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.
Who Are the Palestinians of Jerusalem? Amin al-Husseini

A founder of the Palestinian nationalist movement; a devout, diplomatic, and popular leader who spent much of his career in exile

Hanan Awwad

An academic and prolific author who believed that poetry was a way to bring about change, give a voice to Palestinians, and promote peace

Aref al-Aref

A renowned journalist, historian, and politician whose account of the 1948 War remains one of the most authoritative texts on the subject

Find alphabetically by first letter of last name

Georgette Rizek

An activist who lived through the Nakba and founded and directed the Infant Welfare Center, the first medical center in the Old City of Jerusalem

Khalil Raad

A prolific photographer whose body of work documented daily life in Jerusalem over six decades