Maria Khoury

Dr. Khoury lives in the Palestinian Village of Taybeh, near Ramallah, on the West Bank of the Jordan River. She has authored many articles dealing with the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the Palestinian struggle for independence and freedom. Her book, Witness in the Holy Land, is a reflection of life in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since the outbreak of the Second Palestinian Uprising in September 2000. She was selected one of the top four 2009 Human Rights Champions. She is married to David C. Khoury, co-founder of the first Palestinian microbrewery in the Middle East “Taybeh Beer,” and mayor of Taybeh. The Khourys returned to the family village of Taybeh following the Oslo Peace Agreement (1993) to boost the economy and raise their children with centuries‚ old Palestinian Christian values and traditions.

She is the mother of three adult children Elena, Canaan, Constantine and the author of nine children’s books. Her popular book, Christina Goes to the Holy Land, teaches young readers about the Christian presence in the land of Christ‚s holy birth, crucifixion and resurrection. She holds a Doctor of Education degree, Boston University (1993); Master of Liberal Arts, Harvard University (1985) and a Bachelor of Arts, Hellenic College (1982). She gave three years of her time to the Latin Patriarchate Schools in the Holy Land where she helped English teachers learn new methods in education and modern teaching strategies for the classroom. Due to the Israeli closures and siege (2000) it became impossible to reach the eleven schools.

Maria Khoury served as the only female principal at the Friends Boys School of Ramallah (1996) and worked closely with church leaders in Jerusalem as a consultant for the World Council of Churches (2004) and also headed the project to establish the International Academy of Art-Palestine (2007). She served seven years on the Advisory Council of World Vision Jerusalem and currently for the Taybeh Education Fund which she founded as an endowment helping students with university tuition in local colleges in Palestine; She has been a community volunteer in her husband’s home village of Taybeh especially working in the area of job creation, education and housing. Her community service began in 2000 at St. George Greek Orthodox Church to help fundraise for a vital housing project aimed at helping families obtain their first home on land donated by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate currently having built skeleton homes for 24 families to finish on their own.

Maria Khoury has organized seven successful village festivals in Palestine, Taybeh Oktoberfest initiated in 2005 boosting the local economy during 50% unemployment reflecting non-violent action and peaceful resistance developing into the most distinctive festival in Palestine celebrating cultural heritage and reflecting cultural resistance.

Taybeh Scene

View more on the village of Taybeh – www.taybehmunicipality.org
View more on the Greek Orthodox Community – www.saintgeorge.org

Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D.
Jawal 0599 318 347
orange 054 5 465 845
Taybeh Brewery (02) 289 8868