Thank you to everyone who’s checked in, sent a message, or opened your hearts — and your homes — to us. We’re deeply grateful.
We wanted to take a moment to write from here and share a bit of what these past few days have felt like in Yaffa.
With Israel’s strike on Iran, all that we’ve witnessed and felt for the past nearly two years has been exacerbated. Palestinian spaces, already under threat, face increased insecurity. The violent fragmentation and chokehold of the West Bank is being further deepened with added checkpoints, forced displacements through military sieges of towns and camps, and unchecked settler violence. In Gaza, aid sites meant to provide sustenance more rampantly have turned to sites of massacres.
In Yaffa, there is growing fear amongst Palestinians for their lives. There are no easily accessible shelters for hundreds of families, especially in historic Palestinian neighborhoods like Ajami, Jabaliyyeh and Nuzha - where there has been systematic neglect of public infrastructure for decades. We have elderly and disabled family members that have no shelter, which has meant that they either stay under constant threat or are staying with other family members.
Yesterday, shrapnel fell on the main street in Yaffa, Yefet, or historic Hilweh Street — right here in the heart of the city. It wasn’t a direct hit. But the shockwave shattered windows, blew open shutters, and damaged homes — many of them already hanging by a thread.
Thankfully, no one was killed. But the impact was real. And in a place where so many live without a safety net, even material losses carry weight.
We don’t know where this is headed. But even as things get heavier here, our focus remains on Gaza. And everything that we're experiencing only highlights the devastation and impossible circumstances families there are living through. Over 600 days of constant bombardment.
No shelters. No sirens. No alerts.
Just destruction and death, day after day.
That reality shapes how we see our own situation. It keeps us grounded. The past week has amplified our relative privilege — and our responsibility to keep doing the work: promoting Palestinian craftsmanship, and making sure their craft and our cultural heritage continue to be seen, valued, and carried forward.
The shop itself has been quiet. Some days, simply showing up feels like a way to hold our ground.
If you’ve been looking for a way to stay close, or to stay connected to Palestinian art and culture through Hilweh — our online shop is still open. International shipping is paused for now. But if there’s something you’ve had your eye on, you’re welcome to order.
We’ll wrap it with care, and send it your way as soon as we can.
Take care of yourselves, and those around you. <3