2nd Annual Palestinian Cultural Fair in Jersey City Unites Community Members across New Jersey

This Sunday, March 22nd, the 2nd Annual Palestinian Cultural Fair and Culture was held at Grace Church Van Vorst, Jersey City. The festival, organized by Ceasefire Now NJ and members from the Jersey City community, included a variety of vendors, exhibitions, educational materials, and workshops to celebrate the culture of Palestine. Organizations from across New Jersey participated in the fair, such as American Muslims for Palestine, NJ Families for Palestine, NJ Peace Action, Palestinian American Community Center (PACC), and Jewish Voice for Peace. 

It was a moment to bring Palestinian representation to Jersey City. It’s also an educational moment to bring awareness to Jersey City citizens, ” Santa-Li Zambrano, one of the lead organizers, shared. “We started last year and it was a major success. This year we are bigger and better!” The fair is also an opportunity to fundraise for multiple relief organizations that support citizens of Palestine. This year, all of the donations went to Prosthetics for Palestine, Playgrounds for Palestine, and HEAL Palestine. 

Different from last year’s fair, this year the organizers invited Leila Hegazy,  an Egyptian-Italian-American singer-songwriter and political organizer in New York City, to perform.

Deeply rooted in the Palestinian liberation movement, Hegazy performed songs from her album “We Are the Resistance,” which tackled the brutality of the genocide and gave hope to many of the listeners.

Many vendors shared their culture and story through this event. Samar Hussaini, a Palestinian artist from Jersey City, showcased many of her wearable art pieces, including dresses, bags, and button pins, that incorporated a traditional Palestinian embroidery method called tatreez. “I love the idea of wearable art. When a piece starts from being in a museum or gallery so that only a few people can see, to being worn outside so that everyone can see, it creates a greater opportunity for conversation, to talk about Palestinian culture and identity.” Hussaini frequently holds tatreez workshops to teach others the art, making sure that it is preserved. “It’s been really hard, but being surrounded by a community who supports you is very fulfilling,” Hussaini said. The fair also held its own tatreez workshop, where many children and adults tried their hand in the meticulous cross-stitching art. Aside from art, many of the vendors also sold trinkets made by Palestinians, henna, and traditional Palestinian food such as hummus and knafeh. 

“It’s very inspiring,” Steve Krinsky, a local Jersey City resident, exclaimed. “I heard about it because I saw flyers and also because I live across the street. It’s heartwarming to see all these nice people supporting Palestinian culture and Palestinian rights.”

“The goal of this event, in this horrible climate we live in, is a chance to come together and celebrate Palestinian culture,” Kathy Koch, a member from Ceasefire Now NJ, said. “New Jersey is so impacted right now because there are many families, mainly from Paterson and Clifton, who lost so many family members due to the war. That is why it is important to have this event. We want to provide a safe haven to connect with these families.”