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.
Jumana El Husseini

A Jerusalem artist in exile whose predominant themes revolved around depicting the city of her birth

Samia Halaby

A pioneer of abstract painting whose art has been exhibited in museums, galleries, and art fairs throughout the world

Mahmoud Shukair

A prolific novelist who was exiled from Jerusalem for almost two decades, yet says “Jerusalem is a part of me and I am part of Jerusalem.”

Find alphabetically by first letter of last name

Aida Najjar

An influential women’s activist, writer, and researcher from Lifta who documented life in Jerusalem and the history of the Palestinian press before 1948

Muhammad Issaf Ibn Othman al-Nashashibi

An erudite man of letters and a master of the classical Arabic language who was fondly called “the foremost Arabic scholar” during his lifetime

Representation Raghib al-Nashashibi

A controversial long-running mayor of Jerusalem who opposed the Zionist agenda while maintaining close ties with British Mandate authorities

Zahiya Nashashibi

A Jerusalemite who helped to found one of the oldest women’s movements in Palestine in 1929, and remained in a leadership role in it until her death

Sari Nusseibeh

An academic and political maverick who participated in the First Intifada and the Madrid Conference, held the Jerusalem portfolio, and led Al-Quds University