Speakers: Museum Registrar Bahaa Al-Jubeh and Collector Maha Abu Shusheh

Thursday, July 29| 18:00
Location: The Palestinian Museum social media platforms

Join us to learn the story of 80 embroidered Palestinian dresses (thobes) that traveled from Palestine to the United States three decades ago. They were acquired and preserved by Palestinian and Arab-American women from the Committee for the Preservation of Palestinian Heritage (CPPH), in Washington, DC. The collection of Thobes and their accessories have finally made it home to Palestine, where they will be preserved at the Palestinian Museum.

Join us to hear the story of the 80 thobes, and the details of a 30-year journey. 

Maha Abu Shousheh
Maha Abu Shousheh was born in Ramallah in 1962. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Birzeit University. She started out her career as the CEO of the Abu Shousheh Contracting Co. She holds prestigious positions in a number of cultural organisations and Palestinian commercial companies. She is a member of the board of directors of Bank of Palestine, member of board of directors of Palestinian Business Women Forum, president of the board of directors of Riwaq, chairperson of the Palestinian Shippers’ Council, member of board of trustees at AlQuds University and member of board of directors of Palestinian Medical Relief Association.

Ms. Abu Shusheh is a collector of tangible heritage items, and an owner of valuable heritage and artistic collections. She is also involved in research and documentation in the domain of the history and development of Palestinian embroidery and jewelry.

Ms. Abu Shousheh was named as one of Forbes Arabia's top 50 influential Arab businesswomen for the years 2006 and 2007, thus becoming the first Palestinian woman to make that list.  

Selected topics from the digital archive project:

A Studio Portrait of Ellen Audi, the early 1900s
A Studio Portrait of Ellen Audi, the Early 1900s - The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive (PMDA) (palarchive.org)
 
A Photograph of an Elderly Woman Weaving the Palestinian Thobe in al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, Ramallah, 1988
صورة لمسنّة تطرز الثوب الفلسطيني في قرية المزرعة الشرقية، رام الله، 1988 - The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive (PMDA) (palarchive.org)
 
A photograph portrait of Fatima Yousef from Kobar village, Ramallah, 1970s.
A Women from Birzeit in the '70s - The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive (PMDA) (palarchive.org)

A Photograph of 'Aziza and Radi Burbar on their Wedding Day, 1944
A Photograph of 'Aziza and Radi Burbar on their Wedding Day, 1944 - The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive (PMDA) (palarchive.org)