A faith-based ministry supporting the only Recognized K-12 Evangelical Christian School in Israel.
NBS Begins Reopening Process
On Sunday, March 14, 2021, the Ministry of Education announced that it is reopening schools across the country. Kindergarten classes were the first to return as full classes.
Older students will return more slowly. The older the student, the slower the integration back to full-time classroom status. Students are delighted to return, see their friends, and begin to find a pathway to normal. The full details are morphing.
Israel begins its reopening plan.
Happily, Nazareth has been reclassified from red to orange. This change is in part the reason for relaxing the Covid-19 restrictions.

Israel is slowly opening the airport. At this point, 3000 citizens are allowed to travel daily into Tel Aviv. This number for citizens will incrementally increase before they open the airways to tourists.

How has Covid-19 impacted FON's ministry?

Our Children and Family leaders are on-the-ground in Nazareth and are engaged daily in providing teaching assistance, counsel, and encouragement. They are keeping FON up-to-date on the changing conditions. One of those changes is summer programming. It is unlikely that the situation will be fully resolved in time for FON and NBS to host traditional summer programs. Thus, we have postponed all summer teams until 2022. This does not mean that summer programs will be canceled...they will likely be less populated, possibly digital, and will not have American FON teams. There will be programming and it will be exciting and purpose-driven!
Easter Presentations will be Online
Elementary-aged students prepare for Easter pageant.
Almost one year ago to the date, NBS was shuttered due to COVID-19. it remains partially shuttered.

At this time a year ago, teachers and administrators were struggling to understand, try, and integrate distant learning...today, distant learning is a new normal. More importantly, not even a pandemic stops sharing the story of the Savior with the community, especially at Christmas and Easter. The 4th-12th graders and staff will present a digital production of "The Story of the Wonderous Love". This presentation will include songs, readings, personal testimonies, and teaching from the Word of God. The online presentation will be on March 27, 2021. NBS’s High School Principal, Dr. Aziz Daeem. will be sharing the Word of the Lord. Please pray that God uses each word and song for His glory to draw people closer to Him. He is alive! 

NBS is staying the course and cruising through the out-of-the-ordinary 2020-21 school year with excellence.
Photo Journal
Earlier in the month, 7th-grade students were able to meet in small groups outside on the school grounds. The students engaged in a time of planned activities and interacted in a discussion about the strains of being separated during Covid-19. The students were excited to be with their friends.
Zoom Updates
Through a Zoom event, the 9th-grade parents received an introduction to the 2021-22 NBS majors. 9th graders will choose their NBS majors from the following:

  1. Electronics, Media, and Computer Science.
  2. Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Science.

An assignment to each major includes determining the student's competency level in Math and English. All majors at NBS include Biblical study and age-graded Chapel.

The 9th and 10th-grade students also had special zoom classes about internet safety and high technology careers.

Psychologist Fareed Shehadadeh, led a Zoom class on the mental and physical impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on students. 
Amal Azzam, NBS 2019, Accepted at Dallas Baptist University (DBU)
Congratulations to Amal Azzam! Amal will be attending Dallas Baptist University, a partner university with NBS and FON. She will enroll in the fall of 2021.

Amal plans to major in worship and music ministry. NBS and FON are thankful for their long-term partnership with DBU! Amal will be the first NBS graduate to attend DBU.

May God bless your studies. Your FON and NBS team will be praying for you as you prepare, travel, and begin your university career.
Students throughout Israel are required to take the Bagrut exam for a variety of subjects. Bagrut examinations assess knowledge on subjects studied in high school. The process of matriculation in Israel is supervised by the country's Ministry of Education. The exams of all compulsory subjects and most elective subjects are designed and written by the Ministry, thereby creating a standard measure of the students' knowledge throughout the country.

In academically oriented high schools, like NBS, the last two years of studies are geared to preparing students for the Bagrut exams. A Certificate of Excellence was recently awarded to NBS by the Ministry of Education for the 2018-2019 school year. Overall 40% of NBS students scored in the top echelon of grades. This was one of the top rankings in Israel among ALL schools, public, private and parochial.

Congratulations to the students and teachers for this fine accomplishment. Please note that the county's rankings are awarded two school years after the testing.
Tala Bishara, NBS Student,
Entrepreneurial Artist
NBS student, Tala Bishara, has used her talents to open an Instagram Art Shop. Tala was inspired and taught by her grandmother.

