Divine Mother with the Doorkeeper of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Wajeeh Y. Nuseibeh. More than 800 years ago, two Muslim families were assigned the responsibility of the opening and closing of the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — the Nuseibeh family as the doorkeepers and the Joudeh family as the key keepers. Their roles as neutral guardians of the church amongst multiple Christian denominations are symbolic of interfaith peace, respect, and cooperation. Mr. Wajeeh Nuseibeh, current custodian and doorkeeper of the Nuseibeh family, shared about the history and significance of his family’s role.

Divine Mother with the Doorkeeper of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Wajeeh Y. Nuseibeh. More than 800 years ago, two Muslim families were assigned the responsibility of the opening and closing of the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — the Nuseibeh family as the doorkeepers and the Joudeh family as the key keepers. Their roles as neutral guardians of the church amongst multiple Christian denominations are symbolic of interfaith peace, respect, and cooperation. Mr. Wajeeh Nuseibeh, current custodian and doorkeeper of the Nuseibeh family, shared about the history and significance of his family’s role.