Park Photographs 2011  -  Play Area Photographs 2005 - 2010

Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park includes youth facilities. These facilities are open to Christian and Muslim youth of both genders from the age of 1 month to the age of 21 years. Use of the youth facilities is not based on gender, marital status, or religion.

Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park includes a school age Play Area with a basketball court, a volleyball court, a soccer / football field, large open grounds, and St. Ann Kindergarten. St. Ann Kindergarten include a school age Play Area with a basketball court, a volleyball court, a soccer / football field, large open grounds, and St. Ann Kindergarten. St. Ann Kindergarten includes a building with three recreational rooms with a Table Tennis [Ping Pong] table, an exercise machine, and iron weights; a First Aid Kit, three bathrooms, a kitchen area, and a storage area; and a fenced-in preschool Play Area with two swing sets. Then, the children have access to food, drink, medicine, and bathrooms. Further, in unfavorable weather and in darkness, the youth have access to indoor games. Additionally, in the Summer, the youth have some outdoor shade from the recently planted trees. However, this amount of shade is inadequate. To provide shade, Abouna plans to purchase four tents.

During Spring 2012, on a typical day, about forty (40) to fifty (50) boys are playing basketball and table tennis, about ten (10) to fifteen (15) girls are playing volleyball, and about ten (10) to twenty (20) children are playing in the preschool Play Area. Additionally, about twenty (20) women are watching their children play. These women supervise their children, drink tea, and socialize. Currently, all the families are Christian. Muslim youth and families are welcome and are expected to come later.

Table Tennis is very popular among males aged twenty-five (25) to thirty-four (34).

Summer Youth Camp

In July, Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park will host a Summer Camp for all the Christian and Muslim children in Zababdeh with The Palestinian Bible Society's Jenin Center. This Summer Camp will be from the morning to the evening during one week. This Program will include developing a spiritual/moral life, listening to music and to speakers, playing musical instruments and sports, praying, reading religious publications, singing, etc. This Summer Camp will probably be attended by at least 100 (one hundred) children.

Currently, the leaders are preparing this program so that it will succeed during the first time that it is held. The youth leaders have finished their training program to lead the summer camp meetings. Now, these leaders are writing their plans.

This Summer Camp will use all the facilities of Mar Elias Park. These facilities include a school age Play Area with a basketball court, a volleyball court, a soccer / football field, large open grounds, and St. Ann Kindergarten. St. Ann Kindergarten includes a building with three recreational rooms with a Table Tennis [Ping Pong] table, an exercise machine, and iron weights; a First Aid Kit, three bathrooms, a kitchen area, and a storage area; and a fenced-in preschool Play Area with two swing sets. Then, the children have access to food, drink, medicine, and bathrooms. Additionally, the youth have some shade because trees are being planted.

2011

During Summer 2011, usually, about twenty five (25) to forty (40) unaccompanied youth were in Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park. Most of these youth ranged in age from twelve (12) years old to nineteen (19) years old. Most of these youths were boys. Some of the youths were girls. Additionally, about twelve (12) to twenty (20) families with young children came to this Park. Usually, they came on Friday and on Sunday, which are the holidays. All the youth and families were Christian.

Patron Saint

On Mon., June 6, 2011, the day that the schools closed for Summer 2011, Saint George Melkite Greek Catholic Church opened Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park. After the schools closed for summer recess, some children came directly from their school to this Park. Several days later, Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park was blessed. The patron saint of this park is Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias). Holy Prophet Elijah the Thesbite (Mar Elias) was one of the great prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible. Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) preached in the local area.

Value

Saint Prophet Elijah Community Park is the only park within the town of Zababdeh. For the first time, these youth have a recreational facility. Now, families can send an unaccompanied youth to a park and families can take young children to a park. This park is a safe place for children. This park has increased the activities available for youth and has improved their quality of life. Parents are at ease with where their children are and what their children are doing. Additionally, now, families with young children can meet and talk informally with other families with young children. These women enjoy drinking tea together. Additionally, these children and their families are within a Christian environment.

Further, Mar Elias Community Park has become a place where young males see appropriate male behavior, a place where young males are sent / taken by their families to participate in appropriate male behavior, and a place where young males are sent / taken by their families so that they will not see or participate in inappropriate and / or criminal male behavior.

Days and Hours

When school is out of session (Summer), Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park is opened from 5 p.m. to Sunset on Monday to Thursday and on Saturday; and from 12 noon to Sunset on Friday, Sunday, and legal holidays. When school is in session, Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park is opened from 2 p.m. to Sunset on Monday to Thursday and on Saturday; and from 12 noon to Sunset on Friday, Sunday, and legal holidays. (During the summer, due to the heat, many parents will not let their children out of their non-air-conditioned homes until about 5 or 6 pm. Friday and Sunday are the weekend days in Zababdeh.) Then, the Saint Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias) Community Park is opened when St. Ann Kindergarten is closed for the day and when it is cool enough for the children to be outdoors.

Three Step Plan

Step One is to use St. George’s biggest unused physical asset, the land, as a park; to use St. George’s biggest unused social asset, the adults, as volunteer care takers and supervisors of the youth; and to use St. George’s existing youth facilities, St. Ann Kindergarten and the school playground, as the core facilities. (Abouna Firas thinks that he has the only swing set in Zababdeh. Zabbabdeh does not have a park.

St. George Church is at Step One.

Step Two is to purchase traditional indoor games for the youth and their adult supervisors, such as table tennis, billiards / pool, cards, dominoes, etc., and to build an outside Sport Court for Badminton, Basketball, Tennis, and Volleyball.

For Step Three, Abouna Firas is considering several options. These include an outdoor Sport Field that includes Soccer (which they call “Football”) and American Football; Tetherball, more playground equipment, and picnic equipment, such as picnic tables, umbrellas, and shade covering.

Thank You

St. George Church gratefully thanks The Pilgrims of Ibillin for their generous donation to begin this project.