Jerusalem – Anadolu Agency: In 1995, educator Mahira Dajani reluctantly agreed to take over the management of the “Dar al-Tifl al-Arabi” Institution in East Jerusalem, carrying forward the journey of her late friend, educator Hind al-Husseini.
Back then, Dajani—born in 1932—thought she would only remain in her position for a few years, but she has continued to serve in this role on a voluntary basis ever since.
From her office at “Dar al-Tifl al-Arabi” in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, she said: “I have been a member of Dar al-Tifl since 1962, when the late Ms. Hind al-Husseini asked me to join.”
She added: “In 1994, Ms. Hind passed away while I was away on a three-month trip to the United States. At the time, I turned down offers to take over the presidency of Dar al-Tifl.”
Open Doors
She continued: “However, upon my return, when I saw the reality at Dar al-Tifl—where all the doors were left open—I realized that I needed to step in to keep things running for a year or two until matters were settled.”
Dajani added: “That commitment extended from 1995 to the present day as a volunteer. This means that for 27 years I have been working here on a voluntary basis, preceded by 10 years at the In’ash el-Usra Association. I always say: (My success comes only through Allah).”
She noted: “I live on my retirement pension. When I was working, I bought 5 plots of land; I sold 3 of them, and my brothers and children assist me whenever needed.”
Dajani is considered one of the prominent educational figures in East Jerusalem in particular, and the Palestinian territories in general. Her memory holds a wealth of historical events, including the 1948 War and the 1967 War.
Introducing herself, she said: “I am Mahira Dajani, from a Jerusalemite family. I was born in the Nabi Daoud neighborhood of Jerusalem to Jerusalemite parents, and I studied at Al-Mamounia School in Sheikh Jarrah.”
She recalls that during that time, the Deir Yassin massacre took place in April 1948 (in what is now West Jerusalem).
She said: “While we were taking our exams, the Deir Yassin massacre occurred. Due to movement restrictions, arrangements were made for us as students to stay in a house in the Bab al-Sahira area [Herod’s Gate]”—referring to one of the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.
She added: “After exams finished, I returned home and found only my father. He informed me that after the Deir Yassin massacre, my family members had left for Hebron (in the southern West Bank) to stay with my aunt, and he asked me to follow them with some relatives.”
She continued: “At the time, I thought I was just going on a trip, so I left in the clothes I was wearing. Of course, we never returned home. The war broke out and our homes were demolished—including a house in Nabi Daoud and a building in Lower Baq’a (now in West Jerusalem)—and we were unable to return.”
Dajani stayed with her family in Hebron before they decided to travel to Syria to flee the approaching flames of war.
She said: “During that period, my brother Alaeddin was martyred in May 1948. We visited his grave in Jerusalem and then set off for Syria. When we reached Jericho, we met my brother Khalid, who worked in the Governor’s Department in Jerusalem. He informed us that a truce was going to take place and advised us to stay rather than travel, so we stayed in Jericho at my grandfather’s house.”
At the time, Dajani had 6 brothers and 2 sisters. Three of her brothers were participating in the defense of Jerusalem.
She said: “After the first truce, we went to our home in Hebron. I heard there was a shortage of teachers at the school there, so I volunteered to teach English for two years before being officially appointed as a teacher.”
She added: “Later, I moved to Ramallah to work as a teacher. I was responsible for sports and Girl Guide activities and attended several training courses. The Ministry of Education then selected me as a supervisor for physical education, and we established a Girl Guides association. In 1962, I became the first president of the Jordanian Girl Guides Association.”
She continued: “After 1967, I joined the Women’s Union Society in El-Bireh alongside the late Samiha Khalil, who was founding the In’ash el-Usra Association, and I worked with her.”
Dajani lived through the period when Israel attempted to impose the Israeli curriculum on schools in East Jerusalem following the 1967 War.
She said: “After the war, the Israelis wanted to impose the Israeli curriculum in Jerusalem, but everyone rejected it. I used to collect old textbooks from schools and bring them to the Dar al-Tifl school, from where they were distributed to other schools to teach the Jordanian curriculum. I used my own car to gather books from schools and bring them here.”
Following her notable national activity, Dajani said: “In 1984, the Israeli security authorities barred me [from entering Jerusalem], so I stayed in Ramallah.”
Dajani keeps several memorable photographs in her office, some in color and others in black and white. Among the old photos, one stands out showing her with the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, alongside the late King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan.
Regarding that photo, she says: “In 1964, we had a Scouting camp in Alexandria, Egypt, which coincided with the Second Arab League Summit. We were asked to participate in receiving the heads of state. We went to the airport, where we shook hands with President Nasser and the late King Hussein.”
She added: “One of the girls asked President Abdel Nasser, ‘Don’t you want to shake our hands?’ He replied, ‘Of course!'”
She continued: “When it was time for my photo, all the cameras had run out of film. I told President Abdel Nasser, ‘I won’t let go of your hand until we take a picture,’ and he replied, ‘And I won’t let go of your hand until we take a picture.’ And indeed, we took the photo.”
Among her photos are also two pictures with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from two separate events, the first dating back to 2009.
Dar al-Tifl al-Arabi
Dajani’s name is closely linked to the late educator Hind al-Husseini (1916–1994). In 1948, al-Husseini laid the foundation for the “Dar al-Tifl al-Arabi” school in Jerusalem.
Dajani pointed out that the idea to establish the institution came after al-Husseini unexpectedly came across 55 children near the Mosque of Omar bin al-Khattab, adjacent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Old Jerusalem.
She mentioned that Zionist gangs had left the children near the old walls after finding them in Deir Yassin following the massacre.
She said: “At that moment, Ms. Hind al-Husseini was on her way to a meeting of the Women’s Solidarity Association to discuss the future of Palestinians arriving from neighborhoods that were becoming West Jerusalem, such as Baq’a, Katamon, and Talbiya.”
She added: “The crying children caught her attention, and she asked them: ‘What are you doing here? Go home.’ They replied: ‘We have no one here; we are from Deir Yassin.’ She told them: ‘Stay here and I will return for you.’ She went to Suq al-Husr (Matting Market in the Old City), where there was a Syriac monastery, and rented two rooms. She returned, took the children to the monastery, bought them food and necessities, and regularly visited to check on them.”
She continued: “As she walked with the children, some held onto her hands and clothing. She then moved them to the Convent of Saint Zion near Al-Aqsa Mosque. After the first truce, she was able to bring them here to Sheikh Jarrah and housed them in this very room, receiving community aid in the form of blankets and clothing.”
She noted: “At that time, Ms. Hind founded the ‘Dar al-Tifl al-Arabi’ Society. With donations, the society began expanding and receiving orphans from all over Palestine.”
Dajani pointed out that the school has expanded significantly since then and currently employs 90 staff members and cares for dozens of orphaned girls.
However, she highlighted funding challenges, saying: “We constantly work with donors to secure assistance, but during many months we are forced to borrow from banks to cover our operational expenses.”
