by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist (read the original in Noozhawk by clicking here)
Maria Khoury, a Palestinian Christian from the village of Taybeh in the West Bank, spoke to a group of 35 parishioners at All Saints By-the-Sea Episcopal Church on Thursday. Khoury’s visit to Montecito was part of All Saints’ annual Lenten Speaker Series.
Maria Khoury signed a few of her children’s books during her visit to All Saints By-the-Sea Episcopal Church. (Karen Telleen-Lawton photo)
Khoury shared her experience as a children’s book author and the challenges of being an Orthodox Christian in Palestine. A volunteer at St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Taybeh, she has worked tirelessly on behalf of education issues in Palestine. Among her accomplishments, she has helped train teachers, was the principal at Friends Boys School of Ramallah, was a consultant for the World Council of Churches and led the project to establish the International Academy of Art-Palestine.
She also serves on the Advisory Council of World Vision Jerusalem and the Taybeh Education Fund, which she founded as an endowment to help students with university tuition.
Born in Greece and raised in Denver, Khoury graduated from Hellenic College in Brookline, Mass., Harvard University and completed her doctorate in education at Boston University. She and her husband, Taybeh Mayor David Canaan Khoury, have three children.
Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist
Karen Telleen-Lawton is an eco-writer, sharing information and insights about economics and ecology, finances and the environment. Having recently retired from financial planning and advising, she spends more time exploring the outdoors — and reading and writing about it. The opinions expressed are her own.