Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
Nihad Abu Gharbiyeh (1913 - April 26, 2009) is a Palestinian educator. He is considered one of the most prominent figures in Palestinian education in the twentieth century. He founded the Ibrahimi College in Jerusalem in 1945.
His life
Nihad Alian Abdel Aziz Alian Abu Gharbiyeh was born in the city of Jerusalem in 1913 to a family whose origins go back to the city of Hebron. He studied in the city of Hebron and the Ibrahimiyya School in Jerusalem. He finished his high school studies in 1929, and obtained a degree from the Arab College in 1931. He then worked as director of the Ibrahimiyyah School in Jerusalem from 1931 until 1945, and became its sole owner in 1935, where he developed it from a school to a College in 1945 and became its president.
He was a member of the Municipal Council of the city of Jerusalem from 1951 to 1967, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of London in the United Kingdom in 1955. He worked as director of the Arab Farms in 1966, and was a member of the Islamic Council from 1967 to 1973, and a member of the Muslim Youth Association from From 1967 to 1973, he was Chairman of the Private Schools Committee in Jerusalem from 1991 until his death, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the College of Science and Technology at Al-Quds University and the Vocational College affiliated with the Arab Orphan Committee. He was also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ibrahimi College from 1983 until his death.
He was also seconded by the Jordanian government to work with the Red Cross to help refugees in the city of Jericho during the Nakba of 1948 until 1952, when he finished his work with the Red Cross and returned to his work at the Ibrahimiyya College.
In 2002, Nihad allocated the “Wajdi Nihad Abu Gharbiyya Award” for literary creativity, which is an annual award for literary creativity among students in Jerusalem secondary schools. It is named after his son, Wajdi, who died in 1999 at the age of 38 years.
His death
He died on April 26, 2009 AD, corresponding to Jumada al-Awwal 2, 1430 AH, at the age of 96 years. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas mourned him: “We received with great regret and emotion the news of the death of the deceased, who devoted his life to serving his country and its people. He was one of the first pioneers of education. Many generations graduated from his hands in Palestine in general and Holy Jerusalem in particular.” The education and higher education family and the deans of colleges and higher institutes in Palestine also mourned him, describing him as “the dean of men of education and higher education in Palestine.”
In 2010, the Ibrahimi College launched “The Late Nihad Abu Gharbiyeh Football Championship.”
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Achievements and Awards
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