There has been a vibrant Palestinian Quaker presence in Ramallah since the late 1800s. This year, Ramallah Friends (Quakers), joined by Friends from abroad will mark the 100th year of the building of the Ramallah Friends Meetinghouse. The original building was dedicated as a place of worship on March 6, 1910. We have organized a series of public events at the Meetinghouse in March to acknowledge one hundred years of witness and working together for justice and peace. In addition to being a place of worship, the Meetinghouse provided services to the community in different ways. In 2002, after becoming unusable as a place of worship, the buildings and grounds were renovated in order to again provide a place of worship and a place where people can meet. In 2005, the Friends International Center in Ramallah (FICR) was established as Ministry of the Ramallah Friends Meeting. (www.ramallahquakers.org)

Many people have passed through the doors of the Meetinghouse during these past one hundred years. If the stones of the Meetinghouse could speak, they would have some very interesting stories to tell. Please join us for the public events we have organized and hear some of these stories and what Quakers are doing in Palestine today.