Nina Cullers

I was born in Katamon, West Jerusalem during the British Mandate. My family on both sides is Greek Orthodox, members of Mar Yacoub Church, which is adjacent to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. After the Nakba, we lived in Bethlehem. I went to Al Ummah High School and after graduating I worked for UNRWA, in Hebron, Dheisheh camp, and Beit Safafa, as teacher, Head Teacher and Practice Teacher Supervisor. UNRWA then gave me a scholarship to get a degree from the Beirut College for Women, BCW, now American Lebanese University.
I graduated College in 1969 at the time of the Six Day War. Israel would not allow me to join my family in Bethlehem and I came to the USA to spend a year with the Church of The Brethren, joining their Brethren Volunteer Program. The church sent me all over the country speaking from coast to coast about the Refugees, and the Nakba.

After my BVS tour, and with an exchange visa, I taught Public School in Maryland for 2 years during which I tried and failed to petition for citizenship. In 1970, I received notifications from the State Department that I was going to be deported, because my visa expired. Nothing, I or my friends tried to do would alter that. Israel still continued to deny me entrance to join my family. The only country that allowed me citizenship was Jordan. In the meanwhile, I had met my husband and getting married to him gave me the citizenship that I sought. This enabled me to bring my family from Bethlehem to join me. I taught school in Luray, Virginia retiring in 1999.

I have joined the Episcopal church in my town, and am active in my church. I continue to be active with some Palestinian and Educational organizations, including the Bethlehem Association of which I have been a Board member for 26 years. I am still married to my husband, and have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. My parents joined me in the USA in1974, and so did my brother and sister. I continue to be active working on Palestinian advocacy groups. This year I published my memoir "Living through The Nakba" Tales of a Palestinian Youth. I am now trying to market my memoir and maybe write a sequel to that.