“Heavily bombed” is not something you expect to hear about a town. But it is true for Kfarshima. We are standing in a town southeast of Beirut, part of Greater Beirut. Kfarshima suffered greatly during the Lebanese Civil War.
Kfarshima is a town of Lebanese Christians. Melkite Greek Catholics and Maronites are the main groups here. Smaller communities of Greek Orthodox and Protestant Evangelical Christians also call Kfarshima home.
The town sits at an altitude of 110 meters. It is about 12 km from Beirut. Kfarshima covers 283 hectares.
Kfarshima boasts seven churches. The Greek Orthodox church is named St. Peter and Paul. You can find it in Al-Mahatta.
Three Maronite churches also exist. One is St. Elias in Balouh. Another is New Lady of the Rosary in Sahet-al-Ain. The third is Old Lady of the Rosary in Ain-al-Rouhban.
The Evangelical Church is in Haret-al-Majjadin. The St. Takla Church serves the Catholics. It is in Sahet-al-Ain. Finally, St. Antoine Church also known as Deir Al Karkafi sits in Haret-al-Deir.
Kfarshima has produced many famous people. Philemon Wehbi a composer, musician and singer was born here. So were Halim el-Roumi and Melhem Barakat also singers. Marie Sleiman and Majida El Roumi are also singers from here. The philosopher Shibli Shumayyil was born in Kfarshima. Issam Rajji a Lebanese singer also called Kfarshima home.
In 2023, Amir Hlayyil from Kfarshima translated James Joyce’s Ulysses into Lebanese. It was published in Göttingen in 2024.
Many schools serve the community. These include Eastwood College and Lycée Adonis. Others are École Saint Maxime and École Notre Dame Des Soeurs Antonine. Kfarshima also has official middle and high schools plus the National Protestant College.
The town has seen much. It has produced many talented people. Kfarshima remains a vibrant part of Greater Beirut. It holds a special place in Lebanon’s cultural landscape. The catholiques kfarchima cemetery is only one of the many places to pay tribute to this town’s rich history.