Bios

Palestinian Jerusalemites have made myriad and diverse contributions to their city’s history and community fabric. Here we profile some of those people—past and present; famous and obscure—whose lives and work and stories have helped shape the larger Jerusalem Story over time.

Mustafa al-Kurd

An iconic figure in Palestinian music whose work expressed the cultural and political experiences of Palestinians under occupation

Who Are the Palestinians of Jerusalem? Shireen Abu Akleh

A venerated Palestinian journalist who reported from the field in the occupied territories for a quarter of a century until she was murdered while on assignment.

Representation Faisal al-Husseini

A leader, activist, and diplomat affectionately referred to by his community as the Lion of Jerusalem

Find alphabetically by first letter of last name

Health and Health Care Amin Majaj

A Palestinian physician and public servant who was the “father of pediatrics in Jerusalem”

The West Side Story Betty Dagher Majaj

A nurse from Lebanon who married a Jerusalemite and moved to the city right before the Nakba and embraced the responsibilities thrust upon her for caring for the sick, wounded, and disabled of the city over decades

Said Murad

Composer, oud player, and founder of the band Sabreen, which revolutionized Arab music and the Jerusalem music scene