NBS encourages students to exercise entrepreneurship and use the gifts and talents that God gives them, and they develop, as a way to improve their community and provide an outlet for their creativity.
Kindergarten to 4th-grade students will host an on-line Easter program entitled Love for All. The program will consist of songs, the Easter story, as well as games and crafts that can be done at home. The program content will be age-specific.
Congratulations to the 4th to 6th-grade students that participated in the Computational Thinking Competition. This competition aims to develop the student's programming and thinking skills at a high level. It requires the students to develop algorithms and exercise other computer skills at a competitive level. The students reached the semi-finals! The competition began in December and concluded on March 8, 2021.
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PRAISE THE LORD -

  • No NBS student has been seriously ill with the virus.
  • Some students have been able to come to school for a time of socialization and learning. Other groups will be added in the coming weeks.
  • Chapel classes have been ongoing throughout the pandemic. These classes have reached family members as well as students.
  • The 11th and 12th-grade students have been able to take their Bagrut exams on campus.
  • For those that support FON/NBS through prayer and giving.
  • Dr. Roger Mardis' promotional engagements for Peaks and Pits. All proceeds from the sale of the book benefit Friends of Nazareth.

PRAYER REQUESTS -

  • For continued Covid-19 protection among NBS staff, students, and families.
  • That the students and faculty will enjoy a much-needed rest during the upcoming Easter break.
  • For Nazareth's Covid-19 status to continue to improve. It is now at Orange, concerning, but improving.
  • For wisdom for National leaders as they take steps to reopen Israel's schools and economy.
  • For the mental and physical health of the students and faculty.
  • For the students that are experiencing learning gaps due to distance learning.
  • For the students as they prepare for the Bagrut exams.
  • For the teachers to remain flexible and engaged in distant learning protocols. Give them stamina, creative and effective teaching approaches.
  • For locals that will be leading the summer programs without the assistance of FON teams. As of this time, the Ministry of Education has not released its guidelines for these programs.
  • For the faculty and others as they plan for the 2021-22 school year.
  • For the upcoming online Easter programs. Pray that these presentations are Christ-honoring and that people will respond to the Gospel appeal.
  • Spiritual awakening in the Holy Land.
  • 2022 engagement with Student Leadership University. 2021's program has been postponed.

PLANS - 2021

  • March 27, 2021. Online Easter presentation.
  • July 6-24. VBS/Day Camps. Praying for full approval by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
  • August 3-21. Potter's Wheel Retreats. On hold until the Ministry of Education provides guidelines and approvals.
  • October 11-23, 2021 Spiritual Enrichment Journey (SEJ)
Registration is Open
At this point, all indications are that Israel will reopen for tourists by Summer 2021. We are working with our local agents to ensure that we have excellent arrangements for the 2021 SEJ.

Registration remains open at www.friendsofnazareth.org. The SEJ originates in Atlanta on the afternoon of October 11, 2021. Other origination points are available; however, there may be a difference in cost.

In order to travel, all participants must have received a Covid-19 vaccination, met the recommended waiting period after the vaccine, and present their vaccination records. It is expected that upon arrival travelers must also have a negative COVID-19 test result that is no older than 72 hours and Israel may require a COVID-19 test upon departure from the airport.
Peaks and Pits by Dr. Roger Mardis

Please pray for Dr. Mardis as he begins a preaching/book tour surrounding his latest book, Peaks and Pits, How the Land of the Bible reflects the Life of the Believer.

He launched the tour at Fellowship Chapel, Bristol, VA where over 200 books were sold. All book proceeds benefit Nazareth Baptist School.

Upcoming services are scheduled in AL and FL.

Mailing Address
Please mail donations and correspondence for Dr. Roger Mardis to:

Friends of Nazareth
%HBC
219 Simpson Street
Florence, AL 35630
Visit Friends of Nazareth on Facebook
Friends of Nazareth
Friends of Nazareth (FON), A Nazareth Educational Ministries Association (NEMA) Corporation, is a n0n-profit corporation. It is operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the corresponding section of any future Federal tax code. Our tax ID is: 59-3800059.

FON reserves the right to withhold up to 5% of designated donations for administration.
Stock Donations:
(Donated appreciated stock may reduce one's taxes)

Please contact the NEMA-FON broker for assistance.
John Dupuis
Wells Fargo Investments
201 N. Court Street
Florence, AL 35630

256.764.1000
Consider setting up a fundraiser on Facebook to benefit Nazareth Educational Ministries Association (Friends of Nazareth). Simply search donations on Facebook. Click on Facebook Shortcuts, Fundraisers. Create your post. Invite friends to participate and post on your homepage.

Facebook does not take a fee for charitable gifts. Therefore, all of the donated funds come directly to NEMA-FON.
Friends of Nazareth
219 Simpson Street
Florence, AL 35630
470.297.5913