Dear Friends of Episcopal Divinity School,
This Christmas season, as we celebrate the profound mystery of Christ’s birth—God’s love made incarnate—we thank you for your steadfast partnership with EDS. Together, we continue the sacred work of forming leaders of moral courage for the transformation of our communities and the world.
EDS carries forward a legacy of resilience and innovation. This community transcends buildings and reminds us that it is our work to bring God’s love and liberation into unlikely places - a country in turmoil, a community in the throes of injustice, a manger holding a child who would change the world.
As we enter a new season in the life of EDS, your prayers, partnership, and generosity remain vital. By making a gift to EDS, you forge a path to equip leaders of moral courage, cultivate transformative theological education, and co-create a more just and loving future for our church and world. Your support makes this holy work possible. Thank you.
We wish you a peaceful and joyous Christmas season and blessed 2024.
Warmly,
The EDS Team
Lydia, Emilee, Emmye, Mary Grace, Miguel, & Mikey
About the artist:
Hala Abu Nahla is a visual artist and activist who was born in Rafah, Gaza, in 1993. She is a researcher in contemporary art with a specific interest in collage and three-dimensional painting, and she uses her art to advocate for women. Hala has been trained to provide psychological support for abused women in the Mawasi area of Gaza, and has received an award from the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees for her work on the global campaign to combat violence against women. She has served as the artistic supervisor for a UNICEF-funded high school beautification project, participated in several art exhibitions, and taught sculpture as a professor at Al-Aqsa University. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Sculpture at Helwan University in Egypt.
About the art:
Hala's pieces were all originally created with acrylics on canvas, cloth, and/or oil paints between 2016 and 2019. Hala left Gaza with her two young daughters in the spring of 2024. Her art is still in Rafah.