Palestinian Heritage FoundationNewsletter of the Palestinian Heritage Foundation
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On Saturday February 28 Farah and Hanan Munayyer co-founders of the Palestinian Heritage Foundation participated in the historic dedication of the new Bethlehem Museum for History, Heritage and Culture in Bethlehem, Palestine. The Museum had received part of the collection of the Munayyers as a longterm loan, and the exhibit was curated by Hanan. The exciting opening of the Museum was dedicated to the applause of cheering crowd of over 250 invited guests that included personalities from Bethlehem City and the Palestine Authority. Sir Rateb Rabie, KCHS, HCEF President and CEO, whose hard work enabled the establishment of this long awaited dream of the Museum, welcomed the Munayyers and the long list of distinguished guests who included HE Abdul Majid Atta , Mufti of the Bethlehem Governorate; HE Sheikh Maher Assaf, Chaplain of Political Direction; Ms. Virginia Canawati, Head of the Arab Women Union; Archbishop Fuad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and Chairman of HCEF’s Advisory Board ; HE Major General Jibril Bakri, Governor of Bethlehem; HE Rula Ma’ay’ah, Minister of Tourism; HE Vera Baboun, Mayor of Bethlehem; HE Ziad Al-Bandak, Presidential Advisor; and Archbishop Theodosios Atallah Hanna of Sebastia. Also present were June Kunugi, Special Representative of the UN Children’s Fund, Colonel Alaa Shalabi, General Director of the Bethlehem Police, and Counselor Ahmad Abu Ouf, Diplomat of the Egyptian Embassy, and representatives of museums and art galleries in the area.
To learn more about the Museum and the dedication visit www.HCEF.org.
حدث تاريخي تراثي وطني هام في بيت لحم : ” افتتاح متحف بيت لحم”
سيادة المطران عطالله حنٌا
بيت لحم – احتفل عصر اليوم بافتتاح متحف بيت لحم وهو معلم ثقافي تاريخي تراثي جديد يضاف الى معالم بيت لحم التاريخية باعتبارها مدينة الميلاد .
وقد تم انجاز هذا المشروع الثقافي الهام بإشراف مؤسسة الاراضي المقدسة المسيحية المسكونية وجمعية سيدات الاتحاد النسائي العربي في بيت لحم ، وقد حضر حفل الافتتاح حشد كبير من المدعوين تقدمهم رجال الدين المسيحي والاسلامي وممثلوا السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية وشخصيات وطنية واعتبارية واكاديمية وغيرهم .
اقيم الحفل الخطابي اولا في قاعة قصر جاسر حيث تولى الاستاذ فرح منير الآتي من الولايات المتحدة الامريكية وزوجته حنان منير مديرة مؤسسة التراث الفلسطيني في نيوجيرسي .
وقد إبتدأ الحفل بالنشيد الوطني الفلسطيني والوقوف دقيقة صمت إكراما لشهداء فلسطين والامة العربية.
ثم ألقى السيد راتب ربيع رئيس مؤسسة الاراضي المقدسة كلمة ترحيبية بإسم مؤسسة الأراضي المقدسة المسيحية المسكونية ، وكلمة ترحيبية للمربية فرجينيا قنواتي رئيسة جمعية سيدات الاتحاد النسائي العربي في بيت لحم ، وكلمة غبطة البطريرك فؤاد طوال بطريرك اللاتين في القدس ، وكلمة سيادة المطران عطا الله حنا رئيس اساقفة سبسطية للروم الارثوذكس في القدس ، وكلمة السيدة فيرا بابون رئيس بلدية بيت لحم ، وكلمة السيدة رلى معايعة وزيرة السياحة ، وكلمة محافظ بيت لحم الاستاذ جبرين البكري الذي نقل تحية الرئيس الفلسطيني محمود عباس .
وقد اكد المتحدثون في كلماتهم على أهمية هذا الحدث التاريخي في بيت لحم ، ووجهوا الدعوة للسياح والزوار والحجاج الذين يزورون بيت لحم بأن يزوروا هذا المتحف لكي يتعرفوا على التراث الفلسطيني الاصيل والعريق عن كثب ، وأكدوا بأن فلسطين متميزة بأصالتها وتاريخها وتراثها وهذا المتحف يجسد هذا التاريخ وهذه الاصالة التاريخية والانسانية .
وأضافوا بأنه في الوقت الذي فيه يقوم المتطرفون المتخلفون بنسف المتاحف وتدميرها (كما حدث في الموصل) وتدمير دور العبادة والاماكن التاريخية وذبح الابرياء ، فإن فلسطين تفتتح متحفا جديدا مبرزة للعالم بأسره بأنها ستبقى تدافع عن القيم الانسانية والحضارية والروحية .
