Phone: 972-2-626-6800 FAX: 972-2-628.5764 ADDRESS: Muristan Rd. P.O. Box 14076 Jerusalem 91140 via Israel
A Brief History | How You Can Help | Video Clip | Contact Info
Crowded neighborhoods, busy streets, and lack of open space make East Jerusalem a stifling and sometimes hazardous environment for young children. The Al-Mahaba Kindergarten, with its bright and well-equipped classroom, open space for outdoor play, and quiet location on the crest of the Mount of Olives is a ministry designed to serve the children of East Jerusalem families.
The kindergarten seeks to help children develop holistically, attending to their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Children come to the kindergarten five days a week, from 7:30 am until 1 pm, and participate in a variety of activities. Games, art projects, music, and other age-appropriate activities are part of the daily schedule; field trips to local parks and zoos provide special opportunities for the children to learn and travel. Two kindergarten educators lead the children on nature walks on the LWF campus and teach them about proper nutrition by encouraging healthy snacks and habits at the kindergarten.
The Al-Mahaba Kindergarten serves both Muslim and Christian families, giving children from both religions an important opportunity to play together and become acquainted from an early age. Parents participate in their children's education, volunteering in the classroom and holding regular meetings with the kindergarten educators.
After a graduation ceremony marking the completion of their time at the Al-Mahab Kindergarten, children enroll in private and public schools throughout East Jerusalem.
The Al-Mahaba Kindergarten, or Kindergarten of Love, located today on the Mount of Olives campus of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), is a ministry of the ELCJHL with nearly 30 years of service to Palestinian children in Jerusalem.
In 1978 the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission opened two separate
kindergarten facilities just outside the Old City of Jerusalem: one to serve Israeli children, and one to serve Palestinian. From the very beginning, children were welcomed in a stimulating, healthy, and safe environment; they received instruction in their native languages. After a brief move to the East Jerusalem suburb of Wadi Joz, the Finnish Kindergarten serving Palestinians was relocated to a site on the LWF Mount of Olives campus in the year 1980.
For 20 years the kindergarten remained at this site on the southern end of the LWF property. The Finnish Mission administered the kindergarten in cooperation with the ELCJHL until 1997, when the ELCJHL became the sole administrator and its name became Al-Mahaba. The kindergarten was relocated a final time in 2000 to nearby newly-constructed facilities on the LWF Mount of Olives campus. The present enrollment is approximately 35 children, ages 3 and 4.
The Al-Mahaba KG needs a multipurpose outdoor playground with facilities for children to exercise, play games, and experiment with nature. This facility is especially important to children with limited and ill-equipped playgrounds and public gardens in East Jerusalem. Your contribution to a special fund for this purpose will help an East Jerusalem child’s dream come true.
Director: Margret Younan
Al Mahaba Kindergarten
Mount of Olives
PO Box 14076
Jerusalem, 91140 via Israel
Email: