Compassion, Hope & Healing

June 2010

In This Issue

The History of Pal Craftaid

Partners in Ministry

Distribution of Pal Craftaid Funds for 2009

Pal Craftaid Founder Named "Woman of Faith" by PC(USA)

Greetings!

Welcome to the first Pal Craftaid e-newsletter. We have sent this newsletter to you because you are one of our customers, a coordinator of a sale of our inventory, a friend or colleague - or all of the above! We hope you will find it enlightening to learn more about Pal Craftaid and its ministry of compassion, hope and healing for Palestinians.

The History of Pal Craftaid

The Rev. Elizabeth "Liz" Knott founded Pal Craftaid in 1993 after participating in a peacemaking trip to Israel/Palestine sponsored by the Global Ministries and Peacemaking Units of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She admits that, prior to the trip, she equated Palestinians and other Arabs with terrorism and she was scared to go. But the experience opened her eyes to the realities that confront Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.

At that time, Liz thought that helping Palestinian craftspeople find markets for olive wood sculptures and traditional needlepoint would be a short-term project, as prospects for peace between Israel and Palestine were good. She enlisted the help of Connie DePond, a good friend, to join her in a ministry, which they called Pal Craftaid. They established relationships with artisans and co-ops and began importing their wares to the United States for sale. Read on...

Liz (right) and friend in Palestine

Partners in Ministry

As the ministry of Pal Craftaid has grown, so have the numbers of artisans and the agencies with which the ministry shares its profits from sales. The projects and agencies primarily serve women and children and most are tied to a Christian church. Among the partners are:

Rawdat El-Zuhur is an elementary school in East Jerusalem with classes ranging from kindergarten through sixth grade.

The Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children in Gaza City has nearly 300 students, aged three to 18, in its educational program.

The Arab Orthodox Society (AOS) is a Christian women's organization. Through AOS, Pal Craftaid has provided financial support to buy medicine, clothing and food for individuals and for families.

Aid to the Aged (ATTA) serves the elderly who live in Jerusalem's Old City and in the West Bank who live separately from their families because of travel restrictions imposed upon Palestinians by Israel, prohibiting easy movement across checkpoints and now by the separation wall.

The YWCA of Palestine continues to provide young women with vocational training, career development and job opportunities. Programs operate in refugee camps and villages for women and children.

Distribution of Pal Craftaid
Funds for 2009

The Pal Craftaid Board met recently and reviewed opportunities to share 2009 sales profits with our partner projects/agencies. We are pleased we were able to distribute the following:

Rawdat El-Zuhur School Scholarships		$5,000
Aid to the Aged		$5,500
Atfaluna Society for the Deaf		$2,000
YWCA of Palestine		$4,500
East Jerusalem Branch Scholarships: $1,500
Ramallah Branch: $1,500
Jericho Branch: $1,500
Arab Orthodox Society - family assistance		$900
Sabeel Liberation Theology Center - women's program		$500
Taybeh Women's Coop		$1,600
Total		$20,000

The Future of Pal Craftaid
As we plan for our future, we want you to work with us.

In upcoming newsletters, we'll introduce you to the ministries of our partners and to the artisans who handcraft the goods. Please check our web page to see inventory and to learn more about our organization (www.palcraftaid.org).

Pal Craftaid Founder
Named "Woman of Faith" by PC(USA)

The Rev. Elizabeth Knott is one of four women scheduled to be honored as a Woman of Faith by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at its 219th General Assembly in July.

The Women of Faith Award was established in 1986 to honor women in PC(USA) whose lives exemplify their Christian commitment through witness, service and leadership. Liz will be honored at the Women of Faith breakfast on Sunday, July 4.

Pal Craftaid will host a reception for Liz and Connie DePond on Wednesday, July 7, at 5 p.m. Tickets to the reception may be purchased by contacting Sarah Humphrey, 2734 Doaks Run Court, Tucker, GA 30084, email sarah.h.humphrey@gmail.com.