Palestinian Food and Identity

Palestinian food carries stories of home, land, family, labor, season, and survival. It comes from village kitchens and city markets, from farms, bakeries, ports, orchards, and family tables, and it continues to preserve memory across generations despite exile, occupation, erasure, and appropriation.

On Thursday, July 16, The Jerusalem Fund will host Palestinian American chef and activist Jinan Deena, founder of Bayti, for a workshop on Palestinian food and identity.

Jinan will lead a conversation on the history of Palestinian food sovereignty, the agricultural roots of Palestinian cuisine, and the ways food has become a site of cultural preservation and political struggle. The workshop will also address food erasure and appropriation, ethical consumption, boycotts, and how people can support Palestinian farmers, food producers, chefs, and businesses.

The evening will include a presentation, Q&A, and small bites prepared by Jinan for participants to enjoy at the end of the workshop. Palestina sodas will also be available.

Bayti, meaning “my home” in Arabic, brings together Palestinian cuisine, hospitality, and activism. Through pop-ups, workshops, and educational events, Jinan’s work invites people to encounter Palestinian food as a living tradition rooted in land, memory, and resistance.

Space is limited. Advance registration is required.

All ticket proceeds go to the workshop facilitator.

Small bites will be served at the end of the workshop. This is not a full dinner.