1948 War

Michel Hamarneh, born in Jerusalem in 1935, a character in the film My Jerusalem: Testimonial to life in Jerusalem before 1948 by Lubna Dajani
Video My Jerusalem: Testimonial to Life in Jerusalem before 1948

Jerusalemites born in the 1920s and 1930s recount their memories of growing up in Jerusalem and what they lost when they were forced to leave in 1948.

Blog Post A Fascinating Biography of Jerusalem Tracing Its Evolution into a Global City

This scholarly yet accessible biography describes Jerusalem’s rise to eternal symbol for the three Abrahamic religions. A book review.

Personal Story Falling Leaves Turn Back to Their Roots

The author reflects on growing up in al-Baq‘a during the British Mandate and her family’s experience of the Nakba.

Photo The Battle for Jerusalem, 1948

A moment showing the Arab defense of Jerusalem, 1948

Photo Scanning the Hills

A critical strategic point during the 1948 War for Jerusalem

Personal Story The Hammoudi Family and the Loss of a Jerusalem Home: One Family’s Multigenerational Longing

The pain of collective trauma as experienced by successive generations: A Jerusalem family’s story.

An old Palestinian man walks toward the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to pray, May 1967 (UNRWA footage).
Video Al-Quds (Arab Jerusalem)

This documentary depicts life in Arab Jerusalem before the 1967 War and captures Palestinians’ sense of loss in its aftermath.

Short Take The Legal and Institutional Complexities of What It Means to Be a Palestine Refugee

There are 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees with the UNRWA, and they continue to have a unique status under international law.

Personal Story The Mukhtar and I: A Day with My Grandfather in the Old City

A Palestinian in exile remembers Jerusalem’s Old City—the sights and sounds, the tight-knit community—during his last days with his formidable grandfather, the Mukhtar.