Palestinians/Arabs | The Jerusalem Intercultural Center

Atta’a 2016 – 70% Increase in Cases Over 2015!

Well, the numbers are in – as of today, in 2016, Atta’a Assistance Center for the Rights of East Jerusalem Residents took care of 859 cases, nearly 70% more than in 2015! Many of these came from Facebook (232), and the remainder came from visits to the 3 drop-in stations throughout East Jerusalem – Beit Hanina, Wadi Joz and Sur Baher.

At a workshop in Sur Baher

But the more interesting story is how they got the word out. A lot of the work was canvassing community meetings throughout East Jerusalem, at different community centers such as Issawiya, Wadi Joz and Abna al-Quds in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. They also distributed printed thousands of flyers and distributed them at key locations – the different community centers, Bituach Leumi and Ministry of Interior, East Jerusalem Branches, and more.

This year they also renewed the Atta’a Facebook page, posting updates regularly. To date, the page has over 7,400 likes, and is growing. This year, Atta’a also launched its Internet site, which boasts 500 entrances to the site, 400 of them to its new booklet on rights of East Jerusalem Palestinians at the Ministry of Interior. Want to read more? We wrote about these accomplishments here and here on our blog.

Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for its ongoing support of this project.

Naomi Roff2016-12-30T14:28:58+00:00December 25th, 2016|Attaa, Blog, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Palestinians/Arabs|

An Insiders View – 0202 Beyond the Screen

When was the last time you could experience a newspaper from Meah Shearim, or get an inside peek at what goes viral in Silwan? Palestinian and Ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem, two vastly different experiences from the secular-religious Jewish continuum of another 300,000 Jerusalmites. Only a few blocks separate them physically, but they are all worlds apart.

This Facebook event picture basically sums it up

In a truly Jerusalemite way, they all came together last week (November 22) at the Hamiffal cultural space, at the 0202: Beyond the Screen event. The event brought together representatives from the original 0202: A View from East Jerusalem and the newly-launched 0202: A View from Ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Jerusalem and current events from their different points of view.

Bursting at the seams, with another 750 viewers online

What does Jerusalem look like? What can we learn from a deeper look at 0202 items? How does East Jerusalem view Ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem, and vice versa? What do the same news items look like as covered from East Jerusalem news sources or from Ultra-Orthodox news sources?

During the evening we were able to look at a number of different indicative posts that enabled panelists to analyze media, reality and the gap in between in ultra-orthodox and east Jerusalem, crossing social, cultural, and physical borders through Facebook. Panelists included: Hatem Khweis – editor of “Hon” website and “Al-Balad” newspaper; Nasr Temimi – an active resident from Ras el-Amud; Yael Yechieli Persico – Director of Freedom of Religious and Pluralistic Judaism, Shatil; Boaz Ben Ari – Photographer, “Haredim 10” News; Ohad Merlin – Editor, “0202 – A View from East Jerusalem”; Yossi Klar – Editor, “0202 – A View from Ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem”; Michal Shilor – Founder and Director, 0202.

From L. to R.: Nasr, Boaz, Yossi, Ohad, Yael, Hatem and Michal

In all, over 150 people squeezed into the main space at Hamiffal, and another 750 people watched on live stream! You can watch the video of the event here:

Earlier in the day Yossi and Ohad, both editors at 0202, were interviewed on the Galei Israel radio station. Click below to hear the interview in Hebrew.

Congratulations to Michal and the entire 0202 team for another successful Beyond the Screen event. Can’t wait for the next one!

Naomi Roff2016-12-16T14:40:01+00:00December 3rd, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Jewish Religious Denominations, Palestinians/Arabs, Promoting Tolerance in Jerusalem, Ultra-Orthodox Jews|

MiniActive – Studying Hebrew to Improve Activism

Well, the academic year has started, and it’s time to get back to studying Hebrew. We’ve written about MiniActive studying Hebrew here and here. Every year, more and more MiniActive women – and MiniActive are studying Hebrew.

Starting at the beginning with level 1

The courses take place at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and are operated by the Medabrot Ivrit (Speaking Hebrew) project.

Posing for a picture before class

This year, we have 210 women – and 50 MiniActive Youth – in three levels, studying Hebrew. This Hebrew will enable the women to communicate with municipal and other officials, write letters, and more.

Learning to communicate with one another

We’ve been working with Medabrot Ivrit for several years now, and we’re especially proud this year, after they won first prize in the Jerusalem Foundation‘s Social Innovation Challenge this past September.

Even MiniActive Youth are participating

Kol Hakavod to organizers and participants!

Here’s one of the posts from the MiniActive Facebook page:

Naomi Roff2018-09-01T07:19:52+00:00December 2nd, 2016|Blog, Courses, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Language Center, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive Youth – Now They’re Coming To Us

Not so long ago, in order to hold a project of our MiniActive Youth for the Environment, we needed to look for a place to do it, get all the OK’s and proceed to work.

Now, they’re coming to us. After our successes in Silwan, Issawiya, and Wadi Joz, we recently got a call from a school in Umm Tuba, which wanted us to come and decorate the walls outside their school. They even offered to prepare the site for us. Here are some pictures of the preparatory work in action.

Distributing paint

We’ll keep you posted as the MiniActive Youth for the Environment transform yet another part of East Jerusalem!

Making it a team effort

The following day the girls got to work.

Getting down to work in Umm Tuba

Definitely looking much better.

Painting a variety of images

Can’t wait to see pictures when it’s completely finished!

