From an Ottoman charitable society to a towering and modern educational edifice.
The remarkable journey of Saint George's Orthodox Association in Ramla.
Over 100 years of dedication to the Orthodox Christian community in Ramla
Saint George's Orthodox Association in Ramla was founded in 1924 as a charitable society with the primary goal of providing aid and assistance to needy members of the community and offering charitable services to the Orthodox community in social, cultural, and religious matters. This marked the beginning of our century-long and ongoing commitment to serving our community.
The association's management, through donations from the community, built a two-story house on a plot of land donated by the generous Shabaita family for this purpose. The rental income from the house became a significant source of revenue for the association, in addition to donations from the community on holidays.
After the Nakba, the association's work was reactivated and revived, and it was re-registered.
The possession of the association's building was restored after resorting to the judiciary, after it had been seized by the so-called Custodian of Absentee Property.
The second association house was purchased, which was the home of the Al-Husari family in the Zabana neighborhood.
There was an urgent need for a cultural center to serve our community and preserve our identity, belonging, and existence. Despite dwindling resources, the association took it upon itself to turn the dream into a reality. The foundation stone was laid in 1975, and construction began in stages to later become the cornerstone of our educational activities.
In the 1980s, amendments and additions were made to the old association law, including the establishment of a school, kindergartens, and a scout movement, with the aim of contributing to the preservation of our cultural and traditional uniqueness in a multicultural environment. In 1990, the association was registered under the Associations Law of 1980.
A pivotal moment in our history - the decision to establish the Orthodox School. The cultural center building was repurposed to serve as our high school, marking the beginning of our journey towards educational excellence that would eventually achieve 100% success rates in national exams.
After years of fundraising and dedicated construction, we completed our elementary school building. This achievement was made possible entirely through donations from community members and international organizations, as the state provided no financial assistance for the construction.
In the last decade, we established three kindergartens and a daycare center for young children, completing our comprehensive educational system. This expansion allows us to serve children from the age of one to the twelfth grade, creating a seamless educational journey within our Orthodox Christian values.
Today, 780 children from all educational levels are enrolled in our institutions. Our school is recognized as one of the best in the region, even among Jewish schools, with our graduates achieving 100% success in the Bagrut examinations. We continue to work tirelessly to ensure the survival and prosperity of our community in a region full of conflicts and tensions.
Our achievements have been made possible by the generous support of our community and international donors
The main funding for our cultural center and elementary school came from donations from community members in Ramla and organizations from abroad. Without their generous contributions, we would not have been able to accomplish this vital work.
Our council owns a building rented to a company that serves people with disabilities as a hostel, providing approximately 40,000 shekels per month. This income, in addition to partial funding from the Ministry of Education and parent payments, supports our operations.
Fayez Tawfiq Mansour, Awad Yousef Al-Khoury, Kosta Abed Za'rour, Eid Aftim Fanous, Umaima Hanna Abu Al-Azam, Yousef Basil Amsis, Farida Abboudi, Salim Munir, Anton Amsis, Elias Abu Al-Azam, Osama Al-Wahhab, and Vivian Elias Rabie. Rami Nicola Saba, George Rantisi, Manal Balla Rantisi, and Nizar Shahin also served as board members for many years.
Chairman of the Association
Secretary of the Association
Treasurer of the Association