ABC's of Shevet Achim

Notes from a humanitarian medical worker in the Middle East. Saving lives and bringing peace and reconciliation, one heart surgery at a time.

Between 2010 and 2014, I worked in the Middle East with a humanitarian medical NGO called Shevet Achim, a Christian organization whose name means “Brothers Dwelling in Unity” and is taken from the Hebrew translation of Psalm 133. Each year, more than one million children worldwide are born with some type of heart defect. Since 1994, Shevet Achim has brought children from Gaza, the West Bank, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, and Syria to world-renowned hospitals in Israel for life-saving heart surgery. In the “land of their enemy”, these dying children are given a second chance at life.

The children and their families are Muslim, Yazidi, and Christian. The medical staff are Jewish, Christian, and Muslim. Shevet Achim staff and volunteers come from many countries, and are Christians and Jews. There is one common goal: to save the lives of dying children.

During the course of their treatment, Shevet Achim staff and volunteers assist with paperwork and permits to bring them to Israel, support them in the hospital through the course of testing, surgery, and recovery, take photos and write blogs and newsletters about their journey, and live alongside them and care for them in Shevet Achim’s facility outside of the hospital.

During my time working with Shevet Achim, I held babies from Gaza, prayed in English and Arabic alongside Syrian and Gazan mothers, shared meals and living space with people from a dozen different countries, baked cookies with mothers and children from Iraq, danced in the streets of Jerusalem with an elderly Jewish man and two Iraqi Muslim children, laughed and rejoiced, cried and mourned, and loved.

This “alphabet” is a glimpse into life with Shevet Achim.

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A is for Ameliyah, “surgery” in Kurdish, surgery that restores broken hearts and brings new life.

B is for the Beach in Tel Aviv, with its warm sand and crashing ocean waves, a wondrous sight that families from the mountains of Kurdistan have never seen.

C is for Candy, a sweet treat to dry tears and dispel fears.

D is for Doctor, the skilled magicians who work magic with knowledge and equipment to heal broken hearts.

E is for Echocardiogram ("echo"), pictures of the heart.

F is for Faith, prayers to Jesus and HaShem and Allah, in English, Hebrew, Arabic, and Kurdish.

G is for Games, played together with friends.

H is for the Hospital, where hope and healing are found.

I is for Ice Cream, shared on a park bench on a sunny day.

J is for Jerusalem, the city where Jesus walked, and where 3 religions meet.

K is for Kurdistan, a land of mountains, ancient cities, tragic history, and the place that these families call home.

L is for Lion, the Lion of Judah mosaic statue in the Old City of Jerusalem.

M is for Mothers, the women with beautiful spirits, wonderful hearts, and a fierce love for their children.

N is for Naptime; several children and a volunteer dozing together in a hammock in the warm afternoon sunshine.

O is for the Old City of Jerusalem, a place of cobblestone streets, ancient architecture, and beauty.

P is for Pita, delicious warm flatbread fresh from the oven.

Q is for Quilts, colorful handmade gifts from grandmothers in America.

R is for Running, children leaping and playing, their bodies healed and alive with new energy.

S is for Scar, a neat line down the center of the chest after surgery, a battle wound and a mark of courage.

T is for Table, a wooden table in the kitchen, where families from Kurdistan and Shevet Achim staff from many nations gather to share meals.

U is for Unity. The words of Psalm 133: Shevet Achim (Brothers Dwelling in Unity). Christians, Jews, and Muslims, dwelling together under one roof, living in peace.

V is for Vessels, delicate and intricate structures in the heart.

W is for Waiting, the time spent pacing hospital floors and waiting anxiously for news.

X is for X-ray.

Y is for Yofi, “beautiful” in Hebrew. Beautiful hearts, beautiful people, beautiful peace.

Z is for Zor Spas, “Thank you very much” in Kurdish. Families and children, grateful for their healthy hearts and new lives.

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