In years past we cooked, baked, ate, and purchased t-shirts, olive oil, and wonderful plants. Members of our First Day School created art work for amazing quilts sewn by a gifted quilter. Through our Silent Auction, we shared meals, museum tours, discussions, movie nights, and we purchased cakes, shawls, dal, soups, art-work, and get-away trips to the mountains. Our spirits were uplifted by the light of music coming through our musicians, and once, a juggler in our midst. We bought small household items and books and games and then distributed the remainder to be used by families served by A Wider Circle or Interfaith Works. We made signs and set up tables, and then we took down signs and swept floors. It has been two years since we were able to gather in person in community to be with each other in eating, working, laughing and sharing. As we continue to gather in Light and Love in Spirit, we ask your continued generosity and sharing so that we may continue to support Ramallah students and the school that is a beacon of Light in a troubled location.
While deciding how much to give is a private matter, what would happen if Friends simply donated what they spent on food and other items. For example, if you donated a bowl of tabouli for 12 people, (worth $20), or made Chicken Marabella (worth $50), provided a platter of bakhlava ($50), came to the event ($20), purchased an item at the Silent Auction ($50), bought a plant ($5) or household items ($20) or toys ($5) or a Ramallah t-shirt ($20) or Palestinian olive oil ($20), you get a rough sense of how much money you might contribute. You might even pay yourself for the time spent preparing the food, pricing items, cleaning up afterward.
Meanwhile, Ramallah Friends’ top tuition for the 2021/2022 school year will be $6,400 for juniors and seniors in its International Baccalaureate program. To learn more about the school, see: www.rfs.edu.ps; to learn more about Spring Fling, see:
https://www.bethesdafriends.org/Spring-Fling-2021/
To donate to the Ramallah Friends School scholarships, contribute to the May Social Concerns Box: www.bethesda friends.org Clearly designate that your contribution is for Ramallah. If you prefer, you may send your check, made payable to Bethesda Friends Meeting and earmarked Spring Fling, to Assistant Treasurer, 3050 Military Road, NW, Apartment 834, Washington DC 20015.
