Birzeit University’s campus is perched on a hill overlooking a stretch of hills that roll down to the Mediterranean. The campus looms over Khirbet Birzeit, the ancient site of “Berzotho” mentioned by Roman historian Josephus.

The University’s massive clusters of buildings and imposing stone cut facades follow a contemporary model of construction, contrasting greatly with the surrounding rocky terraced olive groves and small villages that huddle in the bosom of the Palestinian landscape.

For those who attended the University before 1980 or so, this is the “new” campus; the “old” campus is the intimate setting of the Nasir family home and the neighboring buildings that formed the campus of the elementary school in 1924 and later, the community college and university.

At the Heart of Culture

Built at the end of the Ottoman rule, the Nasir house still stands as testimony to the beauty of indigenous Palestinian architecture, both in structure and style. The house is typical of traditional large family mansions in Palestinian towns and villages in the late nineteenth century. From a spacious garden courtyard, a large arched wooden door leads to a long cross-vaulted hall, floors tiled with huge polished flagstones.

The two narrow windows symmetrically placed on each side of the doorway bring a dim light into the room and a soft coolness. The student lockers are still there, vivid reminders of earlier days. Doors from that hallway also lead to a complex extension of other rooms and halls that once functioned as the student and teachers’ refectory, the kitchen, and the registration and finance offices.

As Birzeit School expanded into a two-year college and eventually a full- fledged university, so did its physical space. The faculties, classrooms, and offices were scattered here and there in small rented buildings and traditional domed houses in the depth of what was then Birzeit village. The “old campus” was friendly and picturesque, with classrooms surrounded by fruit gardens and vines.

It wasn’t uncommon for lectures to be interrupted by the sound of a donkey braying outdoors or a peddler listing his goods; nor was it unusual to see a goat’s face suddenly appearing between the bars of a wrought iron window or to smell freshly baked bread in a traditional taboun (communal bakery, where bread is baked on an open flame) or a meal being cooked in a nearby house. It was that particular intimate setting, rooted in history and culture, which gave the old campus its charm and character and is most remembered by its alumni.

Defying Isolation

Since its establishment as a girls’ school in 1924, Birzeit has always placed a premium on cultural activities and viewed them as essential in the development of creative, dynamic, and imaginative individuals. Over the years, Birzeit University has assumed a role both as an organizer of cultural events and as a venue for major cultural activities. The University’s amateur student music, dance, and theater groups (Sanabel, Juthoor, and Mawasim, respectively) performed locally and internationally and played an important role in enhancing the cultural spirit of Birzeit and Palestine and defying the cultural isolation imposed on Palestinian society by the occupation.

For Palestinians, the act of sumoud (steadfastness) and the protection and promotion of Palestinian cultural heritage have become forms of resistance, essential in confronting the escalating threat of the loss of the land, house demolitions, the uprooting of olive trees, and the appropriation of Palestinian material culture.

This spirit of sumoud prompted the hosting of the Palestinian International Summer Festival of Music and Dance, in partnership with the Popular Arts Center, throughout the 1980s. The Festival was a landmark in Palestine’s cultural activities, drawing thousands of spectators every year.

Performers have included world-renowned dancing troupes and singers, such as the Chilean folk music group Quilapaun; the United Kingdom percussion, movement, and visual comedy troupe Stomp; and the popular French-Algerian singer Racheed Taha. Audiences enthusiastically responded to these performers by singing and dancing with them.

During one summer festival, a prototype of a Palestinian village was built of painted Styrofoam, recreating meandering streets, courtyards, traditional cafés, and craft shops. Artisans, including glass blowers and potters from Hebron, women rug weavers from Samou‘, and the mother of pearl and wood carving artisans from Bethlehem, proudly demonstrated their traditional skills in makeshift stands. These festivals and activities were in a sense a purging experience in the face of extreme repression by the Israeli military occupation.

The annual Heritage Week is designed to combat the threat of cultural isolation, as well as to raise awareness and involvement in the protection of culture heritage. Organized by the Student Council, Heritage Week attracts visitors from the local community, who attend the cultural exhibits, musical performances, dances, and educational programs held over the course of a week. Displays include ethnographic collections and artifacts ranging from farmers’ tools and domestic pottery ware to straw objects and embroidered costumes.

Another much-acclaimed public cultural event is the annual Suk Okaz poetry competition that has been a feature of Birzeit’s life since the founding of the elementary school. The event gives competitors an opportunity to demonstrate their skill in memorizing and reciting classical Arabic poetry.