Hope.

Shlama l'Kulkhon,

I would like to congratulate The Church of the East - Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, for the momentous occasion of building the first primary school in centuries that instructs in the Aramaic language. The foundation stone of Mar Hormizd primary school was laid on Aug. 20 of 2000. Today, the school is fully operational and our children are now studying in their own Aramaic language.

By 2007 Mar Hormizd Primary School will admit as many as 364 students in grades Kindergarten through Six. The school curriculum will include Aramaic language in addition to the regular materials required by local school boards.

The Diocese of Australia and New Zealand is overseen by His Grace, Bishop Mar Melis Zaia, of the Church of the East.

Congratulations to all and a job well done! Today I have hope that the Aramaic language will live on as a spoken language for another 4,000 years!

Fk^rwbw 0ml4

Peshitta.org

In reply to message #0
 
Akhi,

This is certainly something to celebrate!

!Ma'abruk!

Are there plans for other schools in North America?

Is this part of the Church of the East or a school built by the Assyrian community at large?

Is this part of the Seminary opening you mentioned earlier?

-Dean

In reply to message #1
 
Shlama Akhi Dean!

>This is certainly something to celebrate!

Absolutely - the first school in centuries ever since the church was decimated in Asia by Tamerlane and his Mongol hordes.

>Are there plans for other schools
>in North America?

I hope so. The traditional model for the Church of the East - and this had been true throughout it's long history, was that one of a bishop's primary roles was that of an educator with several schools - both monastic and "secular", within his jurisdiction.

Hopefully our bishops here in the States will take Mar Zaya's successful example and run with it.

>Is this part of the Church
>of the East or a
>school built by the Assyrian
>community at large?

It's strictly a school built and administered by the diocese of Australia and New Zealand - of the Church of the East.

What's exiciting here is that the curriculum will be taught completely in the Aramaic language. It's not going to be in English - yet it's fully accredited by the Australian government educational authority. This is the exciting part - Aramaic, through this effort and those like it - will hopefully continue as a spoken language.

>Is this part of the Seminary
>opening you mentioned earlier?

Well, the Seminary is the next big step. After the majority of our population in the Church of the East switched to Catholicism in the 1600's and formed the Chaldean Catholic Church, all of our monasteries and seminaries were taken by the Chaldean Church and the ancient Church of the East was left with nothing as far as Seminaries and Monasteries.

This Seminary will be the first one in almost 400 years to be owned and admistered completely by the ancient Church of the East.

Today, our clergy are seeking education and are typically sent to the Vatican for their training. This, of course, has it's drawbacks since the schools in the Vatican are not of our same tradition and there are a number of theological and liturgical differences between the two traditions.

With the final plans underway for a Church of the East seminary in Northbrook, Illinois - we can then have a place where our priests, deacons and bishops are trained in their own theology, traditions and in their own liturgical language.

Fk^rwbw 0ml4

Peshitta.org

In reply to message #2
 
Akhi Paul,

>What's exiciting here is that the
>curriculum will be taught completely
>in the Aramaic language.
>It's not going to be
>in English - yet it's
>fully accredited by the Australian
>government educational authority. This
>is the exciting part -
>Aramaic, through this effort and
>those like it - will
>hopefully continue as a spoken
>language.

So I guess non-native speakers would'nt really be able to send thier kids there, huh?

Too bad there isnt an english/aramaic version of the school out here in southern California. As you know our son Daniel starts kindergarden this fall and I'm not sure where to send him? Any suggestions?

-Dean

In reply to message #3
 
� Last edited by Paul Younan on Feb-07-2002 at 01:02 PM (CT)

Shlama Akhi Dean!

I suppose it will be much like a Roman Catholic school - I'm sure anyone can attend and there will be some English, since the kids must learn that as part of their education in Australia.

As for Southern California and Illinois - our bishops apparently aren't so forward-looking, or maybe the funding is just not there yet. I wish it would happen, too - since Kaylen will start school in 4 years - it would be nice.

I went to a regular secular school for all other accredited stuff - but my parents shipped me off to the church on Khad b'Shabba to learn to read and write this language. Maybe I'll do that with Kaylen too.

Hopefully she won't slack off as much as I did.

Fk^rwbw 0ml4

Peshitta.org