Beit Jala

Bait Dschala (Arabic بيت جالا, DMG Ǧālā Bait, Bait Dschālā standard Arabic, Palestinian- Arab Bēt Dschālā, also known as Beit Jala transcribed ) is a Palestinian city with nearly 12,000 majority Christian population. It lies on a hillside on average 758 m, 10 km south of Jerusalem, 2 km from Bethlehem, on the western side of the Hebronstraße. In Central and South America, more than 70,000 mainly Christian people live, their families Bait Dschala come.

Attractions

Bait Dschalas village is characterized by two mosques and six churches. The most important church is the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, the oldest Orthodox church also dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Education

As in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and other important places for Christians in the "Holy Land" are in Bait Dschala schools of several Christian denominations, including one founded in 1854, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and one in 1870 by the Russian Orthodox Church. 1936 the Seminary of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was moved to Bait Dschala. The Lutheran congregation Bait Dschala has close contacts with German communities. The in 1950, the Evangelical Lutheran Talitha Kumi school is operated by the Berlin Mission in cooperation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. 55 % of children Bait Dschalas attend private, 45 % public schools.

Health

At LifeGate rehabilitation, a rehabilitation center for disabled children and young people with around 25 employees, diakonia and Caritas are involved. Other health facilities in the resort are a clinic of the Arab Society for the rehabilitation and a public hospital with 113 beds.

Economy

The most important source of income is agriculture. 1400 ha of land are cultivated, mainly with olives and wine. Cremisan Cellars, in the Salesian Monastery Cremisan, is the largest winery in the area. The regional unemployment rate is officially around 25%.

Intifada

In the spotlight of international attention Bait Dschala moved during the second intifada, when Palestinian militants from autumn 2000 by Bait Dschala repeatedly bombarded civilian targets in the nearby Jewish settlement of Gilo in East Jerusalem. Israel responded with air strikes and to build a concrete wall around Gilo. In August 2010, the wall by the Israeli army was dismantled.

Barrier

According to the plans of the Israeli government, the barrier wall that separates the Palestinian territories by Israel, the women's and the men's monastery of Bait Dschala each other and the monks should be separated from the Christian community. Likewise, more than 50 families are cut off from their land.

Twinning

Bait Dschala maintains since 2011 twinned with Bergisch Gladbach and Jena in Germany.