Newsletter

COVID-19 Response

On April 21st, Playgrounds for Palestine sent a survey to our donors about using some of our funds for a COVID-19 emergency direct aid.  The response from our supporters was overwhelmingly in the affirmative.    Families throughout Palestine have been hard hit by the pandemic, particularly those who rely on income from day labor in Israel.  The villages of East and West Toura, southwest of Jenin are no exceptions.  They were historically agricultural communities that produced wheat, olives, tobacco, and various produce.  However, as Israel confiscated nearly all village farmlands in the early 2000s, breadwinners were forced to work in Israel as day laborers.  Since the pandemic lockdown took effect in early March, few have been able to work and families have been facing severe shortages. To help alleviate some of the hardship, PfP worked with the village council to distribute direct

Invite Reminder

  …helping children reclaim their childhoods March 29 2016 Dear Friends of PfP, Tickets are going fast for our annual fundraiser dinner, the evening of SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2016 It’s not likely that we will be able to accommodate ticket sales at the door this year; so, if you’re planning to attend, please reserve your tickets here.   The dinner will take place at the exquisite, gorgeous space of “Material Culture” in Philly (see pictures below).  And back by popular demand, both Remi Kanazi and Farah Siraj will join us! Both artists took our breath away in past events and we feel so privileged to have them back, in the same evening no less! Remi is a spoken word artist.

Save The Date Annual Dinner 2016

      …helping children reclaim their childhoods January 2016 Dear Friends of PfP, It’s that time of year again.  If you’re anywhere near Philly, mark your calendars for our annual dinner, the evening of SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2016 We are so excited about this fundraiser, as it promises to be a spectacular evening. For starters, back by popular demand, both Remi Kanazi and Farah Siraj will join us! Both artists took our breath away in past events and we feel so privileged to have them

End of Year

  Playgrounds for Palestine …helping children reclaim their childhoods December 31, 2015 Dear Friends of PfP, We want to send you a heartfelt THANK YOU for your generosity and love in 2015, and all the years before.  As we look toward a new year, we send you a few pictures of the joy and play you helped make happen.  Happy New Year! Love, PfP Olive Oil, Always… Get your Fair Trade, USDA Certified Organic Palestinian Olive Oil here. Both the Rumi and Nabali olive oils come in elegant 500 mL bottles or Jerusalem Blend in IL tin cans. [shipped only in the U.S.] Join us on Facebook       Follow us on

Nov 2015 Holiday Appeal Take 2

  …helping children reclaim their childhoods November 15, 2015 Dear Friends of PfP, Our website was hacked the day after we sent our annual letter appeal.  We had such a time getting (and keeping) the website back up, but it seems to be okay now.  We hope. So we’re sending out the same letter again. 🙂 In 2015, PfP built seven playgrounds in Palestine, serving an estimated 4,500 children in different villages.  We also launched a Play Therapy program in Gaza and built an amphitheatre in Mashjar Juthour.  In 2016, Al Yasmin Society playground for children with disabilities is our top priority, now that the center is nearly complete. It has been our great privilege, thanks to you, to witness the joy

Nov 2015 Holiday Appeal

  …helping children reclaim their childhoods December 1, 2015 Dear Friends of PfP, In 2015, PfP built seven playgrounds in Palestine, serving an estimated 4,500 children in different villages.  We also launched a Play Therapy program in Gaza and built an amphitheatre in Mashjar Juthour.  In 2016, Al Yasmin Society playground for children with disabilities is our top priority, now that the center is nearly complete. It has been our great privilege, thanks to you, to witness the joy these playgrounds inspire in young lives.  This holiday season, we honor

Nov 2015 Holiday Appeal

  …helping children reclaim their childhoods November 2015 Dear Friends of PfP, In 2015, PfP built seven playgrounds in Palestine, serving an estimated 4,500 children in different villages.  We also launched a Play Therapy program in Gaza and built an amphitheatre in Mashjar Juthour.  In 2016, Al Yasmin Society playground for children with disabilities is our top priority, now that the

July 2015 Newsletter

  …helping children reclaim their childhoods July 2015 Dear Friends of PfP, We’re happy to report that we just completed the installation of three playgrounds, two of which were ready in time for the Eid celebrations. We’d like to share with you some photos and a letter we received from Lajee Center, in the Aida Refugee Camp, one of the locations of a new playground and family garden.   With love,

June 2015 Newsletter

  …helping children reclaim their childhoods June 2015 Dear Friends of PfP, We’ve been very busy the past few months and have some exciting news.  We have procured excellent equipment for SEVEN new playgrounds, which will be installed in SIX locations throughout the West Bank.  We are scrambling right now to have them all ready in time for for the Eid holiday. We’re so excited about these playgrounds and hope to have pictures of the installed versions, with children enjoying them, by Eid on July 17th.  Stay tuned on that front. In the meantime, we

April 2015

  …helping children reclaim their childhoods April 2015 2015 Gala Was Wonderful!  Thank you to all our supporters for another wonderful annual gala! This was one of our most successful (in terms of money raised). The event was held at the Sheraton Hotel in University City, Philadelphia, a new venue for us that turned out to be perfect, and not just because parking was free! Here are some highlights:  Our theme was “be part of the harvest” with a central focus on Palestinian olive oil, which sustains large sectors of Palestinian society and is a major aspect of PfP’s fundraising efforts Stephanie Sena (board member) opened with a warm welcome speech We were insanely fortunate to have Amer Zahr as our emcee. His unflinching Palestinian-ness, natural hilarity, quick wit and deep intelligence provided the perfect framework for all other aspects of the event. Amer

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Phoenix Elementary in Gaza

We are excited to announce the launch of an initiative we’ve been working on for a while. PfP established a school in Gaza for grades 1-5. We’re in our third week now of operation and it’s amazing. The school is a mixture of traditional and non-traditional learning. The first few days were focused on getting to know each other, consulting with children about what they want to get out of the school, how they want to decorate the space, and assessing their skills

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Play, while it cannot change the external realities of children’s lives, can be a vehicle for children to explore and enjoy their differences and similarities and to create, even for a brief time, a more just world where everyone is an equal and valued participant.