Soad Nissan... A Teacher Who Shaped Generations and Carried Her Mission from the Homeland to Exile

 Soad Nissan... A Teacher Who Shaped Generations and Carried Her Mission from the Homeland to Exile

​Prepared by : Milad Korkis 

Project Supervision : Memora 360 - English  

​The esteemed teacher Soad Nissan was born in the city of Derik (Al Malikiyah). She grew up in an environment characterized by love, familiarity, and simplicity, where genuine human relationships formed the foundation of daily life.

That environment left a deep mark on her character development; she grew up holding the values of respect, work, and faith in the importance of education, values that accompanied her throughout her entire life.

​She began her educational journey at Al Suryan Syrian Orthodox School in Derik, where she studied until the fifth grade before the school closed its doors. She then moved to Sekineh Bint Al Hussein School, where she completed her primary, middle, and secondary education.

​In an era when obtaining a university degree, especially for the sons and daughters of Derik, was considered an exceptional achievement, she decided to pursue her academic path with determination.

She enrolled at Damascus University and chose to study history, driven by her belief that understanding the history of peoples and civilizations helps one understand the present and build the future. She achieved this milestone after years of perseverance and diligence, becoming part of a generation that believed education is the true path to progress.

​Soad Nissan speaks of that stage with deep gratitude, emphasizing that credit after God goes to her parents, who were her true support. Their backing was both moral and practical; they encouraged her to pursue her education at a time when educational resources were limited and a shortage of specialized teachers forced students to rely on themselves and their families to keep up with their studies.

​She stresses that this family support was not confined to her school and university years, but accompanied her through various stages of her life, contributing to her self confidence and her ability to overcome later difficulties.

​She recalls her childhood and youth as a beautiful period marked by simplicity, when life was not as complex as it is today. Her gatherings with friends revolved around warm conversations, cultural questions, intellectual competitions, and simple jokes that spread joy and created memories that remain firmly rooted in her mind.

​After graduating from Damascus University, her mission began in the field of education, a profession she never regarded as merely a job, but as a sacred human and moral mission.

She worked for five years as a teacher at Al Tali'a High School. There, her journey of building generations began as she passed knowledge on to them and instilled a love for learning and discipline.

​Among the events etched deep in her memory, as well as in the memories of many of her students to this day, is an incident that occurred just two months after her graduation.

Al Tali'a High School was visited by a high level educational delegation that included the Senior Educational Supervisor for History from Damascus University, four teachers from various Syrian governorates, and the Senior Educational Supervisor of Al Hasakah Governorate, with the goal of attending a model lesson and monitoring the educational process.

​Despite her short teaching experience, she was chosen to deliver that lesson. She remembers that moment with pride because she felt the trust of her colleagues and experienced the encouragement of her students. She succeeded in delivering an outstanding lesson, to the extent that a number of humanities students who attended that class still remember it many years later.

​Over time, and thanks to her competence and dedication, she was promoted to become the Principal of Al Tali'a High School. Later, she served as Assistant Principal at Youssef Al Azmeh High School, then Assistant Principal at Salim Hami Middle School, before becoming the Principal of Abdul Masih Ischou School. She was also a member of the local branch leadership (Schu'ba), contributing through these roles to the service of education and the local community.

​Her contributions were not limited to managing educational institutions; she left a clear footprint across various educational fields, contributing to the development of school operations, strengthening the relationship between school and family, and taking care of student and teacher affairs, making her presence extend far beyond the classroom into the wider community.

​She believed that education could not succeed without discipline and order; therefore, she was known for her firmness and seriousness within the school. However, she always emphasized that firmness did not mean cruelty, but rather genuine care for the student's best interest and future.

​Despite her well known firmness, many of her former students and their parents still remember her with love and respect. Over time, they realized that her strictness was merely an expression of her dedication to her profession and her desire for their success. Her educational approach remains alive in the memories of many as part of an educational phase that left a deep impact on their lives.

​She also remembers that era as a time when respect for the teacher was a firmly rooted value among most students and parents, and the relationship between school and family was built on cooperation and mutual respect, despite natural exceptions.

​In her teaching methodology, she relied on simple and clear explanations. She believed that a teacher's success is not measured by the amount of information delivered, but by the ability to convey it in a way the student easily understands.

