Amal Al Nagammy

Prof. Amal Al Nagammy is a lecturer of written and conversational Arabic at Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School (RIS). She is also a respected international speaker and educator in Arab women’s rights and empowerment as a gendered approach to peacebuilding and conflict resolution, and is an active United Nations committee member for Women, Peace, and Security. A native speaker of both Arabic and Hebrew who is also fluent in English, Nagammy has degrees in both Education and Social Work.

Research

Nagammy is currently finishing up her Ph.D. in Social Work, researching the Influence of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict on Palestinian Women in Key Public Positions in the Palestinian Authority, on Their Role, and on the Status of Women in Palestinian Society in the Past and in the Present and Its Implications on the Future , at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Nagammy hopes to help define the roles of Palestinian women in the conflict and increase women’s impact on conflict resolution. “I believe that when women are part of the decision-making in conflict resolution, the conflict can be solved in a different way. The perspectives of Palestinian women provide a different approach.”

Nagammy notes that not enough research currently exists on this topic, and as a Palestinian who grew up speaking both Arabic and Hebrew in an uncommonly diverse Haifa neighborhood, she has the language and family background needed to gain the trust of the Palestinian women she is researching. “It is my responsibility to bring this topic out and make it more available to people – change people’s way of thinking about the conflict. Women can help.”

Teaching

This idea of changing how people think about conflict is central to Nagammy’s approach to language instruction: “I teach Arabic because I think language can be a bridge for culture and conflict resolution. You can bring a different perspective through the language – connect people. I’ve been doing this for more than 15 years.”

Eye-Opening Experience

She observed the power of language to effect change within her very first year of teaching. In 1999, as the first teacher of Arabic in a Jewish middle school in Haifa, she was faced with a sixth grader who called her a terrorist. She held an after-class meeting with the student’s parents, and during the meeting, she was surprised to receive an apology from the father, of Israeli-Russian background. He said, “I’m the one who is responsible. I told my son that all the Arabs are terrorists, but I did not realize you were also an Arab. Please forgive me.” By the end of the year, this student was the best in the class. Nagammy clarifies that “as a teacher of Arabic, I teach not just one generation. I give students the opportunity to decide on their own who the Arabs are as a people, and they will affect everyone around them.”

Biggest Challenge

Nagammy feels that the most challenging thing about teaching Arabic is not grammar and mechanics, but worldview. “I try to help students learn who the Arab people really are through the language, the beauty – to enjoy it while they learn, not to hold in their head the image from anti-Arab propaganda. I try to make it a bridge.” She sees Arabic language learning as a way to “connect people to people.” No matter whether she is teaching beginning Arabic students or students who already have a master’s degree in Arabic, she aims to open their way of thinking and communicating through insightful readings, discussions, and debates. She has taught students from all over the world in a whole host of disciplines, such as political science, sociology, gender studies, and more.

Recent Activism & Volunteer Work

Education

  • Ph.D. Candidate, Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (2017)
  • Master’s Degree in Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (2009)
  • Master’s Degree in Education Systems, The Academic College for Education in Israel (2005)
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Arabic and Hebrew Languages, The Arab College of Education, Haifa (1999)

Learn more about Arabic at Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School

Fun Facts about Jerusalem

  • 874,000 residents
  • 2,000+ active archaeological sites
  • 50+ churches, 33 mosques, and 300 synagogues
  • 60+ museums
  • 1,500+ public parks and gardens
  • Some of the olive trees in Jerusalem are more than 800 years old.
  • There are more than 26 wineries in and around Jerusalem.
  • There are more than 50 Christian churches, 33 Muslim mosques, and 300 Jewish synagogues in the city.
  • Jerusalem hosts more than 30 annual festivals for everything from opera to film and from books to wine tasting, the most in all of Israel.
  • Jerusalem hosts Israel’s second-largest Pride parade, which draws more than 25,000 marchers.
  • Jerusalem has over 2,000 archeological sites.
  • There are 90 hotels in Jerusalem hosting over 9,000 hotel rooms.
  • There are over 6,000 species of plants in the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.
  • Jerusalem has 1,578 public gardens and parks

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Pre-Semester Program: “Encountering Jerusalem”
Spring
Practical Hebrew Beginners 4 credits
Israeli Society3 credits
Pre-Semester Program: “Encountering Jerusalem”
Autumn
Practical Hebrew Beginners4 credits
Modern Standard Arabic Beginners 5 credits
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Pre-Semester Program: “Encountering Jerusalem”
Autumn
Practical Hebrew Beginners4 credits
Modern Standard Arabic Beginners 5 credits
Jerusalem: A Journey Through Time and Space3 credits
Pre-Semester Program: “Encountering Jerusalem”
Spring
Practical Hebrew Beginners 4 credits
Israeli Society3 credits