Dear, Reader

As many of us sit down for, gathered with family around the Christmas tree, perhaps presents wrapped and food abundant, I sit with the original myth we are celebrating these days - the birth of Jesus, a Palestinian Jew - born in Bethlehem. I'm not religious, but I sit with what it means to be human in a time where a part of our humanity is suffering immensely and unjustly.

The real people of Bethlehem today are under siege, the destruction systematic and relentless. So I sit with the discomfort and the cognitive dissonance I am feeling about it. I am sorry I don't have comfort to offer during these times, but I can offer connection and relationship to something beautiful and life-affirming.

Ove the past few years, I've been supporting a social impact non-profit based in Bethlehem - Ibtikar Palestine. Sulaima Ramadan, their brilliant founder and I were matched through the She Entrepreneurs programme in 2024. And it is Ibtikar this offering comes from.

I will let Sulaima's words tell their own story below, but I wanted to highlight the meaning of their work. They foster a social entrepreneurship ecosystem with education and encourage Palestinians to use their creativity to respond to social issues and contribute effectively to building a fairer, more caring, and equal society.

For one of their projects, they employ women artisans, who create, weave and embroider beautiful things, based on indigenous, thousands of years old patterns - preserving Palestinian cultural heritage - resisting its destruction one stitch at a time. It's the spirit of sumud, a special kind of resilience.

Just holding their creations in my hands, I am in awe. Maybe you will be, too. You can read more about their creations below.

I invite you into not just prayers for peace (although those are welcome, too) - but a relational responsibility that refuses to turn the blind eye and offers tangible support.

Happy festivites - in solidarity and with dreams of justice 🇵🇸✨🕊️
Martina

Letter from Sulaima

Dear Friend,
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One of Ibtikar’s cornerstone efforts is the Palestinian Puppet Project, launched in 2023 to keep our heritage alive by faithfully recreating the traditional attire of our ancestors—Bethlehem, Hebron, Jerusalem, Gaza, Jaffa, Nablus, and beyond. Each puppet is handcrafted by women artisans and accompanied by a short note about the dress and the place it represents. The project exists to turn heritage craft into steady, fairly paid work for less-served women and their families.
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From a quiet corner of the workshop I just described, I write to you. The kettle clicks. A needle moves through fabric. Wood shavings line the edge of a table. In years of closures and uncertainty, we’ve learned to count time by small beginnings—a first stitch, a first sale, a first month’s rent paid.
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​Last Christmas, 45 women worked at Ibtikar. Today, 62 do. That isn’t just a number; it’s 62 families with income, 62 kitchens with groceries, 62 homes where children see their mothers’ craft become dignity and wages. Your kindness helped grow that circle.
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These women make things that last, Palestinian puppets with tender stories stitched in, embroidered purses and bags, mosaic wooden boxes that catch the light, and keffiyehs whose patterns carry memory from one generation to the next. These are not souvenirs; they are livelihoods.
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Last week, a mother of two finished an embroidered purse, ran her palm over the final seam, and smiled. “This one paid the electricity,” she said. That is what your purchase does here: it turns worry into a receipt, and a receipt into a breath.
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If you want your Christmas giving to mean something real this year, here are simple ways to help:
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​1) Choose a gift made in Bethlehem.​
Browse photos of our puppets, purses, mosaic boxes, and embroidered keffiyehs:
​https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wzwty0SOzYSdNwp_-RatQBeuBpBZJ_5b/edit​
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​2) Write to sulaima.ibtikar@gmail.com or ibtikarpal@gmail.com—and we’ll help you select, personalize, and ship.
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​3) Sponsor a batch of work.​
We can match you (or your company) with a small production run. You’ll receive the items and a short maker’s note, beautiful, meaningful gifting at scale.
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​4) Send the story forward.​
If you can’t purchase right now, please share this message with someone who might. One share truly matters here.
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When you hold an Ibtikar piece, you hold a steady wage, a kept tradition, and a quiet act of solidarity. From our hands to yours, you help keep Bethlehem’s craft alive—beautifully, and with purpose.
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Thank you for reading, for caring, and for standing with us in a season that asks for tenderness and courage. May this Christmas carry a little more light to every home.​
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With gratitude from Bethlehem,
Sulaima Ramadan
on behalf of the Ibtikar Team
​Ibtikar for Empowerment and Social Entrepreneurship​
Bethlehem, Palestine

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