by Lucy Ashton
An event to highlight the impact of Tabeetha School in Jaffa, Israel is being held at Kelvin West Church on Southpark Avenue in Glasgow on 12 March at 7.30pm.
The English-speaking school educates children and young people from Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other backgrounds aged 4-18, helping to foster a greater understanding of humanity in a country where divisions are deep.
Described as a “living peace project”, it enables more than 300 students of 35 nationalities to learn and grow side by side in mutual respect, dignity and understanding.
The free-to-attend event is an opportunity for people to hear about the unique Christian school’s mission to prepare younger generations to contribute to a more peaceful and hopeful society in the Holy Land.
The speakers are Kate Freedman, development officer at Tabeetha School, and Rev Muriel Pearson, recently returned Church of Scotland Mission partner.
The minister was chaplain to the school until last year, describing its “brave quest” to bring communities together as a “very precious thing”.
Kate, a former head of the primary school at Tabeetha, said it is a “living expression” of the Kirk’s Christian witness in the Holy Land.
“Every day, Christian, Jewish and Muslim children and young people learn side by side in an atmosphere of respect, friendship and shared purpose,” she added.
“In a region often defined by division, Tabeetha quietly models what peaceful co-existence can look like.
“Having taught there for five years, I saw firsthand how pupils form genuine friendships despite difference.
“The school does not ignore the complexities of the world around it, but it gives them the tools to respond with empathy rather than fear – that is why it matters.”
Church members are encouraged to pray for staff and pupils , share the story of the school as widely as possible and consider making a donation.
Conflict in the region has had a severe financial impact on the school, international enrolment has reduced, local families are facing increased financial pressure and urgent support is needed.
The school is raising money to provide bursaries for families facing financial hardship and provide counselling and social-emotional support to help students process anxiety and trauma from the ongoing conflict.
Funds will also be used to properly equip classrooms, laboratories and libraries with the tools necessary to spark curiosity, achievement and connect students across languages and cultures.
Kate said: “Many people in Scotland care deeply about what is happening in the Holy Land but feel uncertain about how to respond in a constructive way.
“Tabeetha offers a tangible, long-standing expression of Christian faith in action, which is rooted in Scottish Christian heritage yet embedded locally in Jaffa–Tel Aviv.”
The school was founded in 1863 by Jane Walker–Arnott, the eldest daughter of a University of Glasgow professor, with the help of the famed travel agent Thomas Cook, to give the girls of Jaffa a measure of dignity and independence in what was an oppressive society.
Kate said: “For those who want to support something hopeful, relational and practical, Tabeetha provides a trusted way to stand alongside a community working quietly for peace.
“For congregations in Scotland, supporting the school is not about choosing between needs at home and needs abroad.
“It is about standing alongside a community that is part of our own Church family and in challenging times, that witness is more important than ever.”
Muriel, the Church’s mission partner in Israel from September 2021 to October 2025, said she was looking forward to sharing the good news of Tabeetha in Glasgow.
She revealed that being the school chaplain was one of her favourite parts of her role as mission partner.
“This was not just because, as a former teacher, I loved visiting the school and spending time with staff and students, but because I really believe that what we have there is a very precious thing,” Muriel explained.
“There are few places in Israel, and especially since 7 October 2023, where Christians, Muslims and Jews can genuinely share space together and learn with and from each other.
“At Tabeetha, they can value diversity and difference and enjoy it, and develop attitudes and values which as much, if not more than academic achievement, shape confident, mature, curious and compassionate adults, so desperately needed in our world now.”
Muriel said a former student called Daniel summed it up well when talking to a group of Scottish visitors when he said ‘because of Tabeetha, I have learned to be myself everywhere’.
She praised Kate’s work to revitalise a supportive community of alumni pupils and former staff.
“At one online event it became clear how a Tabeetha education has shaped leaders in their fields,” said the minister.
“An important component in breaking down barriers and showing potential for collaboration and friendship across ethnic divides has been the international community in the school.
“At a time in the world where leaders are promoting exclusive ethnic ideologies and arguing that charity begins at home, Tabeetha shines a light for hope, acknowledging that all children are God’s children and that diversity is fascinating and enriching when we get to know one another.”