“Are you ok, honey?” I asked as I threw my arms around Jude and gave her a protective hug. She sniffled back tears and wiped her eyes. I ushered her tiny frame into the back seat of the car as fast as I could….and turned to snap a photo of the spent tear gas canisters.

Silence fell over the car, all of us processing the weight of what Jude, a 22-year-old Dar al-Kalima University tourism major, living in a refugee camp outside of Hebron had just endured.

“You were by yourself, in your neighborhood waiting for us to pick you up; why would the Israelis tear gas you? You weren’t doing anything!” My question was more of a rhetorical sigh…Because, for Palestinians like Jude, unprovoked tear gassing is a daily occurrence.

We pulled into an animal refuge, run by Palestinians, and I assured Jude that we didn’t expect her to do the interview about her time at Dar al-Kalima University anymore. She insisted, and her poise and resilience in the midst of her very real trauma from the occupation were humbling.

I couldn’t help but think of my own three daughters, who are all brown-eyed, creative, intelligent, and petite, with hearts filled with dreams for the future, just like Jude.

“So…I went out from my home to see you guys, and out of nowhere, I started smelling tear gas and it made me like…cry a lot. I felt suffocated. I started crying...I didn’t want this to be the first impression of meeting you. Unfortunately, this happens quite often.” - Jude

Jude’s compelling story is one of many I encountered on my 5+ city recent tour of Palestine, with a laser focus to “See the Hope” of our Dar al-Kalima University students, graduates, and professors

In her interview and in the classroom, Jude stands out as one of the future creative leaders for Palestine that Dar al-Kalima University is equipping. Upon graduation, Jude plans to continue her education at DAK through a Master’s degree in Cultural Management. She aspires to help shape Palestine’s growth in sustainable tourism, possibly by securing a position at the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism.

Do you See the Hope in students like Jude? If so, please take a moment to give a gift to Bright Stars of Bethlehem today, and Be the Hope for the next generation of creative leaders in Palestine.

Your gifts help DAK students like Jude, facing daily exasperation in the face of the occupation, to reach the stars and realize their dreams of changing their world through arts and culture.