Women, War and Welfare in Jerusalem

138 pounds in my pocket - the Story of Hind Al-Husseini

In 1948, following the UN partition plan for Palestine, fighting broke out between Arabs and Jews. In April that same year, the young teacher Hind Al-Husseini came across a large group of young children in Jerusalem. They were survivors of the massacre in Deir Yassin. Husseini took them in and established an orphanage in the Jerusalem home. Today, Dar al-Tifi al-Arabi is the largest Palestinian orphanage providing the education for more than 1500 pupils. The film is about how Husseini and her successors fill in the gaps when the state is unable to perform the function as provider of adequate welfare.

Crystal Grapes - On the Road to a Better Living

Women’s organisations first emerged in Palestine a hundred years ago. The Arab Orthodox Society, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, was among the first local Arab organisations to provide a safety net for individuals and families in need. Today, the organisation provides health services for local communities and vocational training for women. The film portrays several women who are engaged in the society’s work. 

Nefissa Naguib is a social anthropologist with broad experience in academic and applied research. She has worked and published on social and cultural aspects of water and food, women and war, welfare and relief activities in the Middle East.