Photograph: Yitzhak Saad

Photograph: Eli Even (Abu) from the exhibition “Childhood in a No Man’s Land” in the Social Gallery in 2011

Photograph: Mich Bar Am

Photograpgh: Strajmayster

Origin: Central Zionist Archive

Photograph: Itzik Harush

From the photo series: Middle-eastern Topography

A letter from Mr. Ish-Shalom, Mayor of Jerusalem regarding the state of the peripheral neighborhoods

"....Of course, one of the problems we didn’t manage to solve, is lack of cooperation among the residents, who are unaware of basic standards of cleanliness and it will probably take a long time before we see an end to this problem".

Source: The Jerusalem municipality archives.

A page from a children’s gazette that was published in the “David Remez” school in Musrara. The highlighted paragraph was written by Miriam Deri, from the 7th grade.

A poor lady’s story

The poor person feels a very strange feeling. They feel redundant in this world.

I had a friend who was daughter to a very poor family. Once I entered her house and found her sitting on the floor. The room was very dark and silent, everything seemed to stand still. I asked her why she was so sad and she answered: How can I be satisfied in this world when I step outside and see my father begging for money in the street, and passersby give him the money with an air of contempt? She had a lump in her throat when saying those words. She continued: “I will never be able to forgive god for making poor people in the world”. She broke out crying. I talked to her and tried to comfort her, but my efforts were in vain. I could not pull the feeling of inferiority out of her heart.

The sun set and I had to return home, but I was very disappointed for not being able to soothe her.

Miriam Deri (7th grade)

Origin: Archive of the state.