Palestinian Jerusalemite street circus artist, Ahmad Ju‘beh, in the Old City of Jerusalem, March, 2023

Credit: 

Muath al-Khatib for Jerusalem Story

Juggling with Life in Jerusalem

On any given day on any Jerusalem street, you might spot an energetic, lithe performer dressed in circus costume and juggling, riding a unicycle, or tossing a hula hoop.

This intriguing artist is Ahmad Ju‘beh, 32, the man behind the street circus in Jerusalem.

Palestinian street circus artist Ahmad Ju‘beh performs in front of an admiring Jerusalem crowd.

Palestinian street circus artist Ahmad Ju‘beh performs on his unicycle in front of an enraptured Jerusalem crowd.

Credit: 

Courtesy of Ahmad Ju‘beh

How It All Began

In 2001, Ahmad became acquainted with Stella Polaris, a Norwegian group of acrobats, clowns, and other entertainers who also deliver circus training. Ahmad’s older brother, Ramzi, trained with the group at the Palestinian National Theatre (el-Hakawati), and Ahmad, then just aged 13, wanted to join them too.

He signed up twice, but he did not get accepted, because he was too young.

After dedicated practice during the turbulent times of the Second Intifada, the Norwegian and Palestinian team members performed their show at the Palestinian National Theatre in 2003. The performance was a hit: the artists mimicked jesters, troubadours, dancers, and storytellers, and did acrobatic stunts in a thrilling way. This was the first-ever circus performance that Ahmad experienced, and he was immediately captivated.

He then discovered what would become his ultimate inspiration: Cirque de Soleil’s Alegria—the famous touring production that includes contortions and fast tracking and the use of the aerial cube, fire, tightwires, and high bars, as well as hand balancing and flying.

Ahmad decided to train by himself. He used the tools and equipment that his brother had access to and started to practice on the roof of their house in the Old City of Jerusalem. “Back then, YouTube wasn’t yet a medium that offered tutorials on everything under the sun,” he recalls. “I had to learn everything on my own.”

Soon thereafter, Ahmad received training at el-Hakawati.

One year later, in 2004, he would embark on his professional journey as a circus performer.

The Palestinian National Theatre El-Hakawati

The first (and until the early 1990s, the only) Palestinian public theater and cultural center in Jerusalem

“I had to learn everything on my own.”

Ahmad Ju‘beh

Spinning and Juggling

“The circus, for me, began out of nowhere,” Ahmad shares.

Today, he is as committed to his art as ever. He trains for six hours a day “at a minimum”: He runs in the mornings and follows that up with deep breathing and meditation. He then hones his skills in juggling, spinning, acrobatics, lyra (the aerial hoop), and the unicycle. His acts include pantomiming, comedy acrobatics, fire dancing, acting, spinning, and hooping.

Palestinian street circus artist Ahmad Ju‘beh shows off his juggling skills in front of the ancient Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Palestinian street circus artist Ahmad Ju‘beh shows off his juggling skills in front of Bab al-Amud in the Old City.

Credit: 

Eyad Tawil Photography, Courtesy of Ahmad Ju‘beh

Circus performance requires physical and mental stamina, Ahmad shares: The body must be toned and flexible, but the brain must also be in sync. “This demands balance, control, and high concentration. To become good at street circus, training alone is not enough,” Ahmad explains. “What is needed here is a lot of experience, natural flow, and improvisation.” He chose not to pursue academic education, focusing his time and energy on delivering the best results in his artistic performances. “For me, this is more than a full-time job. Is it a rewarding career path? Yes, it sure is.”

Ahmad’s first public circus show was near the end of 2008. It was a solo performance dedicated to the people of Gaza.

From then on, he performed in festivals both locally as well as in different parts of the world, including Western Sahara, Spain, and Italy. His brother, Ramzi Maqdisi, now an established actor and filmmaker, helped him get the necessary training equipment throughout the years.

In 2016, Ahmad and a small group of Palestinian performers started the first-ever Palestinian street circus: They went on a tour across various Palestinian cities and universities and delivered more than 40 performances in seven months. During the demonstrations at Bab al-Amud in April 2021, Ahmad delivered street circus shows on several occasions. He also had a presence at the Jerusalem Carnival (2015 and 2018) and the Nablus Road Street Festival (2019).

Ahmad makes it a point to roam the streets, although he admits that he is partial to his fascinating neighborhood by the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. From his bedroom window, he has the spectacular view of both the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and al-Aqsa Mosque, one that gives a high sense of peace unlike any other. He prefers to perform with no stage and connect directly with audiences in an interactive and organic manner rather than in fancy theaters.

Palestinian circus artist Ahmad Ju‘beh practices with a unicycle on the rooftop of his home in the Old City of Jerusalem, with the Dome of the Rock visible on the horizon.

