Beit Emmaus

Beit Emmaus (“House of Emmaus”) is a nursing home for Palestinian women of both Christian and Muslim belief who are dependent on other people’s help because of their age or a handicap. 

The home is located in Qubeibe, a small Arabic village at 12 kilometres from Jerusalem. Like most of the other West Bank localities, Qubeibe increasingly suffers from the consequences of the construction of the Israeli “wall”. Besides the nursing home, the compound includes around 16 hectares of garden and a forested area.

In the course of its history, Beit Emmaus first served as a pilgrims guest house, later as recreation place. In 1973 it finally became a nursing home managed by German-speaking Salvatorian Sisters.

The Salvatorian Sisters

The Salvatorian Sisters are an international community of religious women established in 1888 by Maria von Wüllenweber and Franziskus Jordan whose aim is to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ.

The “Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Saviour” (as the Salvatorian Sisters are officially called) see their task in fostering man’s holistic salvation. The core aspects of their mission are the commitment to justice and life, especially for women, the service of man’s faith and the promotion of interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

The “Emmaus Community”

The community at Beit Emmaus consists of six religious women, a head nurse and a group of (mostly German-speaking) volunteers. The communal life includes shared meals and recreational activities as well as excursions and feasts. Every member of the community is at liberty to take part in these activities as well as in the daily prayer and spiritual gatherings.