2008 Woodie Awards
Brother James accepts award at Bethlehem University
Nadia Beidas
Issue date: 4/25/05 Section: News
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Fifteen graduates from Bethlehem University have received their master's degrees at Lewis and have gone back to teach at Bethlehem University.
Gaffney read an address entitled, "The Emergence of Bethlehem University as a Leader in Global Lasallian higher Education."
Gaffney visits Bethlehem University every five years, and the university has changed since the president's previous visits. They have several new buildings. Student population has increased from 100 to 2,500 students during the last 30 years.
He said the "peace that is now being experienced is a chance for a more hopeful experience."
The University has prevailed under the toughest conditions. Sometimes, just to help the students graduate, professors have classes despite Israeli closures of the University. Occasionally, the buildings have been rocked a bit with bombs going off, and the university has been sprayed with bullets by the Israeli military because they thought terrorists were inside.
Coming to school is a hassle in itself some days as they are living in an occupied territory. For example, going from Jerusalem to Bethlehem can take anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours or more. If one has a class at 10 AM, they may arrive at school at 9:30A.M., 12 P.M., or not at all.
The distance between Bethlehem and Jerusalem is comparable between going from Joliet to Romeoville.
Students and teachers go through checkpoints every day going to school and are sometimes held or even turned away. The Palestinians know the value of education, as do the instructors, and work hard to achieve their dreams.
This is the first year in 32 years the university was not shut down because of Palestinian protests or Israeli military.
Bethlehem University is a "beacon of hope in an area where it's very easy to get discouraged and desperate."
