While Pilgrims of Ibillin supports multiple organizations, activities, and initiatives to help bring peace and reconciliation to the Holy Land, one of its signature efforts has been the continuing support, since our inception, of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin, Israel.

MEEI has become a shining beacon of hope for all of the people of the Holy Land - and around the world. MEEI was the inspiration of Abuna Elias Chacour, now the Archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church in Akka, Haifa, Nazareth, and the Galilee.

Forty-some years ago, when he became the parish priest of St. George Melkite Catholic Church in Ibillin, Father Chacour realized that the future of the villagers in Ibillin, of the citizens of the state of Israel, and indeed the future of all of God’s children in the Holy Land, would depend on the education of the young in the ways of peace, reconciliation, respect, and justice.

Father Chacour thus began his life work to build schools to educate children of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, based upon these principles. The reality of that vision, so many years ago, is now extant in the schools of Ibillin for more than 3000 students of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Druze heritage. The faculties of the schools are likewise a diverse makeup of different cultural, ethnic, and religious traditions.

MEEI

The Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI), a consortium of six schools, was founded by Father Elias Chacour in Ibillin, in the Galilee region of Israel. The Mariam Bawardi Kindergarten was the first school founded in 1970 and now enrolls 270 students.

In 1982 the high school was established with 80 students and 1,200 are enrolled in 2007.

That was followed in 1994 by the forming of the technical college (240 students in 2007).  Major areas of study are available in chemistry, communications, environmental science, and theological studies.

In 1996 a regional teacher training center was formed to train teachers of Arab children throughout Galilee (240 teachers are enrolled).

In addition, an elementary school was begun with two first grade classes. A grade level was added each year so that in 2007 there are 867 students in grades one through eight.

In 1998 the school for gifted children was formed.  It meets one day each week and has 105 students enrolled in 2007.

The last of the schools to be established in 2003 is the Mar Elias University (60 students in 2007), in partnership with the University of Indianapolis.

MEEI is a Christian institution that embraces students and faculty from Christian, Muslim, Druze, and Jewish traditions who study and teach together as one community of learning and service. The amazing growth of MEEI from a few students to more than 3,000 in just a few years reminds us of Jesus’ miracle  of transforming a few loaves of bread and fish into enough for 5,000 to be fed.