The Boarding Section … A Story of Continuous Giving

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever strokes the head of an orphan, doing so only for the sake of Allah, will have good deeds for every hair his hand passes over. And whoever treats a male or female orphan under his care kindly, I and he will be in Paradise like these two,” and he pointed with his index and middle fingers.”

Since 1967, the Arab Institute has begun fulfilling its educational and humanitarian mission through the establishment of a boarding section dedicated to housing orphans and those deprived of family care. This section was designed to be more than just a shelter—it is an integrated educational environment that makes the child feel belonging and safety, and it was equipped to accommodate about 100 students.

Equipped with individual beds and private lockers, reading halls, and recreational activity rooms, in addition to playgrounds and open spaces that help with physical and psychological growth.

At that time, this pioneering role of the Institute represented a genuine response to an urgent need in Palestinian society, especially after the setback of 1967 and the accompanying wide displacement and loss of many families’ breadwinners.

The Arab Institute was one of the first institutions in Jerusalem to rush to provide comprehensive care for orphaned children, thus filling a serious social gap and contributing to protecting this group from homelessness and drifting into paths of loss, while providing them with opportunities for education and growth in a nurturing environment that preserves their dignity and refines their personalities so that they become active members of their society.