Improving the environment for everyone

And here’s the first Facebook post (in Arabic) about the preparation:

And then the continuation of work by the youth:

Naomi Roff2016-12-02T14:27:55+00:00November 26th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

Adapting the Best Type of Cultural Competency at the National Insurance Institute, East Jerusalem Branch

We described here our process of making the East Jerusalem branch of the National Insurance Institute (NII) culturally competent. We began with training sessions in the beginning of the year; now, we’re deepening that learning.

Over the summer we met with the “Excellence Team” of the branch, a dedicated group of 8 professionals who volunteered to improve the level of service given at the branch. They are also in charge of the assimilation of cultural competence principles. During the meetings the group began to develop a training workshop for all workers.

Exercises in Cultural Competence

As part of this development, the Excellence Team is also going out into the field. Last week they visited four organizations that have already undergone processes of cultural competency adaptation: ALYN Rehabilitative Hospital, Hadassah College, the Municipal Welfare Office in the Bucharim neighborhood, and the David Precint (which includes Mt. Zion and the Old City) of the Police Department. The Team interviewed representatives in order to better understand the processes each one went through, and to see what can be applied to the NII East Jerusalem branch.

At the ALYN Rehabilitative Hospital, for example, the team were surprised and impressed by the (culturally competent) services, and felt that the hospital wasn’t known well enough in East Jerusalem. It seems that they’ve now become ALYN ambassadors in East Jerusalem.

Seminars in and outdoors

In the future the Team will also be involved in the planning principles of the new branch, which can also have a significant impact on its cultural competency. Items on the list include: physical accessibility, signage, a nursing room, a prayer room, thinking about if it’s necessary to have separation between men and women, strengthening language among workers, and more.

Naomi Roff2016-11-25T14:19:28+00:00November 15th, 2016|Blog, Cultural Competence, Cultural Competence in Government Institutions, Identity Groups and Conflicts, Palestinians/Arabs|

You Can Make Almost Anything from Recycled Paper

You can make almost anything out of recycled paper, even a replica of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Replicating the mosque from recycled paper

This piece, and many others like it, are being fashioned from recycled paper, courtesy of the MiniActive Youth – Youth for the Environment Project.

We could use some more trees around here, even if they’re paper

The youth first rip up old newspapers, turn them into a paste, model them into their desired shape, and paint.

Digging into the paste

This is one of many projects that MiniActive Youth is doing to improve immediate surroundings in East Jerusalem.

Preparing both inside and out

You can read about earlier projects here, here and here, and in the general MiniActive blog category. Can’t wait to see what they do next!

Here’s the Facebook post in Arabic:

Naomi Roff2016-11-11T11:53:38+00:00November 6th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive First Aid Courses for Young Palestinian Mothers

If a medical emergency occurred when you’re at home with the kids, would you know what to do?

Learning first aid basics

MiniActive is taking the first steps, teaching initial first aid and lifesaving techniques to Palestinian women from East Jerusalem, many of them young mothers. Because many young mothers marry early, sometimes before finishing high school, they do not have basic first aid or CPR skills, which can often be lifesaving. For this reason, MiniActive held a basic first aid and CPR course in April 2016 (click here for the post), and just opened another course now.

The first meeting was on October 30, with 15 participants. Stay tuned for more updates!

Many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for its continuing support of this program.

Here’s the Facebook post in Arabic:

Naomi Roff2016-11-11T12:00:31+00:00November 2nd, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive Youth for the Environment – Mixing Art and Paper Recycling

Our MiniActive Youth for the Environment are becoming experts in turning everyday materials, outdoors as well as in, and making them beautiful. We’ve described here and here their outdoor painting projects at local schools and on garbage receptacles.

Paper recycling art work

Last week, they also experimented in making artwork by recycling paper.

Creating different designs

At the workshop that took place at the Abna al-Quds Community Center in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, they first ripped up old newspapers.

First steps of preparing the paper

Then they made the paper into a paste

Now it’s starting to get gooey

And then began forming it into creatures.

Looking super

Here’s the post in Arabic from the MiniActive Facebook page:

Naomi Roff2016-11-04T14:30:25+00:00October 20th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

MiniActive Youth – Leaving their Mark on East Jerusalem

Our MiniActive Youth continued to leave their mark on East Jerusalem, in only the best of ways. This past week they finished several new decorating projects in the Wadi Joz neighborhood.

Where is that path leading to?

They painted part of a wall

One of several undergoing a facelift

As well as a number of garbage receptacles.

And yet another one

It’s never been so fun to take out the trash!

And yet another

Many continued thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation for their ongoing support of this project.

They didn’t paint only garbage receptacles

Here’s the original Facebook post in Arabic:

Naomi Roff2016-10-23T16:10:53+00:00October 7th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|

Nutrition and Exercise – Integral Parts of Healthy Living Course through MiniActive

Nutrition and exercise run hand in hand in healthy living. This is what some 50 Palestinian women are learning in a 4-month course in nutrition and healthy living, developed by MiniActive. In addition to lectures on nutrition, and important part of the course is showing the importance of physical activity.

Getting ready to improve health

As part of this element, some of the participants took part in an exercise session on the soccer pitch at the Abna al-Quds Community Center last week.

Ready, set, go!

Way to go!

Here’s the Facebook post in Arabic.

Naomi Roff2016-10-07T13:16:21+00:00September 26th, 2016|Blog, Effective Activism, Identity Groups and Conflicts, MiniActive, Palestinians/Arabs|