children

Videos and articles from the Middle East including Jerusalem and the West Bank have dominated the news in recent weeks.  A nun is attacked in the Old City of Jerusalem, olive trees and homes owned by Palestinians in the West Bank are destroyed, and the destruction in Gaza and Lebanon continues. For the children who attend the Spafford Children’s Center (SCC), located between Damascus Gate and Herod’s Gate in the walled city of Jerusalem, these stories are not distant. They are part of the air they breathe.

They feel the tension. They hear the conversations among adults. And they carry their own anxieties. Walking to school can mean encounters with people who target them for being Palestinian, their classrooms are over-crowded and may lack help for children who have language delays or cognitive processing challenges, and they have all known the trauma of families who have lost homes or family members to violence.

Enter the Spafford Children’s Center. With one of the largest courtyard spaces in the Old City and dedicated classrooms for tutoring in Arabic, English, and math, children can relax, focus on learning, and be challenged to advance beyond what they thought was possible. Two or three children are matched with an experienced teacher so each child receives individualized attention. In an 11-week session most children advance one or two grade levels. Of equal importance is the positive perspective the children gain—they believe they are smart and capable of mastering complex math problems, complicated Arabic verb forms, and confusing English sentence structure.

Your support of the American Friends of the Spafford Children’s Center (AFSCC) also helps to fund trauma treatment services. For decades the SCC has recognized the effect of trauma on the ability of children to learn and thrive emotionally and educationally. In recent years the response has grown to include two trauma specialists and trauma knowledge infused into all educational and recreational activities at the SCC.

In more than 100 years of service the SCC has been witness to turmoil, war, intifadas, and glimpses of peace. Its focus has not wavered from the well-being of Palestinian children and the support of families. Today, you make it possible to continue the legacy of service.

We thank you for your support of the AFSCC, an organization staffed by volunteers so your donation goes directly to serve Palestinian children and families.

With best wishes,