Ahmad Ju‘beh practices with a unicycle on the rooftop of his home in the Old City of Jerusalem, with the Dome of the Rock visible in the distance.

Credit: 

Courtesy of Ahmad Ju‘beh

Despite the sophistication of his skills, Ahmad likes to keep things basic, accessible, and simple: “It’s people’s circus.” The props he uses, too, are simple: He likes to use visual and audio tools and to combine modern dance with old circus methods. These tools are often the sort of household devices commonly found in Old City homes. An example is the babbor, a small portable stove with a single burner. This item has a special charm for Palestinian Jerusalemites, especially because grandmothers would use it to make endless cups of tea with mint. The use of such props intrigues young viewers and fills older viewers with nostalgia for simpler days.

“It’s a people’s circus.”

Ahmad Ju‘beh

Palestinian street circus performer Ahmed Ju‘beh inside his home in the Old City of Jerusalem

Ahmad Ju‘beh sustains his initial excitement about the tools, props, and equipment he uses for his performances, inside his house in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Credit: 

Muath al-Khatib for Jerusalem Story

Street Circus Performance beyond Entertainment

Ahmad is inspired by the communities he meets and the people he works with. His tours around the world introduced him to people he otherwise would not have come across: indigenous Sahrawi people in Western Sahara, Basques in Spain and France, human rights defenders in Mexico and Peru, and refugees worldwide. Getting acquainted with the stories of struggle from across the world, such as hearing from asylum seekers who fled from their homes and swam through seas in search for a haven, bolsters Ahmad’s resilience as a Palestinian in Jerusalem.

Drawing on his personal experience as a Jerusalemite Palestinian under occupation, and the complex political battles endured by other communities, Ahmad has been refining and enhancing his art form. As he exemplifies, street circus is a noteworthy form of self-expression in the face of war, conflict, and discrimination. He realizes, however, that most people may not agree: The initial reaction of Palestinians toward his first show in 2008, which took place during Israel’s attack on Gaza, was not encouraging, he admits, largely because people assumed it was dismissive of the reality on the ground; the deep collective sorrow left little room for any type of “entertainment.” Over time, however, Palestinians in Jerusalem who saw Ahmad’s shows realized that the seemingly carefree street circus is not simply “entertaining,” but rather a serious expression of resistance through art.

Ahmad Ju‘beh rides his unicycle in an East Jerusalem square.

Palestinian street circus performer Ahmad Ju‘beh rides his unicycle in an East Jerusalem square.

Credit: 

Muath al-Khatib for Jerusalem Story

Palestinian street circus performer Ahmad Ju‘beh performs with his unicycle at Damascus Gate.

Palestinian street circus performer Ahmad Ju‘beh performs with his unicycle at Bab al-Amud.

Credit: 

Muath al-Khatib for Jerusalem Story

“I do not consider my art as entertainment,” Ahmad stresses. “Rather, it is a cause.” As he describes, his key message is to underscore the existence of Palestinians in Jerusalem, and to do so unapologetically and unequivocally. When asked about Jerusalem, Ahmad does not hold back: “That I am connected to Jerusalem is an understatement: I am not at all rigid about anything; I’m not attached to or extreme about any subject, except for al-Quds,” he reflects. “The exception is Jerusalem, and specifically the Old City of Jerusalem.”

“This is the hangout place of Jesus Christ!” Ahmad grins, “I consider myself as one of the stones of this Old City.” He mentions other Jerusalemites who are “also like the stones engraved to the city,” such as (African Palestinian) Mahmoud and ‘Ali Jaddah and (Armenian Palestinian) Albert Aghazarian. Here, he explains, “time and place are interwoven . . . the dead and alive are interlinked.” Jerusalem, as Ahmad describes it, “is an extract of all of Palestine. It encapsulates all the good, the bad, and the ugly of Palestine. If Jerusalem is okay, then all of Palestine is okay, but when Jerusalem is in bad shape, all of Palestine suffers.”

Bio Albert Aghazarian

Jerusalem’s historian and defender of academic freedom, who fought to preserve the city’s diversity and plurality

“I consider myself as one of the stones of this Old City.”

Ahmad Ju‘beh

Ahmad commands his space and conducts public street circus performances in all parts of the city, although he knows it could get him in trouble to draw a crowd in spaces deemed exclusive: “It is evident that some are aiming to remove and uproot us [Palestinians] from where we are; they are determined to bleach out the dark-skinned land, and to get us out of here. But I won’t let them do that. To me, there is no West Jerusalem or East Jerusalem: Jerusalem is where we are. I personally have my presence here, my place in Jerusalem, and I am here to stay.”

“I’m not attached to or extreme about any subject, except for al-Quds.”

Ahmad Ju‘beh