Bright Stars of Bethlehem

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Bright Stars of Bethlehem

USPS Mailing Address:

BRIGHT STARS OF BETHLEHEM NFP

P.O. Box 771055, CHICAGO IL 60677-1055 Rev.

Bright Stars of Bethlehem raises awareness and support for Dar al-Kalima University, the first and only university for arts, culture, and design in all of Palestine. Bright Stars is a 501c3 nonprofit organization born out of the vision of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb and his outreach ministry in Bethlehem in the mid-90s. The desire to help the people of Palestine flourish and have life in abundance has ga

ined supporters around the US. Raheb, with key US supporters, created an independent U.S.-based nonprofit organization founding Bright Stars of Bethlehem in 2004. Now, in 2024 Bright Stars is celebrating 20 years of HOPE and support for the next generation of creative leaders in Palestine.

09/04/2026

"Our aim is that our people, who admire stars, will dare to look up and dream, to believe in goals to strive for, and develop a new sense of hope, community beauty, and faith." - Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb

To dare to look up and dream is to believe there is a future worth preparing for. That belief is at the heart of Dar al-Kalima University and the reason Bright Stars of Bethlehem exists. Our mission is to raise awareness and support for Dar al-Kalima, the first and only university of arts, culture, and design in Palestine, helping ensure students have the opportunity to learn, create, discover their gifts, and build toward what comes next.

Learn more about the students, stories, and dreams you can help nurture through Threads of Hope at brightstarsbethlehem.org/threads-of-hope

09/03/2026

552 students have returned to Dar al-Kalima University, filling classrooms, studios, labs, and gathering spaces with ideas, creativity, questions, and possibility.

But a seat at Dar al-Kalima represents so much more than a place in a classroom.

It is a place to discover a talent and develop it. A place where creativity can become a profession, an idea can become a business, and knowledge can become something that strengthens an entire community.

Because what students gain here does not stay here. They carry it into their careers, their families, their communities, and the future they are helping to shape.

This is what a Thread of Hope looks like.

It is making sure young people have a place to learn, create, grow, and imagine what comes next. Help us keep these seats filled with possibility at brightstarsbethlehem.org/threads-of-hope

09/02/2026

Some threads of hope come full circle. Students arrive at Dar al-Kalima University to learn, create, discover their talents, and prepare for what comes next. For some, that journey eventually brings them right back to where they started, this time as professors and staff.

Mishleen is one of them. She recently became the first graduate of Dar al-Kalima’s Master’s program in Art Therapy, while also teaching in the university’s design faculty, where she helps students develop their creativity through 3D design and character development. Her story is a beautiful example of what happens when education is carried forward: one student is given the opportunity to learn and grow, and then uses what they have gained to invest in those coming behind them.

Through Threads of Hope, we are investing not only in who students are today, but in who they may become and what they will carry forward. Right now, every gift is matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $125,000. To see this thread of hope come full circle, read Mishleen’s full story, “A Journey of Art and Healing,” at brightstarsbethlehem.org/stories-of-hope/mishleen

09/01/2026

Art has an extraordinary ability to take us somewhere words alone cannot. On Sunday, September 20, we invite you to join us at Northminster Presbyterian Church of Evanston for a special opportunity to experience Lilies of Gaza: Women Artists in Times of War and hear from Tracie Ortman, Executive Director of Bright Stars of Bethlehem.

Following worship, Tracie will share about the work of Bright Stars of Bethlehem and Dar al-Kalima University, and the stories of 22 Palestinian female artists from Gaza. The exhibition of these women’s art gives us an opportunity not only to witness remarkable creativity, but to listen to the stories of women preserving identity, expressing what they have lived, and continuing to create in circumstances that might otherwise silence them.

The exhibition will be available for viewing at 2515 Central Park Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201 in the Tower Gallery.
Sunday mornings following worship
Saturday, October 3rd from 1 - 3 P.M.
September 13th - October 4th by appointment

Please note: The Northminster Tower Gallery is not accessible to those with mobility challenges.

08/31/2026

A camera does more than capture an image. It documents a moment before it becomes history. It preserves the stories and shows life through the eyes of the people actually living them.

In the hands of a young Palestinian photographer or filmmaker, a camera is a way to tell their own story, in their own voice. At Dar al-Kalima University, students are learning more than the technical skills of their craft. They are learning how to document, create, preserve, and contribute to a Palestinian narrative that reaches audiences today and remains for generations to come.