​For this reason, she was always keen on simplifying the subject matter and connecting it to daily life, so much so that many female students understood and retained the material directly from classroom explanations without needing to rely entirely on traditional memorization. For her, deep understanding was the foundation of true learning, and knowledge built on comprehension leaves a lasting mark on the human mind.

​She considered teaching a sacred mission in every sense of the word. She never viewed it merely as a means of earning a living, but as a moral responsibility toward society. She firmly believed that the teacher is the cornerstone of building generations, as teachers prepare doctors, lawyers, engineers, judges, and members of all other professions, and that the revival of society begins in the school.

​However, life was not always easy. After the death of her husband, she found herself facing a major responsibility in raising her children and securing their future under difficult social and human circumstances that weighed heavily upon her. She viewed this responsibility as a sacred duty, bearing it with patience and faith, setting an example of motherhood, sacrifice, and devotion.

​She also spoke of her struggles during that period and her feeling of a lack of support she had hoped to find from some members of her late husband's family, in addition to family problems and conflicts that left painful marks on her life and her children's lives. Nevertheless, she chose to face these hardships with patience and dedicate her life to building her children's future rather than giving in to despair.

​To secure a better future for them, she made the decision to emigrate to Germany accompanied by her two children Shebla and Taghlat. The decision was not easy, but it stemmed from her belief that education is the greatest legacy a mother can offer her children, and that caring for their academic and human development is a sacred duty.

​This stage came at a time when her two children had very few memories of their father due to their young age when he passed away, making her their mother, father, and sole pillar of support all at once.

​In Germany, a new journey full of challenges began. Like many immigrants, she faced language barriers, a different society, and new living conditions. Yet she did not give up; instead, she studied the German language diligently and achieved very good results, which helped her integrate into her new society.

​Despite her integration, she preserved her Syriac Suryoyo identity and cultural heritage, believing that true integration does not mean abandoning one's roots. Therefore, she continued her service within the church, contributing to the education of younger generations through the church choir, continuing her educational mission beyond the school walls.

​Over the years, the fruits of those efforts became clearly visible. Her two children Shebla Nissan and Taghlat Nissan demonstrated great competence and diligence, completing their university studies and achieving academic and professional successes. In their success, she saw the greatest reward for years of patience and sacrifice, and proof that faith in education is never in vain.

​Soad Nissan believes that studying in Germany differs from what she knew during her years of work in Syria. She views the German educational system as more accessible in terms of homework and school assignments compared to what was required of students in Syrian schools, especially at the secondary level, attributing this to the different nature of curricula and school assignments, which were more intensive in Syrian schools.

​Despite the passage of time, the love for teaching remains alive in her heart. She still loves the profession, even if emigration, advancing age, and language challenges have made returning to the field of education more complex.

​When she speaks to today's students, she always emphasizes that time is like a sword, and whoever invests it wisely builds their own future. She calls on them to respect education and teachers, and to strive diligently in pursuit of knowledge, because building homelands begins with building the individual.

​She concludes her words with a prayer to the Lord, asking Him to grant everyone health, success, prosperity, and peace, and to bless the efforts of students, teachers, and all who seek to spread knowledge and serve humanity.

​The biography of Soad Nissan remains a testimony to an educational era in which teachers carried a mission that extended beyond the classroom walls, shaping human beings before imparting knowledge. She left her mark in the schools where she worked, in the hearts of her students, and within her family, remaining a model of a teacher who believed that education is the greatest legacy one can leave to future generations.

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​Personal Message

​To the esteemed teacher Soad Nissan...

​As I work on documenting these pages of your life within the Memora 360 project, I did not find merely the biography of a teacher before me, but an inspiring human story that combined faith in education, sacrifice, patience, responsibility, and love for humanity.

​You left an indelible mark on the schools of Derik, in the hearts of your students, and upon everyone who knew you. You managed to carry your mission from the homeland to exile without relinquishing your principles or your identity.

You also provided a model of a hardworking mother who placed her children's future above all else, so that their success became a natural extension of your long journey of giving.

​My sincere appreciation goes to your honorable family and to your two children Shebla Nissan and Taghlat Nissan, whose success serves as a living testimony to the effort and sacrifice you have devoted.

​I hope this biography remains a document that preserves for future generations the memory of a teacher who dedicated her life to serving education and humanity, and that it remains part of the memory of a homeland whose faithful children deserve to have their stories documented.

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