Organizations on the Ground

If you’re looking to go beyond our website and learn more about the Jerusalem Story from those working on the ground, our directory provides a useful starting point. Search here for Palestinian organizations that work on Jerusalem.

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Yabous Cultural Centre

يبوس

Mission

Develop and promote arts that enhance and assert cultural, national, and human values

Organization Type

Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)

Areas of Work

Culture, Arts, and Music,

Location of Work

Inside the wall and inside the Israeli municipal boundaries of Jerusalem,

Notes

Yabous, the largest cultural centre in Jerusalem, was established in April 1997 to revive cultural life in Jerusalem to reflect its Arab historical, religious, political, and cultural importance. It works to:

  • Promote and preserve Palestinian heritage, identity, and culture.
  • Encourage freedom of expression and gender and social equality.
  • Enhance continual innovation of the arts.
  • Promote diversification of the arts through different cultures, genres, and influences.

Its name, Yabous, is the first name given to the city of Jerusalem by the Jebusites, a Canaanite tribe that first built the city.  

10 al-Zahra Street, P.O. Box 54874, Jerusalem
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Rania Elias, Director

Tel: +972.2.626.1045 Fax: +972.2.626.1372

rania.elias@yabous.org

Young Men’s Christian Association — East Jerusalem (YMCA)

جمعية الشبان المسيحية — القدس

Mission

Build and empower individuals and communities by offering programs that develop a healthy spirit, mind, and body based on Christian principles.

Centered on the core values of caring, honesty, respect, dignity, justice, and responsibility, the East Jerusalem YMCA is an association that practices inclusion for all ages, incomes, abilities, races, religions, ethnicities, and genders. The East Jerusalem YMCA strives to identify and assess the needs of the Palestinian community in an effort to develop programs that address identified aspirations of youth and families.

Organization Type

Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)

Areas of Work

Youth,

Location of Work

Inside the wall and inside the Israeli municipal boundaries of Jerusalem,

Notes

The YMCA established a presence in Palestine in 1948; it operated from a tent in ‘Aqabat Jabr refugee camp, near Jericho. Today, the headquarters is in East Jerusalem, with facilities in several West Bank cities. The YMCA operates a variety of programs and activities consistent with its vision for holistic youth development. These programs respond directly to the needs of people within all sectors of Palestinian society without discrimination.

29 Nablus Road P.O. Box 19023 East Jerusalem
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Peter Naser, General Secretary

Tel: +972.2.628.6888 Fax: +972.2.627.6301

abatarseh@ej-ymca.org

Young Women’s Christian Association of Palestine (YWCA)

جمعية الشابات المسيحية في فلسطين

Mission

The YWCA of Palestine empowers women and youth to demand, exercise, and protect their economic, social, and political rights.

Organization Type

Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)

Areas of Work

Youth,

Location of Work

Inside the wall and inside the Israeli municipal boundaries of Jerusalem,

Notes

The YWCA of Palestine is a nongovernmental association initiated in 1893 by informal groups of Christian women; it was formally established in Jerusalem in 1918. It has three thematic areas of work: leadership development and civic engagement, economic justice, and just peace.

In addition to the Jerusalem headquarters, it has facilities in Jericho, Bethlehem, and Ramallah, and centers in ‘Aqabat Jabr, Jalazun, and Qalandiya refugee camps.

YWCA National Council Sheikh Jarrah Jerusalem, Palestine
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Mira Rizeq, YWCA National General Secretary

Tel: +970.2.628.2593

council@ywca-palestine.org

Youth Development Department — Orient House

دائرة تنمية الشباب — بيت الشرق

Mission

To support and improve the capacities of local youth institutions in Jerusalem and clubs by providing them with the resources and contacts necessary to establish youth exchange and enrichment programs

Organization Type

Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)

Areas of Work

Youth,

Location of Work

Outside the wall but inside the Israeli municipal boundaries of Jerusalem,

Notes

The Youth Development Department is an Orient House initiative designed to provide 15- to 25-year-old youth with local and international opportunities. This is achieved through cooperation and networking among and between youth institutions in Jerusalem; establishing youth exchanges, work camps, and training; empowering youth to play a role in building a democratic civil society; and reinforcing effective principles and strategies of collective work.

Youth Development Department, The Orient House, P.O. Box 20479, Jerusalem, Palestine
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Mazen Jabari, Director

Tel: +972.2.627.3330 Tel: +972.2.627.3573 Fax: +972.2.627.4020 Mobile: +972.5.2292.021

ydd@orienthouse.org