About us

  • About us

About us

Fundacja Światło Wschodu (The Light of the East Foundation) was established to promote the Christian heritage of the Middle East through video, music, events, and books.

The foundation is based in Poland and was established by Sylwia and Yousef Hazboun, a Polish-Palestinian couple. In 2016, they launched the blog “Today in Bethlehem,” which soon became a hub for a community of people eager to learn about the Holy Land and the history of Christians in an inspiring way—through music, video, books, and in-person gatherings.

In 2023, Sylwia and Yousef established a foundation whose mission is to expand knowledge about Christianity in the Middle East and to spread awareness about building just peace.

The foundation’s name refers to St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter titled Orientale Lumen—Light of the East. In this letter, he invites Christians living in the Christian West to rediscover the roots of their faith in the Middle East.

  • Our activities

Our activities

  • Publication of a book about the life of Christians in Bethlehem (planned for September)
  • One podcast episode per month
  • Concerts and meetings in Polish parishes and communities
  • Regular newsletter distribution
  • Production of 16 podcast episodes
  • Translation of the film “Patriarch of the Nation” into Polish
  • Translation and release of the Christmas carol “O Sleeping Child” from Arabic into Polish
  • Visit to Palestine, production of an Easter vlog, and celebration of the Mass for the Foundation’s Patrons at the Grotto of the Nativity
  • Visits to 10 Polish parishes and communities featuring testimonies, concerts, and musical gatherings inspired by the Holy Land
  • Purchase of a new camera, lens, and audio equipment, enabling musical gatherings in locations without their own sound systems
  • Rebranding of the Foundation from Al-Kalima to Światło Wschodu (Light of the East), including the creation of a new logo
  • Publication of blog posts and social media content about Christians in the Middle East
  • Completion of the first draft of a book on the life of Christians in Bethlehem
  • Participation in the TVP peace concert “No One Can Save Themselves”
  • Concerts in various locations across Poland
  • Publication of the book “Blood Brothers”
  • Premiere of the radio drama adaptation of the historical story “The Scent of Myrrh”
  • Premiere of the song “Night in the Basilica”
  • Continuation of the podcast
  • Ongoing communication with supporters through the “Letters from Bethlehem” mailing list
  • Publication of content on the blog and social media channels
  • Release of the song “I Am His,” inspired by the Song of Songs and accompanied by a music video filmed in Bethlehem
  • Launch of the podcast
  • Translation of the book “Blood Brothers” into Polish
  • Distribution of newsletters featuring news and stories from the Holy Land
  • Visits to Polish parishes and communities featuring concerts and testimonies
  • FAQ

FAQ

Sylwia and Yousef Hazboun – Polish-Palestinian couple, married since 2018.

We are Catholics. We come from mixed Catholic-Protestant and Catholic-Orthodox families. So we respect all traditions.

We aim to inspire Polish audiences to explore the Middle Eastern roots of the Christian faith and to learn about the history and current situation of Christians in the region. In addition, we promote a just peace and raise awareness about how Poles can support peacebuilding around the world.

We create inspiring content:

  • videos and podcasts
  • music
  • books
  • newsletter

We visit Polish parishes and communities where we organise concerts and meetings.

You can donate to the below bank accounts:

  • EUR – IBAN:
    PL49 1600 1462 1733 7262 2000 0004
  • USD – IBAN:
    PL22 1600 1462 1733 7262 2000 0005

Swift code: PPABPLPKXXX

We contribute to building just peace and address root causes of the ongoing conflicts through advocacy (events, books, podcasts etc).

We import olive wood handicrafts from Bethlehem artisans.

We do not run direct humanitarian projects.

Currently we only create content in Polish.