02/02/2026
Remembering Dr. Raja Hawit: A Christ Centered Physician with a Mission of Compassion
Dear HOME family, beloved friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ,
Today we stand together with heavy hearts, yet with a deep and abiding hope, as we remember and give thanks for the life of Dr. Raja Hawit—our co-founding physician leader of HOME, longtime board member, and Director of the Washington, DC chapter for decades. For many years, Dr. Hawit also served as a deacon and elder at the Arabic Baptist Church of Washington, DC, where his wisdom, humility, and quiet strength shaped countless lives.
Dr. Hawit was born on December 1, 1938, in Jerusalem, a city marked by both suffering and hope. It was there that his life began—a life that would later reflect the compassion, endurance, and sacrificial love of Christ. He pursued his calling through medical training at the American University of Beirut, completed his pediatric residency at the University of Iowa, and went on to specialize in pediatric hematology at Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC. At only 29 years old, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Georgetown University, becoming the youngest physician to hold that position at the time—a reflection of both his brilliance and his dedication.
Yet titles and achievements were never what defined him most.
In 1973, compelled by a deep desire to serve, Dr. Hawit founded the Department of Pediatrics at Calvert Memorial Hospital. For 47 years, he cared for the children and families of Calvert County, Maryland. He watched generations grow. He reassured anxious parents. He carried the weight of fragile lives with gentleness and grace. To many, he was not just a physician—he was a source of comfort, stability, and trust during life’s most vulnerable moments.
Above all else, Dr. Hawit was a man who loved Christ—and who allowed that love to shape every part of his life. His favorite Scripture was not merely a verse he cherished, but a commandment he embodied daily:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34–35
Dr. Hawit lived this Christ-centered agape love fully and without reservation. He believed that medicine without a mission rooted in the compassionate heart of Christ is incomplete and powerless. His faith was not loud or performative—it was steady, generous, and deeply sincere. Through his kindness, his patience, and his servant leadership, he made Christ visible to those around him.
We in HOME were immeasurably blessed by his presence among us—by his encouragement, his wisdom, and his loving heart. He was our big brother, our most senior elder, and a Christ-like role model who showed us how physicians are called to serve the Great Physician. His life was a living testimony of faith expressed through action. Dr. Hawit was instrumental in starting the HOME ministry in the Holy Land including the West Bank and Gaza. Therefore, given his lifelong commitment to medical missions and the calling of HOME, the Board has unanimously decided to name our ministry in the Holy Land as the HOME Dr. Hawit Ministry.
Today, while we feel the ache of his absence, we are also comforted by a profound truth: Dr. Hawit is now where he longed to be. He has finished his race. He has gone home to the Savior he served so faithfully. And we can imagine the words spoken over him:
“Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Lord.” Matthew 25:21
As we entrust him into the loving arms of Christ, we do not say goodbye in despair, but in hope. His legacy will continue—for generations—through the lives he healed, the physicians he mentored, the mission he advanced, and the love he poured out so freely.
From the depths of our hearts, we say this with gratitude and reverence: we were truly privileged to walk this journey of faith and service alongside a man of God like Dr. Raja Hawit.
On behalf of the HOME Board and family,
Issam Raad, MD
President, HOME
