‘The greatest gift of Christmas…’

WEST BANK — “The greatest gift of Christmas is the birth of Jesus in my heart,” a little girl in Ramallah told a member of the Palestinian Bible Society team following a Christmas show at her school. She was one of several hundred children throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem who attended one of the Society’s 20 Christmas shows that played in schools, churches and orphanages last December.
Photo: A young girl in a school in the West Bank enjoys a performance put on by the Palestinian Bible Society as part of its program, Operation Palestinian Child. Photo: PBS/Simon Azazian (WBK05DJ-2.JPG)
A young girl in a school in the West Bank enjoys a performance put on by the Palestinian Bible Society as part of its program, Operation Palestinian Child. Photo: PBS/Simon Azazian (WBK05DJ-2.JPG)

The shows were part of the Operation Palestinian Child program, through which the Society aims to bring joy and comfort to the children of the troubled region.

Puppet shows

Through puppet shows, plays and songs, the Christmas show retold the story of Jesus’ birth and was appreciated by teachers, parents and children from a variety of backgrounds.

The Society received many letters of thanks and invitations to host more shows. One of the most memorable shows took place in the orphanage in Jerusalem.

Singing

“We couldn’t hold back our tears when we saw all these young children singing and laughing,” said Tony Samaan, a clown who is a member of the Society’s team. “We had a real birthday party for Jesus that day. We sang happy birthday to him and had a huge cake with candles.”

The show held in the Syriac Church in Bethlehem was attended by the Syriac Bishop, who thanked the Society for presenting the Bible story in such a simple and accessible way. (WR 392/17 - 04/5.05) [4 photos]