Pal Craftaid Lenten Study Available for a Second Year 

by Liz Knott  

Olivewood Crosses Embody the Season 

by Alexa Smith

"In the cross of Christ I glory,

Towering o'er the wrecks of time;

All the light of sacred story

Gathers round its head sublime."

Or so goes the old, old hymn, penned in 1825 by Jon Bowring, an English political economist and hymnist.

And this cross - the elegant jointed cross pictured here - truly does tell the story - from the birth of the infant Jesus to his death and his resurrection. The entire tale is told in delicate detail, only cut into olive wood. The artwork is not unlike the ancient stone crosses in Ireland, which relayed the Biblical story on stone pillars without the use of words.

Designed by woodworkers at Salem Giacaman Sons in Bethlehem, the crosses are cut in a shop just off of Manger Square, where the story, of course, begins.

"Not only are these crosses beautiful," says Pal Craftaid Marketing Chairperson Sheron Antczak, "but, in this season, may be a tool for meditation for adults and an aid for storytelling with children. It is a lovely piece that may be given as a gift, or, kept as a spiritual help."

In the midst of Lent, Pal Craftaid is pleased to offer an assortment of crosses in all sizes, all carved by Giacaman woodcutters:

There is the Holding Cross, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, or in a pocket of your blue jeans, a gentle reminder of the season.

The Celtic crosses are a popular option that come in a variety of sizes. Its circular center harkens back to the time of St. Patrick, according to tradition, representing multiple meanings: A halo. An open tomb. The sun. Infinity and the eternal power of God's love.

There are dainty cross necklaces for women and girls, that may be a confirmation gift, a present tucked inside an Easter basket, or, a timeless gift that will last a lifetime. Heavier versions are suitable for men and boys.

Finally, Pal Craftaid also offers the crucifix in both modern and traditional designs, as well as the Jerusalem Cross. The cross began appearing in Christia n imagery in fourth century and has endured as a symbol of the faith.

For as the hymnist writes:

"Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,

By the cross are sanctified;

Peace is there that knows no measure,

Joys that through all time abide."

$40,000 Pal Craftaid Gift
Boosts Education in East Jerusalem

Educational Commitment Shines at Rawdat School! 

by Connie Depond 

Pal Craftaid Founder Rev. Liz Knott and colleague Connie DePond at the Rawdat El Zuhur School in Jerusalem.

On an October visit to Jerusalem, Liz Knott, Pal Craftaid founder, and colleague Connie DePond, saw the reality of what a few structural changes to the Rawdat El Zuhur School in the city's eastern sector has done to enhance the classroom experience of its elementary school-age students.

The renovation was possible only through a $40,000 donation from Pal Craftaid's Knott-DePond Fund, a campaign run in 2010-2011 to honor Liz and Connie and to support the school's educational commitments to Palestinian children and families. The donation was coupled with a grant from the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA).

Now, the old computer room is a sophisticated science lab that will expand instruction in chemistry, anatomy and health.

The assembly hall is soundproofed so that dancing and music programs do not disturb students in the library next door - and it deters outside noises from

The new science, anatomy, health room.

interrupting instruction.

A smart board with electronic tablets is available for students in the space as well. The old stage that crowded the space was given to a school that could use it. Now the open area creates a fantastic exciting place for dance and concerts.

Pictured (left to right): Principal Raeda Jasser and retired principal Salwa Zananiri.

Rawdat El Zuhur has a student body of 225 and offers courses from kindergarten through the sixth grade. Each year, Pal Craftaid resources support a specific partner-institution in its humanitarian work in the Occupied Territories. The Rawdat School was the focus of the 2010 campaign.

Stoles Galore: Over 100 Designs!

Fida Bannouuih has hand-stitched countless Jerusalem crosses.

by Alexa Smith

Any given Sunday, her work is wrapped softly around the shoulders of pastors in any given country in the world:

Selected online. A gift from a pilgrim parishioner just back from the Holy Land, or, purchased in Jerusalem's Old City, delivered to the Melia Shop there by Fida from her home outside of Bethlehem, about eight miles away.

That's not to mention the pillows, table runners, and other items that stack the store's shelves.

"I like it that my work is all around the world," she says. "I think about that ... (that's part) of my dreams."

A resident of Beit Sahour, Fida has been embroidering for more than 20 years, sitting at home alone, or, working with other women in her town who also send parcels to the Melia Shop of handmade goods. With an injured husband and two children still at home, she is the financial support of her family now.

"And we need her," says Hala Jahshan, praising her versatility with a needle and adding that renewing Fida's permit to travel into the city from the countryside isn't always easy - but very necessary. She designs new patterns and is able to put finishing touches on the fabrics on the shop's sewing machine. With the rough edges neatly done, the fabric becomes a stole or a napkin or a shawl.

Typical stoles done by the cooperatives that feed goods to the Melia Shop are Jerusalem crosses, the fourth century symbol that embodies the city's sacred history. It has a large cross at its center surrounded by four other small crosses.

Interpretations vary about the meaning of the symbol, but vendors say, it could represent Calvary in miniature, the four Gospels, the wounds of Christ, or the kings of Europe who launched the Crusades.

Stoles may be garnished with neatly stitched wheat and grapes, symbolizing the bread of life and the wine given freely at communion. Others include a fish, an early symbol of the faith prevalent in eastern spirituality.

 "Many, many pilgrims like the traditional one, the Jerusalem cross," says Hala, adding that more than 100 designs for stoles are currently in stock. "And that's all. But we keep developing new lines... else you stay just as you are."

So new lines it is. Some coming out of the imaginations of women like Fida who begin by putting a pattern onto paper and then stitching until the design takes shape. Other shoppers send drawings by computer and asked the Melia seamstresses if the image is do-able. If it is possible, the women are quick to give it a try.

The Easter season - and there are three in Jerusalem: Orthodox, Armenian and traditional Catholic - is one of the boom seasons for tourists to visit the shop, exploring the ancient streets after visiting the holy sites in the Old City.

Tourism, these days, is slow, says Hala.

But that doesn't deter the creativity inside the Melia Shop, which new designs continue to come to life.