News

We are excited to launch our new series at Ramallah Friends School, where we will spotlight the achievements of our esteemed alumni and former students. Our first profile is of Mr. Basem Hishmeh, and we hope his story will inspire and motivate our current students and the entire RFS community. As a proud member of the RFS family, Mr. Hishmeh embodies the values and principles that we strive to instill in our students, and we are proud to share his journey with you.

Basem Hishmeh is a remarkable individual who has dedicated his life to positively impacting the world.
Born in Jerusalem and raised in Ramallah, Hishmeh immigrated to the United States at the age of 15,
where he excelled in his studies and later became the CEO and chairman of AERCO International Inc. But his impact
extends far beyond his professional achievements. Along with his wife, he established the "Muna and Basem Hishmeh Foundation" in 2007, which supports educational and cultural programs in the United
States and Palestine. Their charitable efforts have had a lasting impact on children and culture in both
countries and serve as a shining example of the power of philanthropy to create positive change.

Hishmeh's dedication to giving back to his community is matched only by his commitment to upholding
his reputation, which is of the utmost importance to him. This stemmed from an incident in his youth
when he was falsely accused of cheating by a teacher who refused to listen to his side of the story.
Despite being innocent, Hishmeh found it difficult to clear his name and restore his reputation with his
teacher. This experience taught him the value of honesty, integrity, and standing up for what is right,
and he has carried these values with him throughout his life and career.

While the incident may have been minor in scale, it carried a much larger and more enduring lesson.
This experience can teach us to be more mindful of the power of our words and actions and to always
strive to treat others with fairness, respect, and understanding. We grow and learn through such
lessons, and we are grateful for the opportunity to use this experience to become better and more
compassionate individuals.

We are incredibly proud of Basem Hishmeh as an attendee of the Ramallah Friends School. We are
honored to have been a part of his journey and to have had the opportunity to learn from his example.
We are also grateful for his continued support of Palestine, Palestinian children, and culture and art. His
philanthropic efforts will have a lasting impact on children and communities in both the United States
and Palestine and serve as a shining example of the power of education, hard work, and compassion to
create positive change in the world.

Thank you, Basem Hishmeh, for being a true inspiration and a leader in every sense of the word.