Virtual Lecture: Tatreez Symbolisms – Interpreting Meaning in Palestinian Embroidery Motifs & Al Naksa
Date: Friday, June 6, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Online, Zoom link will be emailed 24 hours prior to event
Instructor: Wafa Ghnaim, Dress Historian, Researcher & Educator
Registration Fee: Sliding scale

Join Wafa Ghnaim, dress historian and fashion researcher, for a lecture exploring the foundational symbolisms in Palestinian embroidery (tatreez) that have endured across time—and how their meanings have evolved across generations and geographies.

The forced displacement of over 750,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1950—known as al-Nakba, or “the catastrophe”—radically transformed Palestinian dressmaking traditions, altering both the motifs and their meanings. Profound shifts emerged during key moments of Palestinian political history: the 1960s, particularly surrounding the Six-Day War of 1967, and the First Intifada from 1987 to 1993. In refugee camps and diasporic communities, embroidery endured—but its motifs took on new urgency. Once tied to specific towns or villages, embroidery motifs began to signify a shared national identity. How did these changes occur? How did tatreez signify resistance?

This lecture commemorates the Six-Day War (June 5–10, 1967), which began the ongoing Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. In the wake of this seismic event, tatreez shifted in its meaning and function as a form of cultural expression. From the intimate labor of individual women’s hands to the international recognition of Palestinian embroidery by UNESCO in 2021 as Intangible Cultural Heritage, tatreez continues to serve as a vessel of collective memory and a historical record of the Palestinian people.

What You’ll Receive:

• Live access to the 2-hour lecture

• A recording for 7 days after the live session

Important Notes:

• All proceeds support the sustainability of independent, non-institutionally affiliated research, providing essential stability and security for the instructor. If you are able to contribute further to this work, donations are welcome here: tatreezandtea.com/shop/donation

• Tickets are nonrefundable.

• This is a live virtual event hosted via Zoom. If you are unable to attend live, you may still register to receive access to the recording.

• Registration closes at 10:00 AM EST on June 6, 2025.

• Waiting room closes at 12:30 PM EST.

• All participant names should match their registration name.

• A Zoom link will be sent to registered participants the day before the event.

• The instructor reserves the right to review and decline registrations at her discretion to ensure a respectful and safe learning environment for all participants.

• Camera sharing is required for all attendees.