كما قدموا التهنئة للشعب الفلسطيني ولأهالي بيت لحم على هذا الانجاز الفلسطيني الكبير حيث ان هذا المتحف سيكون معلما مهما من معالم هذه المدينة .
وشكروا كافة القائمين والمتبرعين والممولين وخاصة أولئك الذين قدموا الكثير من القطع التراثية والتاريخية لكي تعرض في هذا المتحف .
وفي الختام انطلق الجميع الى مقر المتحف المقابل لقصر جاسر حيث تم الافتتاح الرسمي وتجول المدعون في أروقته ، وقد أعرب الجميع عن انفعالهم وتأثرهم واشادتهم بهذا المتحف الذي استمر التحضير له لعدة سنوات .
وهذه بعض الصور من افتتاح متحف بيت لحم .
Linda Vulovic of NJ Donates Dresses to Foundation
Mrs. Linda Vulovic has donated three antique embroidered Palestinian dresses to the Palestinian Heritage Foundation. Mrs. Vulovic acquired these dresses from an estate sale from a house three homes down the road from her home in her hometown near Princeton, New Jersey. The dresses come from Bethlehem (Malak dress), Jerusalem region (Ghabani dress) and the third from the Central region of Palestine between Jaffa and Gaza. Seen below are the three dresses with the complementing chest pieces. The dresses’ age range between 1920 and 1930s.
The Foundation would like to thank Mrs. Vulovic (picture below taken with Mrs. Vulovic) for her kindness and generosity.
Mrs. Linda Vulovic with the Munayyers
More Universities Receive Hanan’s Book
Three more university Libraries were added to the long list of universities that received Hanan’s book “Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution”. Wayne State University and Michigan University, both in the state of Michigan were the last two in the United States. Also, one copy of the book was donated to the Balamand University in Tripoli, Lebanon through Dr. Elie Salem, President of the Balamand University. An interesting acknowledgement letter from Ms. Olga Ayyoub, Director/Lecturer of the Issam Fares Library Learning Center at the Balamand can be seen below.
Ballamand University
Wayne State University
University of Michigan
Dear Mr. Munayyer,
I would like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts with you after the valuable gift of “Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution” to the President of the University of Balamand, Dr. Elie Salem, made possible through the generous donation of Mr. & Mrs. Samih Taleb Darwazah.
I would like also to extend a special recognition to the book’s subject, which tackled The Hanan and Farah Munayyer’s collection, a collection that represents much more than the antique dresses it depicts. It is a museum to honor an entire culture currently under threat of destruction.
To close, I would again like to congratulate the authors on this remarkable “Traditional Palestinian Costume” that led heritage to live forever in the diasporic memory of those who never knew it.
Thank you for your interest in building the Issam Fares Library collection at Balamand.
Sincerely,
Olga Ayoub
University of Balamand Librarian
Amazon.com declares Hanan’s book “Out of Stock” !
NOTE………..
In our last newsletter we attached the photo below of a dress with typical Palestinian embroidery worn by a girl representing Israel. Unfortunately some people misunderstood the reasoning behind sending that image out. It is because of this recurring attempts by some, to adopt Palestinian heritage and art as their own, we established this Foundation and gathered this pristine collection. This is precisely why we issued the now (after two years since first published) sold out book “Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution”. and that is to combat attempts by others to adopt this art and eventually claim it as their own, as they did to the humus, falafel, m’jadarra, tabbouleh and baba ghannouj if you wish. Hope that many will understand the motives behind this project and promote it as their own.
Thank you,
Palestinian Heritage Foundation
Dress of typical Palestinian embroidery and contemporary designs adopted by others.
For further information kindly Google ‘Israeli embroidery’
More responses to Hanan’s book:
Thank you a million for sending me the book. It is indeed a highlight in my life to have such a treasure. I am in awe and deep admiration for the work involved in putting together such a masterpiece.
Gloria Debbas
Hello, Farah –
We did receive the book yesterday; it is absolutely beautiful! and a wonderful work of
scholarship. I have added it to our Research Guide under the section on Palestine:
http://guides.lib.wayne.edu/neareastern
(click above link, then click Palestine to see addition of book to university library catalogue).
Thank you very much for arranging for this gift,
Karen A. Liston
Wayne State University
Dear Ms. Munayyer,
Thank you for donating “Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution” to the University of Michigan Library. The book will be enjoyed by students, faculty members and visiting scholars for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Harriet Teller
University of Michigan
PHF: Dear friends, it is in academic circles that this book belongs, and will leave the longest impact ! Once more, thank you Mr. Samih Darwazah for your kind sponsorship.
Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution