We’re excited to partner with USAID/ASHA, the Dar al-Kalima Friendship Association in Germany, and you to build the Center and empower the next generation of creative leaders in Palestine. This two-year construction project was originally estimated to cost $1.65 million. Now, two years after the initial proposal, as a genocide takes place, the cost of materials has increased by 30% over the previous estimate bringing the new cost to $2.1 million.
- 10,000 square foot facility powered by green energy
- Educational kitchen with four spacious cooking stations
- Training restaurant to provide students firsthand experience in the hospitality industry
- Restaurant with a 360-degree view of the Holy Land from one of the highest points in Bethlehem, making the Center a landmark in the city and Palestine
- Critical expansion of DAK’s curriculum and an amplification of partnerships within the hospitality/ tourism private sector
Tourism is one of the primary industries in Palestine, and the Bethlehem region accounts for 70% of that business. The HEC will equip our DAK culinary arts graduates with the skills and competencies needed to play a much larger part in that arena—through employment at one of the twelve hotels and seven restaurants with which DAK has forged partnerships. The HEC promises to stand out as a must-have dining experience overlooking all of Bethlehem with its 365-degree glass dome and state-of-the-art kitchens.
Your generous contributions will prepare Palestinian students for economic stability for themselves and their community, now and in the future, by giving at one of the donation levels below. Would you consider a gift to Bright Stars of Bethlehem to support this exciting project? Join us and BE THE HOPE for the next generation of creative leaders in Palestine.
“We have a lot of restaurants these days, but they need chefs and waiters. When we opened here, we had a lot of students who want to attend. You can find a talent in these students.”
– Chef Bassem, Dar al-Kalima University
