Nakba

Michel Hamarneh, born in Jerusalem in 1935, a character in the film My Jerusalem: Testimonial to life in Jerusalem before 1948 by Lubna Dajani
Video My Jerusalem: Testimonial to Life in Jerusalem before 1948

Jerusalemites born in the 1920s and 1930s recount their memories of growing up in Jerusalem and what they lost when they were forced to leave in 1948.

Personal Story Falling Leaves Turn Back to Their Roots

The author reflects on growing up in al-Baq‘a during the British Mandate and her family’s experience of the Nakba.

Photo The Battle for Jerusalem, 1948

A moment showing the Arab defense of Jerusalem, 1948

Bio Sami Hadawi

A foremost authority on Palestinian land ownership before 1948 who provided future generations with crucial documentation on the Nakba and Palestinian refugees

An old Palestinian man walks toward the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to pray, May 1967 (UNRWA footage).
Video Al-Quds (Arab Jerusalem)

This documentary depicts life in Arab Jerusalem before the 1967 War and captures Palestinians’ sense of loss in its aftermath.

Personal Story On Wings of Memory: Schmidt’s Girls School—Jerusalem’s Star School

The author recalls her happy years attending Schmidt’s School, before the Nakba, her brief visit years later, and what it meant to her. 

Personal Story Issa Boullata and the Childhood Memories of Jerusalem That Never Faded

An acclaimed academic, writer, and translator recalls his Old City childhood

 

Photo Album 1948 and Beyond: The Ongoing Palestinian Displacement

A pictorial journey of Palestinian displacement over generations

Short Take The Legal and Institutional Complexities of What It Means to Be a Palestine Refugee

There are 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees with the UNRWA, and they continue to have a unique status under international law.