Jenin / PNN / Video by Yara Mansour, text editing by Dina Al-Arja —From the city of Jenin comes the story of “Namliyet Min Zaman – Shughul Sitti w Sittak”, an organisation founded in 2003 by Hiyam Abu Zahra to honour the vision of her son, the late journalist Imad Abu Zahra. For him, preserving Palestinian heritage was more than safeguarding an old past — it was an act of resistance, a defence of identity, and a reaffirmation of existence.Abu Zahra said the association was created out of a deep belief that heritage forms the roots Palestinians stand upon, and that losing it means losing a part of who they are.She said her son always stressed that traditional culture is the living memory of Palestinians, and that passing it down across generations is a form of cultural and social resilience.Her passion for history and heritage is what pushed her to continue the path he began.She explained that her love for handicrafts began during her years as a teacher, spending long nights embroidering and making traditional crafts despite family responsibilities.Abu Zahra said the name of the association reflects its mission and the essence of Palestinian heritage. The namliyeh — a wooden food-storage cabinet once found in every household — embodied the charm, efficiency and simplicity of life in the past.“It kept insects and animals out, it wasn’t expensive or complicated, and it served everyone,” she said. “Unlike today, when everything is costly and exhausting, especially for poor and low-income families.”A name rooted in heritageShe said the namliyeh was tightly sealed to prevent insects or household animals from entering — “even ants could not get in,” she added — making it the only method available to Palestinians for preserving food before the invention of refrigerators.“No home was without one,” she said. “It was kept in the kitchen and was even part of the bride’s dowry in some periods — a chest that accompanied her to her new home to store food, clothes and valuables.”Traditionally made by carpenters, the namliyeh consisted of three levels: one for food storage, another for clothing, and a lower shelf for jars of pickles and cheeses. It also included two drawers for cutlery and cooking tools.“The top compartment had a mesh door for ventilation,” she said. “It was both a refrigerator and a cupboard.”Abu Zahra said the namliyeh appeared in the early 20th century and spread widely before and after the 1948 Nakba, remaining in use until the early 1970s. Some families, she added, still keep one in their homes today.A mother turning her son’s dream into a living projectAfter her son’s killing, Abu Zahra went through a difficult period but, with the support of her husband and family, transformed the idea into a functioning initiative that serves other women and carries a cultural message beyond handicrafts.The association began by gathering women skilled in embroidery, traditional food production and heritage crafts, forming the first core group of the initiative.“Our aim was to empower women and turn heritage from a memory into a living cultural and economic project,” she said.The namliyeh rebornSince founding the association, Abu Zahra has made sure to design and produce modern versions of the namliyeh in her centre, built to the same shape and traditional specifications.She maintains three of them, each used to display women’s handmade products and heritage foods celebrated for their quality and flavour.“The namliyeh has three sections,” she said. “One for old-style foods — pickles, dried vegetables, garlic and pomegranate strings displayed on top; one for embroidered items and handmade crafts; and drawers for embroidered accessories.”The centre also houses a large collection of heritage items: old refrigerators and freezers, grinding tools, copper pots, straw trays, traditional bread containers (lajoun), kerosene lanterns, and bridal trousseau items.These objects, she said, “are relics of the past that make me proud.” Preserving and sharing them with the younger generation is essential, she added, as many young visitors had never seen such items before.“When we opened the centre, older visitors were moved to tears as it brought back memories. They photographed everything. This is heritage that cannot be sold — and it is our duty to protect it.”A space for women and cultural learningAbu Zahra said the association has become a space for producing and showcasing embroidered works, traditional food and handicrafts. It also hosts cultural, social and religious programmes and trains young people on heritage skills to ensure their survival.The association documents the traditional Palestinian wedding with all its stages, including the groom’s procession after the pre-wedding bath, the bride’s horse procession, and the Palestinian dabke — all to preserve these inherited customs.Through her work, Abu Zahra said she represents “the Palestinian woman who, despite loss, imprisonment and deprivation, continues to create, produce and preserve her identity and heritage.”The Palestinian Women’s Cultural Heritage Association in Jenin was founded on the initiative of the late journalist Imad Abu Zahra, the son of its director, Hiyam Abu Zahra.Born in Haifa on 13 March 1948, she fled with her family to Jenin following the Nakba, where she completed her education and later worked briefly as a teacher with UNRWA before leaving due to difficult circumstances.She married educator Subhi Abu Zahra in 1966 and raised eight children, including two daughters, while mastering traditional crafts rooted in Palestinian heritage.This story was produced as part of the Qarib Programme, implemented by CFI – the French Media Development Agency, with funding from the French Agency for International Development (AFD).