AKADEMIE FORUM: ALENA JABARINE

Colorful scoops of ice cream, sweet juices, long, balmy nights filled with the chirping of crickets, all set against the backdrop of the safe environment of a large family. These images shape Alena Jabarine’s memories of her childhood summers. Less than 20 kilometers separate her grandparents’ house, which is located in what is now Israel, from the occupied Palestinian territory. As a child, she had only a vague sense that an initially invisible border divided this land into two worlds—with vast differences in terms of rights, life expectancy, and even status in the eyes of the world. In early 2020, Jabarine moved to Ramallah to understand what “Palestine” means: for the people on one side of the wall and for those on the other. And for her own identity. In her book Der letzte Himmel, she tells stories of humanity and joie de vivre, but also of resistance. Stories that help us understand the reality in Israel and Palestine.

Born in Hamburg in 1985, Alena Jabarine is of German-Palestinian origin and holds German and Israeli citizenship. She grew up in Hamburg, studied politics, and completed a journalism traineeship at NDR. She subsequently worked primarily for public service broadcasters. From 2020 to 2023, she lived in Ramallah, where she worked for a foundation. During this time, she began posting on Instagram about the everyday lives of the Palestinian people and explaining political contexts. Particularly since the start of the current war in Gaza, she has been regularly invited as an expert speaker, including at the NATO Defence College in Rome, the Münchner Kammerspiele, and the Berliner Ensemble. She is one of the few Palestinian voices in the German public discourse.

Presented in German and English
Featuring a musical contribution by students of the Barenboim-Said Akademie