This photograph features two of the most prominent female educators and activists in Palestinian history overall and Jerusalem history in particular. On the left stands Hind al-Husseini (1916–1994), a member of Jerusalem’s prominent Husseini family and founder of Dar Al-Tifel Al-Arabi, Jerusalem’s leading educational and cultural foundation that supports Palestinian children and orphans (see Dar Al-Tifel Al-Arabi: Jerusalem’s Cornerstone of Culture and Education Endures despite Challenges and Dar Al-Tifel Al-Arabi: A Photo History). She devoted her life to the care of orphans and to advancing women’s education, while also playing an active role in the Palestinian national movement (see Hind al-Husseini and The Quiet Architecture of Hind al-Husseini’s Life).
On the right of the photograph is Rabiha Dajani (1919–2020), a member of Jerusalem’s prominent Dajani family. A schoolteacher and social activist, she rose to prominence in the 1940s as one of the first female presenters on Radio Jerusalem (see Fatima Budeiri and Sounds of Jerusalem). In recognition of her contributions, a school in the city of Hebron was later built on land that she donated and named in her honor.1
The two are collecting donations for afflicted Palestinian families at the start of the Great Palestinian Revolt (1936–39). They are standing on Jaffa Road, just outside the studios of two famous Palestinian photographers, Khalil Raad (see Khalil Raad and Khalil Raad’s Lens: Scenes from Pre-Nakba Palestine) and Garabed Krikorian, his former teacher and sometimes competitor. The Fast Hotel is visible in the background. The dog is reportedly the Raad family pet, Tony.2