The Only Catholic University in the Holy Land
In 1964, Pope Paul VI visited the Holy Land. In his desire to support the Palestinian people, Bethlehem University was established in 1973 as a joint venture between the Vatican and the De La Salle (Christian) Brothers. From humble beginnings with just three Brothers, a small group of Palestinian educators, and 112 students, Bethlehem University became the first registered university in Palestine. 23,000 men and women have graduated from Bethlehem University since its founding, and today it remains the only Catholic University in the Holy Land.
Bethlehem University provides modern and effective learning resources to enable all staff and students to pursue their academic activities in accordance with its vision, mission, and values. The University intentionally fosters interfaith knowledge and exploration, giving students inter-faith competency and building their capacity to respect all life. Thirty-nine percent of undergraduate students study Nursing and Health Sciences, 19% Business Administration, and 17% The Arts (Arabic Language and Literature, English Language and Literature, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Religious Studies).
Join Our Mission
Bethlehem University Foundation is the U.S. philanthropic partner of Bethlehem University in the Holy Land. As an independent 501(c)(3), the Foundation mobilizes charitable support, stewards endowment and annual gifts, and provides grants that sustain the University’s mission and its students.
We invite you to be part of this mission.
Through your generosity, you can help open pathways to education for Palestinian students, strengthen Bethlehem University for the future, and invest in young men and women who will serve their families, communities, and the Holy Land.
Whether through an annual gift, a major gift, an endowment, or a legacy commitment, your support helps ensure that Bethlehem University can continue to educate, form, and prepare new generations for lives of leadership and service.
Together, we can help ensure that opportunity endures, and that Bethlehem University remains a place where young people can build a future.
EIN: 22-3600739
Support Our Students
Say Yes to What Comes Next
Ghassan’s Summer in DC
This summer, a Bethlehem University student spent a month at Georgetown University and came home more determined to build his future in Bethlehem. Palestinian students are finding a way to keep learning and serving. Your gift supports the education, resources, and opportunities that keep them moving forward.
Today, Palestinian students face growing challenges to continuing their education—and they need your support to keep opportunity within reach.
Walk with Them. Month After Month.
Become a member of the Shepherd’s Circle for convenient and secure monthly giving that provides reliable support to help young Palestinians continue their education and build brighter futures.
Just $1 a day—$30 a month—can make a meaningful difference.
2026 Fall Reception in Washington, D.C.
The Future of the Holy Land Is Being Shaped Today
Join us for an inspiring evening celebrating the achievements of students in the Holy Land and the community of partners united by a shared belief in their promise, potential, and future.
Thursday, November 19, 2026
Apostolic Nunciature in the United States of America
Washington, DC
Together we prepare the next generation for lives of leadership, service, and purpose.
For Parishes and Communities
To remain in Christ is not simply to believe; it is to be in relationship, staying present to one another, especially in times of difficulty. It is to accompany our brothers and sisters as Jesus accompanies us.
Our Ask is Simple
Can your parish commit to supporting One student for the coming year?
To do so is more than an act of generosity.
It is an act of solidarity.
The cost of a student’s education is $4,000 annually. By choosing to remain with a student in a moment when they might otherwise be forced to step away, you are ensuring that the Church’s presence continues in the Holy Land, not only in sacred places, but in the lives of young people preparing to lead, serve their communities, and build a hopeful future.
In the News
From the Archives
November 6, 2026
When Bethlehem University Held Secret Classes in Movie Theaters In the back of a movie theater, a Bethlehem University faculty member taught five students while a film played. Classes like this one met again and again between 1987 and 1990, through the first intifada. Bethlehem University was the first university to be closed, by a…
Knights and Dames of the EOHSJ Visit Bethlehem University
October 26, 2026
Meeting with Student Ambassadors On October 26, a delegation from the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in North America visited Bethlehem University: His Excellency P. Thomas Pogge, Vice Governor General of Honor; Dame Anne Pogge; Dame Angeles Borrego, Financial Administrator for North America; and Father Dan Kampschneider, the delegation’s spiritual guide. They…
Help the Teddy Bear
October 13, 2026
Nursing Students Build a “Skills City” for 40 Children On Tuesday, October 13, twelve nursing students from Bethlehem University’s Tarek Juffali Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences arrived at Al-Amal Center and School in Al-Ubeidiya to build a city. The Skills City had about 40 residents, children between the ages of 4 and 18 from…
New Chancellor Archbishop Lingua to Bethlehem University Students
October 9, 2026
Seek the Truth Archbishop Giorgio Lingua, Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine and Chancellor of Bethlehem University, led the Mass of the Holy Spirit on his first official visit since Pope Leo XIV appointed him to both roles. “Seeking truth is what constitutes the very essence of the university,” he told students, urging them not…
Finding a Way Under Occupation
October 9, 2026
Bethlehem University’s Faculty on Education in Palestine A community breast-cancer awareness session was a classroom assignment for Bethlehem University midwifery students: a practice in outreach, communication, and clinical judgment. Four women who attended were referred for early detection. That outcome is one moment inside a much larger feature in This Week in Palestine, “When Education…
“You Will Make It”
October 9, 2026
Suhair Mohammad Ali, Bethlehem University Class of 2024 and Georgetown University graduate student, on why she crossed a checkpoint about ten times a week for four years, and what was waiting on the other side. I chose to cross the checkpoint for four years, around ten times a week. I had spent a year studying…
Bethlehem University FAQs
Do you have questions about BU? Can you spot it on a map? Do you wonder how the occupation impacts students, faculty, and staff.
These answers and more are found on our FAQ page. Learn More . . .
Join our mission!
Sign up to receive our newsletter and stay informed about our work.
“You can perform miracles by touching the hearts of those entrusted to your care”