In a small Washington town, a community celebrates Palestinian culture
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A chance encounter between two strangers at Ski Hill in Leavenworth, Washington, has grown into a celebration of Palestinian culture.
On Nov. 23, Falastin! In the Valley brought Palestinian culture to North Central Washington. The event also raised awareness and support for those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We wanted to create a celebration of Palestine and Palestinian culture amidst all of this horror and genocide, hate and violence. We wanted to bring this feeling of place and belonging to the Wenatchee Valley,” said Anour Esa, one of the co-organizers of the benefit.
A connection at Ski Hill
The origins of Falastin! In the Valley trace back to an encounter between two strangers six months ago. Esa first spotted Abde Elshafei wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headdress, at a Ski Hill concert in Leavenworth.
“When I moved to Leavenworth six months ago, I thought I was the only Arab and Palestinian in Eastern Washington. I couldn’t be further from the truth. I approached him and I asked if he was Palestinian. Here we are, and that’s how events like these happen,” Esa said.
From that encounter, the two developed a shared vision to create a space to celebrate their Palestinian heritage and to share their culture with the community.
Elshafei, who has organized previous events focused on Palestine, said their shared perspective and passion led to the creation of Falastin! In the Valley.
“We didn’t want this to be just a rally where people chant and hold signs,” Elshafei said. “We wanted a celebration of culture because celebrating our culture is a form of resistance.”
Falastin! In The Valley
The event, which was held at the Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort in Leavenworth, drew more than 200 people. Falastin is the Arabic word for Palestine.
The evening featured an array of cultural performances, including Ahmad Qteifan playing the oud, a traditional Middle Eastern string instrument. Hanady Kader sang alongside him.
Jafra Dabke Team, based in Seattle, performed dabke. Dabke is a traditional Palestinian folk dance. Attendees at the event participated in a community dance, immersing themselves in rhythm and music.
The celebration was also a fundraiser. All proceeds were donated to the United Palestinian Appeal, a nonprofit providing emergency relief and supporting health, education and economic development for Palestinians in Gaza.
Esa and Elshafei said the event was not only a cultural celebration, but also an effort to foster solidarity and action within North Central Washington amid the ongoing violence in Gaza.
Leavenworth Mayor Carl J. Florea attended the event and shared his gratitude for the cultural exchange.
“To me, this is our ultimate act of resistance. It is going to be needed over and over again. That resistance comes in the way of saying we refuse to see those who are different from us as someone to fear. To share together, to connect together — that’s our resistance to what’s happening now in our country,” Florea said.
During the event, organizers also spoke against a bill, Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.
According to a U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee press release, that bill would remove U.S.-based organization’s tax exempt status if an organization is found to be materially supporting a terrorist organization. It would also prevent the IRS from charging penalties to Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained.
Looking ahead, Esa and Elshafei said that the benefit would be a marker to bring people together, spread awareness of what is happening in Gaza and of legislation that could impact local communities in Washington.
“We wanted this to be a jumping-off point,” Esa said. “Whether it’s someone’s first or hundredth event, our goal was to bring people together and remind them how beautiful Palestine and Palestinian culture can be if it is allowed to flourish.”
Reneé Diaz may be contacted at renee.diaz@wenatcheeworld.com. Collaborative reporting by The Wenatchee World, NWPB and WSU’s Murrow College of Communication Newsroom Fellowship.
