Jerusalem Notebook

Blog Posts

Spiritual and Religious Life George Sahhar: Attending Easter in Jerusalem Is a Commitment to Preserve the City’s Living Mosaic

“Everybody will be able to come to Jerusalem from anywhere they want and celebrate in Jerusalem.”

One East Jerusalem Neighborhood Boasts Two Muay Thai Champions

Meet the Palestinian champions of the martial art and combat sport of Muay Thai in East Jerusalem.

Tending the Seam: Psychiatrist Dr. Samah Jabr Holds Together Hope

Jerusalem psychiatrist Samah Jabr, chair of the Palestinian Authority’s Mental Health Unit, sees tending to mental health as one path to liberation.

A Grandmother Realizes Her Dream, Becoming the First Female Bus Driver in East Jerusalem

Meet Samia Abu ‘Alqam, a Palestinian grandmother who turned her love of driving into a paid job, driving the Shu‘fat–Beit Hanina bus

Juggling with Life in Jerusalem

Street circus artist Ahmad Ju‘beh opens up about how he came to find his calling and what it means to him.

Fire Performer Naromar Introduces New Art Form to Jerusalem

Omar Sharabaty introduces Jerusalem to flow art and fire performance.

Spiritual and Religious Life In Sufism, Food Is a Divine Gift—Izzeldin Bukhari Offers It to Celebrate the Heritage of His People and His City

Izzeldin Bukhari founded Sacred Cuisine to celebrate Palestinian culinary heritage and his city, Jerusalem, and to express the essence of his Sufi religion, which views feeding others as a form of love. 

Budour Hassan: Telling Jerusalem’s Untold Stories

Budour Hassan, legal expert on Jerusalem, is angered by conditions in her city.