P romote a better understanding of the Bethlehem area and its people with outreach projects to the larger community . It is chartered in the State of Pennsylvania, as a nonprofit , charitable and cultural corporation with a constitution and bylaws. It is a membership organization primarily for people whose family origin is from Ephrata, the area of Palestine that includes Bethlehem , and the adjoining towns of Beit Sahur and Beit Jala . It has no religious affiliation. Other friends of Bethlehem are also welcome to join.
Donations are tax deductible .
Most of its few thousand members live in the U.S., although there are sizeable groups in Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil, Chile and the rest of the world. Historically, more Bethlehemites emigrated to central and south America than to the U.S. Social activities such as banquets, dinners, and picnics keep local communities and chapters in touch with each other. The annual convention has been very successful in bringing together hundreds of members from all over the world. Past convention locales include Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, San Diego, Miami, Monterrey - Mexico, Atlantic City, Chicago and Washington. The Association has raised thousands of dollars to help people of the Bethlehem region through established charities and Bethlehem University scholarships.