Father George Makhlouf, a retired Antiochian priest born in West Jerusalem prior to the Nakba in 1948 when over 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from Palestine, speaks to a crowd of protesters gathered in downtown Atlanta to protest Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza

Remembering Father George Makhlouf, Nakba survivor and Antiochian priest who lived in Duluth

Father George Makhlouf, born in Jerusalem in 1943, was a retired Antiochian priest who survived the Nakba in Palestine and lived in Duluth, Georgia. Makhlouf passed away yesterday, Dec. 21. 

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Obituaries
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December 22, 2024
Father George Makhlouf, a retired Antiochian priest born in West Jerusalem prior to the Nakba in 1948 when over 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from Palestine, speaks to a crowd of protesters gathered in downtown Atlanta to protest Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza (John Arthur Brown).

Father George Makhlouf, born in Jerusalem in 1943, was a retired Antiochian priest who survived the Nakba in Palestine and lived in Duluth, Georgia. Makhlouf passed away yesterday, Dec. 21. 

Father Makhlouf’s life was deeply intertwined with the history of his homeland. He was ordained an Eastern Orthodox priest in Jerusalem in 1985. He led the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church in Atlanta.

Father George Makhlouf, dressed in a black clergy outfit, stands at a podium speaking passionately to a crowd.
Father George Makhlouf, a Nakba survivor, speaks to an audience, detailing what he experienced during the Nakba at “76 Years and Counting”, an event that commemorated the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, which happened in May of 1948, when over 700,000 native Palestinians were forcibly displaced during the establishment of the State of Israel.

After the events of October 7, 2023 in Palestine, he attended several events throughout Atlanta and spoke about the Zionist occupation of Palestine.

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Father George Makhlouf holds a Palestinian flag as a group of protesters gather outside of the Israeli Consulate building in Atlanta.
Father George Makhlouf holds a Palestinian flag as a group of protesters gather outside of the Israeli Consulate building in Atlanta. Among their concerns, is the onging occupation of Palestinian territories such as Sheikh Jarrah, Al-Khalil, and Al-Naqab, by Israeli occupation authorities, the displacement of Palestinian families from their homes, and environmental issues.

“I shipped my body to the U.S., but there was no room for my soul, heart, and mind in my luggage. I left them in Palestine, where they belong and will stay forever. These I had to leave back home, but other things I needed so much I insisted on bringing them with me: my legacy, my love for my country, my commitment to its cause, nostalgia and good memories of my life in Palestine.”

-From Father George Makhlouf’s essay “No room in my luggage” in the book Being Palestinian.

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Author
John Arthur Brown

John Arthur Brown is a freelance photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He sees street photography as his roots. Brown took his first international trip to photograph Peru in 2018. Since then, he has gone on assignment with PWB and Honduras Child Alliance, a space focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through free education.  When not travelling or wandering in the name of photography, Brown spends his time dabbling in poetry and playing the drums.

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