TATREEZ & TEA CENTRAL MEMBER LEVEL
The Village Series
Class Type: Pre-recorded lectures
Prerequisite: None
Cost: $180 per year, or $30 per month
Description: The Village Series is at the heart of the Tatreez Institute’s approach to teaching Palestinian dress history. The series builds on more than 20 cohorts of students taught between 2021 and 2023, a tried and true curriculum that has taught thousands of students to teach Palestinian embroidery in their communities. This 11-lecture series is a comprehensive study of Palestinian women’s embroidery traditions, dress, and ensembles between 1850 and 1948, spanning 23 regions, towns, and tribal areas. These are art historical lectures and there is no stitching component to the course.
Each lecture examines regional distinctions in dress, textiles and materials, embroidery techniques and patterns, garment construction, and the visual details that allow us to distinguish between regional styles. Wafa also addresses common myths and misconceptions about Palestinian dress found online, discusses the challenges of researching historical dress, and provides practical guidance for identifying garments in your own collections and communities.
Throughout the series, Wafa draws extensively from the Tatreez Institute Dress Collection to demonstrate the importance of close looking and the study of material and visual details. Objects from the collection provide a foundation for examining regional differences, identifying garments, evaluating sources, and understanding how dress can preserve and communicate cultural history. The series is designed for students, community members, collectors, researchers, educators, and anyone seeking a more rigorous foundation in the study of Palestinian dress.
Wafa is currently re-recording all lectures with updated research! Sessions that are not yet available in the portal will be released according to the schedule below. Each lecture is approximately two hours, for a total of approximately 22 hours of recorded lecture content.
Classes Include
Introduction: Thinking About SWANA Dress Research
1 hour 41 minutes
Session 1: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Nablus & Tubas
1 hour 49 minutes
Session 2: Bir Saba, South Gaza & North Sinai Bedouin Styles
1 hour 49 minutes
Session 3: Diaspora Styles, Contemporary Fashions & Non-Regional Styles After 1948
2 hours 8 minutes
Session 4: Coastal Regions: Yaffa, Al Majdal, Asdud & Gaza City
1 hour 53 minutes
Session 5: The Ramallah Region
Coming November 1, 2026
Session 6: The Galilee Region: Nazareth, Safad, Acre & Surrounding Areas
Coming December 1, 2026
Session 7: The Al Khalil (Hebron) Region
Coming January 15, 2027
Session 8: Jericho & the Dead Sea
Coming February 15, 2027
Session 9: The Lake Huleh Bedouins
Coming March 15, 2027
Conclusion: The Tatreez Inheritance Dress Collection, Inheritance & Rematriation
Coming June 15, 2027
*Additional courses for this module are being considered by the instructor in accordance with new publications Wafa is releasing in 2027. Please share your ideas and thoughts on what else you’d like to learn by contacting Wafa at Wafa.ghnaim@gmail.com.
WHAT YOU GET
~22 hours of recorded lectures prepared, researched and presented by Wafa Ghnaim.
Lectures that never expire, however, they may be updated and swapped out with more recent lectures.
FINE PRINT
Please review and agree to the Community Guidelines prior to registration. Failure to comply will result in immediate termination without refund.