To Akko with love from Qatar

The surprise benefactor who donated NIS 7.5 ml to Akko's Ort high school? Dr. Abed Yashruti, advisor to the Qatari regime who studied there 74 years ago

Reuters | Published: 11.17.06, 11:12

A story ripped almost directly from the movie-of-the-week venue. An 89 year old doctor returns to the Akko high-school of his youth and donates almost USD 2 million for state of the art computer labs, resource center and assembly hall. But the plot gets even thicker when lady exposition reveals that the generous donation bestowed upon the Israeli school hails all the way from the Persian Gulf country of Qatar, courtesy of the Emir's Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani's wife.

Seventy-four years ago Abed Yashruti enrolled at the Hilmi Shafi school in Akko. He later moved to Lebanon and Scotland, finishing medical school and becoming a surgeon. He later moved to Qatar where he served as an advisor to the Qatari ministry of health. Some 12 years ago Dr. Yashruti came to visit Israel and was surprised to discover that his old school was still standing. He then donated USD 160,000 for the establishment of a computer lab for the school.

But the doctor wasn't quite done with his alma mater. Last week he came for a second visit, this time with USD 1,750,000 in his pocket for the establishment of a large resource center which will include an advanced library, new computer lab and assembly hall. The school joined the Ort franchise which retained the original name of the school, now called the Hilmi Shafi Ort High School. The school firmly believes in projects that bring together Arab and Jewish students from throughout the Ort network of schools.

The surprise got even bigger when the origin of the money was revealed: The family of the Qatari Emir. As it turns out Dr. Yashruti has particularly warm ties with Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, one of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani's three wives who heads the Qatari Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

And so in a moving ceremony on Thursday Dr. Yashruti signed the donation agreement with Ort CEO Tzvika Peleg and Akko mayor Shimon Lankry. "I feel at home," said the doctor when asked how it felt to come back after so many years. "Visiting the school awakened feelings of longing, it made me want to do something for the students," he said, "I hope that the children of Akko enjoy the center and I really hope that I will be able to do more in the future."

Regarding the surprising contribution the doctor said: "The Emir's wife is an extraordinary woman of the finest caliber, she is committed to education."