History

1851 – Theodor Fliedner, founder of the Diakoniewerk (pastoral welfare work) in Kaiserswerth, Germany, opens a children’s home for Arabic girls in Jerusalem. For the first time, these girls have the opportunity to go to school.

1858 – 32 Arabic, Jewish and Armenian children attend Fliedner’s Protestant school. They all live in a children’s home.

1868 – Inauguration of a new building. It is officially named Talitha Kumi. The number of children has grown to 89.

1905 – A small seminary for female Arabic teachers is established, as well as a school for deaconesses with oriental background.

1914 – Eleven deaconesses attend to 140 children.

1914/18 – The First World War disrupts Talitha’s work. The sisters are detained in Egypt by the British.

1925 – The British return Talitha Kumi to its original owners.

1926 – The school re-opens. The Boarding School accommodates 35 female students.

1933 – A school for housekeeping and sewing opens. Vocational training for kindergarten teachers starts.

1939 – 17 deaconesses work now in Talitha Kumi. Talitha consists of an elementary and a secondary school. The teacher seminary and training program for deaconesses are closed.

1939 – With the beginning of the Second World War, work at Talitha Kumi is disrupted. Its deaconesses are again detained by the British.

1949 – After the ceasefire agreement following the Jewish-Arabic War, Talitha Kumi finds itself on Israeli territory. The Israelis take over the school building and its premises.

1950 – Work in the Jordanian part of Palestine continues. The Jerusalemsverein (Jerusalem Society) donates its community centre in Beit Jala to the Diakoniewerk Kaiserswerth. Talitha Kumi continues its work there. It admits Arabic refugee children. The school establishes its elementary and secondary school, and develops a business education branch.

1959 – A new school is supposed to be built two kilometers out of Beit Jala. The foundation stone is laid on March, 18th.

1961 – With a big celebration, the new school opens on April, 26th.

1967 – Israel occupies the West Bank during the Six-Day-War. Additional day students are accepted into the school.

1975 – The Berlin Mission takes over responsibility of the school on January, 1st.

1980 – The first boys are accepted into the school. They start in first grade, or enter the secondary school level. This is the beginning of co-education at Talitha Kumi’s.

1983 – The new annex with classrooms for Biology, Chemistry, and language classes opens on October, 30th. The annex houses laboratories and a sports hall.

1984/85 – A new program raising awareness for social issues and encouraging social action starts at  Lutheran schools.

1987 – Computer classes are introduced in the school year of 1987/88.

1994 – The Palestinian National Authority takes over responsibility of the educational system in Palestine.

1995 – Talitha Kumi installs a vocational curriculum, training students for work in the hotel business. The „Association of friends and alumni of Talitha Kumi“ is founded.

1997 – Talitha Kumi becomes an UNESCO Associated School. It presents itself at various international youth conferences and also during the EXPO 2000 in Hannover. The first Palestinian Environmental Center and Bird Watching Station are opened on school premises.

2000 – The Talitha Kumi Community College opens with 20 students. It offers programs in hotel management and administration, and is approved by the government.

2004 – The new kindergarten opens on May 14, 2004. It has room for 120 children.

2006 – First bilingual classes are taught in English and German.

2008 – The international curriculum is introduced. It leads to the German International Abitur (DIAP).

2009 – A new Physics hall is built.

2013 – First graduating class to take the German International Abitur (DIAP)

2014 – Restoration of the guesthouse