Our students will leave a lasting impression, like the legacy of Karimeh Abboud, one of the first female Palestinian photographers, whose work helped preserve a visual record of Palestinian life. Today, Dar al-Kalima honors that legacy through the Karimeh Abboud Award, recognizing the work of a new generation of student photographers.

It is a thread of hope. The photographs shared here are the work of Karimeh Abboud Award winners, young artists adding their own images, perspectives, and voices to a story that continues to be written. Through Threads of Hope, we invest in the education and opportunities that allow those voices to continue. Right now, every gift is matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $125,000. brightstarsbethlehem.org/threads-of-hope

08/28/2026

“Hope is living the reality and yet investing in a different one.” — Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb

Hope does not ask us to ignore the reality of today, but instead invites us to believe in what can still be built for tomorrow.

At Dar al-Kalima University, that hope takes shape every day as students discover their talents, pursue their education, and prepare to use what they have learned to strengthen their communities. Through education, art, and opportunity, they are investing in a future filled with possibility, even when the path ahead is uncertain.

This is the heart of Threads of Hope, where every student, every opportunity, and every person who chooses to invest alongside them becomes part of something much larger, weaving individual threads of possibility into a future shaped by hope.

Right now, your thread can reach twice as far. Every gift to Threads of Hope will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $125,000. brightstarsbethlehem.org/threads-of-hope

08/27/2026

“Our narrative is the only thing that we still have control of.” — Nour Abu Kamal

For this Dar al-Kalima University graduate, filmmaking is about more than creating something beautiful. It is about telling the story of Palestine as it truly is, through Palestinian eyes.

Nour found his calling in film production and color grading at Dar al-Kalima, turning his creativity into a career and his art into a way of preserving identity, challenging perceptions, and telling stories that deserve to be seen.

His is one of the many threads woven through Dar al-Kalima. Every thread tells a story. We invite you to weave your thread into the story. brightstarsbethlehem.org/threads-of-hope

08/26/2026

There is a difference between visiting a place and truly experiencing it.

This November 2–11, travel with Bright Stars of Bethlehem and experience Palestine through its people, culture, traditions, and stories. Share coffee with families, learn Palestinian cuisine, walk the ancient terraces of Battir, join the olive harvest, experience art and film, visit sacred and historic sites, and spend time with the people who call this land home.

These are the threads that connect us. Threads of culture, resilience, creativity, hospitality, and hope. When we choose to be present, listen, and learn from one another, those threads become part of our story too. As Sliman Mansour once said, "When you go and camp, you get to know your country better… it creates a kind of love for the land.”

Come experience Palestine for yourself and discover why so many travelers return home changed by the people they meet.

Learn more and reserve your place:
brightstarsbethlehem.org/travel-to-palestine

08/25/2026

“Art speaks to people's hearts and emotions, not just their minds.” — Sliman Mansour

Nearly 690 children came together through the Dar al-Kalima University - Gaza Training Center’s Summer Art Camp to create, learn, discover their talents, and experience the joy of artistic expression. On August 20, children, families, artists, and community members gathered to celebrate a summer filled with creativity and connection. As participating artist Marwan Nassar shared, “We proved once again that art can continue, even in the most difficult circumstances.”

This is what a Thread of Hope can look like in Gaza. It lives in a child discovering a new talent, an artist sharing their gifts, a family celebrating what their child has created, and a community making space for imagination and possibility. Sliman Mansour spent a lifetime showing us the power of art to carry identity, memory, beauty, and love. Today, we see that same creative spirit being nurtured in a new generation, as hundreds of young people discover their own voices and add their threads to the story. brightstarsbethlehem.org/threads-of-hope

08/24/2026

Bright Stars of Bethlehem and Dar al-Kalima University mourn the passing of one of Palestine’s most influential artists and cultural voices. For more than five decades, Sliman Mansour’s art has carried his story and the story of all of Palestine through his art. Through his work, he showed the land, the olive trees, Jerusalem, and the people themselves, balancing the weight of the past and the fortitude needed to remain steadfast while highlighting daily life in Palestine.

It was recently said, “He loved Palestine and gave it his life and art.” He not only created, but he also shared his gifts through mentoring, institutions, creating opportunities for young artists, and ensuring that Palestinian art would continue long after his own brush was put down. Sliman's legacy and poignant art will continue to stir hearts and educate future generations.

Rest in peace, Sliman. May his family and loved ones find comfort knowing the seeds he planted through a lifetime of art, education, and love for Palestine continue to grow.

Address

Chicago, IL
60677

Telephone

+18153150682

Website

http://www.BrightStarsBethlehem.org/

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