About Lissan
About Lissan
Lissan (Arabic for “language” or “tongue”) has been working for over a decade to advance gender and social equality in Jerusalem through Hebrew-language education, grounded in the understanding that language is a vital resource and a basic right. In our vision, Jerusalem is a bilingual city, where Arabic and Hebrew are equally present in the public sphere. Through Lissan’s programs, women from East Jerusalem and other communities with heightened language barriers gain Hebrew-language skills and confidence, helping to remove language barriers that limit their ability to navigate the city independently. Lissan’s courses open access to resources, the realization of rights, and opportunities for higher education and employment.
Jerusalem: One City, Lived in Parallel Worlds
Jerusalem is a city divided by language, services, and walls. Home to more than one million residents, it is marked by deep inequalities between East and West.
While the city’s residents share hospitals, workplaces, and municipal offices, many live in parallel worlds separated by history, politics, and the ability to speak each other’s language. More than 435,000 Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, nearly 39% of the city’s population, live under long-standing structural neglect, with significant gaps in infrastructure, public services, and economic opportunities compared to Jewish neighborhoods.
Today, more than 75% of Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem live below the poverty line, including approximately 70% of children.
This is the reality Lissan works within, and works every day to transform.
Lissan works to bridge gaps and expand access to rights, opportunities, and community connections in Jerusalem. Through practical, culturally sensitive Hebrew language education, we remove everyday barriers and enable women to navigate the city more independently and with greater confidence.
Our work is rooted in partnership: a shared community of Palestinian and Jewish Israeli staff, teachers, and volunteers working together to advance linguistic justice, gender equality, and a more equitable city.
Impact
With over a decade of experience, Lissan has:
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Supported more than 3,500 women in building language skills that enable access to rights, resources, and opportunities
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Built an active, binational community of hundreds of Palestinian and Jewish Israeli volunteers, teachers, and staff
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Developed and continues to develop specialized, culturally responsive teaching materials tailored to the needs of East Jerusalem communities