by Holly Boone
With the sudden attacks in Gaza early Tuesday morning, March 18, Ahli Arab Hospital is again mentioned in tragic news. On the morning of the attack alone, Ahli Hospital received more than 80 injured and 100 dead. Although the hospital remains open and operating far beyond capacity, the satellite clinic of Princess Basma Rehabilitation Center at Ahli is temporarily closed—staff are unable to reach the hospital and are sheltering in place. Updates about Ahli Hospital will be posted on the AFEDJ website as reliable information is available from the Diocese.
Ahli Hospital is one of thirty medical and educational institutions owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Epiphany has provided financial support to the Diocese since 2014 through gifts to our nonprofit partner, American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ).
Last week, AFEDJ Executive Director Eileen Spencer had met by Zoom with Ahli Medical Director Dr. Maher Ayyad and General Director Suhaila Tarazi. The terrible circumstances Dr. Maher described then are now of course far worse. Here are Eileen’s notes from their conversation that she shared with AFEDJ trustees Wednesday morning (I am a trustee and secretary of the board).
Epiphany’s Service & Outreach group will allocate some of the Have a Heart proceeds to AFEDJ in our April meeting. Again, Epiphany, thank you for being so generous this year.
Note that some news reports refer to Ahli Hospital as “the Baptist Hospital.” Ahli Hospital was founded in 1882 by the Church Mission Society of the Church of England, making it the oldest hospital in Gaza. The hospital was operated as a medical mission of the US Southern Baptist Convention Foreign Mission Board from 1954 to 1982, when Ahli returned to Anglican control under ownership of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Dr. Maher has fond memories of playing with the children of the American medical missionaries on the grounds of Ahli Hospital when he was a young boy; when he began his medical career, he trained under several American doctors of the mission.