Remembering long-time IPMN Member, Dr. Nahida Halaby Gordon

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of our dear friend, Dr. Nahida Halaby Gordon, on Friday, June 21st. Amid life's tensions, Nahida's life was a testament to faith. Firmly grounded in reality, she tenaciously held onto possibility. Her commitment to Palestinian rights and unwavering dedication to peace make her a truly inspirational figure.

Nahida's life work embodies the resilience of the Palestinian people. Her ability to maintain hope for peace and justice, even after decades of conflict and exile, was truly remarkable. She advocated for a future where Palestinians and Israelis could live side by side in peace, drawing on her memories of a time when such coexistence was a reality. Her roles in various organizations, including the Israel Palestine Mission Network, demonstrate her commitment to fostering understanding and working towards a just resolution to the conflict. Her book, Palestine is Our Home: Voices of Loss, Courage, and Steadfastness, is a powerful testament to her dedication to preserving Palestinian narratives and fostering dialogue.

Born in Jerusalem in 1939, Nahida's journey from a young girl in Jaffa to a respected academic and passionate advocate for Palestinian rights is a testament to her resilience and dedication. Both joy and turmoil marked Nahida's childhood in Palestine. She fondly remembered the multicultural tapestry of Jaffa, where Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived side by side. However, the rising tensions of the  1940s cast a shadow over her early years. In April 1948, at the age of nine, Nahida and her family were forced to flee their home in Jaffa, becoming part of the Palestinian diaspora.

Nahida's passion for her homeland never waned. She dedicated much of her life to advocating for peace and justice in Palestine. As a Palestinian-American, she was a beacon of hope for the marginalized voice of Palestinians in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN), and the interfaith community. Her lived experience, distinguished academic career as a professor of Probability and Statistics at Case Western Reserve University, and deep connection to her family and church were interwoven with her mission for justice and peace.

Serving on various committees, including the Education Committee of IPMN and Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns of the PC(USA) (now the Racial Equity Advocacy Committee), Nahida contributed to educational materials and participated in groundbreaking events such as the first-ever live-streamed symposium on "Theology and the Land" at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, KY. She consistently shepherded IPMN overtures through Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wooster, Ohio—the Congregation in Residence at The College of Wooster—to the General Assembly, persisting with the apartheid overture for 12 years until its approval in 2022. Her final legacy includes an overture on "Confessing Our Complicity in Christian Zionism" considered in June 2024.

Nahida frequently asked, "Where are the Palestinians who should be at the table when actions or policies that impact them are being discussed or made?" Her unique perspective as a Christian Palestinian-American woman offered nuanced insights on issues perceived as complex. Nahida engaged in dialogue with groups that wanted peace without justice and centered Palestinian liberation at various levels in the church. Her willingness to share her personal story with authenticity, vulnerability, and persistence humanized and put a face to the Palestinian experience. Nahida will always be remembered with her loving and supportive husband, Donald, by her side, who admired and sustained her throughout her impactful journey.

As we mourn Nahida's passing and celebrate her life and legacy, her memories of her beloved homeland comfort and inspire us: "The first time I heard the sad toll of Jerusalem's church bells on Good Friday, I was puzzled, but then the look on my grandmother's face told me that this was a very solemn occasion indeed. Someone close and beloved to my grandmother had died. It was the day of the Funeral Mass for Jesus in many Jerusalem churches. But on Sunday, the glorious toll of the church bells rang out in celebration of the Resurrection and of life." For Nahida, this abundance of life that flowed from the Resurrection inspired her to help bring justice to Palestine/Israel. For her, it was not a justice where one party or the other triumphs, but a justice built upon truth-telling, repentance, and forgiveness.

Nahida’s unwavering commitment to peace and justice provides a beacon of hope and a call to action. Amid the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and the escalation of the occupation and violence against Palestinians living in the West Bank, we must continue the vital work she so passionately pursued throughout her life by advocating for a just peace in Palestine/Israel, now more urgent than ever in the face of ongoing genocide.

Written by the Rev. Andries Coetzee, Interim Pastor at the Presbyterian United Church of Christ in Saratoga Springs, NY. Andries, a personal friend of Nahida, was previously the pastor at Nahida's home church, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wooster, OH, and served with her on the IPMN steering committee.