A TASTE OF SERAJ PALESTINE:

THE STREETS TELL STORIES

Palestinian streets are where culture lives, connection thrives, and resilience is strengthened. Join us for an evening alive with the flavors, sounds, and soul of Palestinian street culture.

Event Details : An Evening of Stories, Music, Connection and a Taste of Palestine, featuring music by Ronnie Malley

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Event Details : An Evening of Stories, Music, Connection and a Taste of Palestine, featuring music by Ronnie Malley *

Why It Matters

Buy a ticket.  Give to our Campaign.  Sponsor the Event.

Your Support Strengthens Our Communities

This gathering is more than an event. It is how we sustain the soul of Seraj, keeping libraries and community centers in Palestine alive and thriving.

Your presence opens doors for children and families, keeps the light of imagination burning, and strengthens the resilience our communities depend on.

  • None of this is possible without our sponsors. Seraj walks hand in hand with Palestinian communities to create spaces that are safe, beautiful, and alive with learning, storytelling, and connection.

    Sponsorship brings Palestinian culture to Chicago, makes the evening accessible to all, and helps us carry forward the work that means so much.

    The Seraj Library Project works alongside Palestinian communities to establish libraries as safe, beautiful and vibrant community centers. Please consider becoming a sponsor to bring the best of local Palestinian culture to this event, get tickets for friends and family, and keep ticket prices low for others.

Sponsorship of the Taste of Seraj Palestine event helps us to continue the vital work of Seraj, to bring Palestinian culture to Chicago, and to make the event accessible to all. Amplify your impact and stand alongside Palestinian communities. In appreciation of your generosity, sponsors will receive:

  • Complimentary event tickets

  • Recognition at the event

  • The deep satisfaction of directly supporting Palestinian communities through libraries

Tickets: Adults: $60 StudentsLow-Income: $30

Included in your ticket

Cultural programming, and a community gathering

A taste of Palestinian street food (shawarma, or falafel,  & more)

Sweet knafeh served piping hot, drizzled with syrup & pistachios

Arabic coffee, tea & water 

Free parking and a cash bar

Hear our stories direct from Palestine

Laurie Salameh will join us at the event to share with us stories from the ground. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Seraj Library Project, established in 2005 to create libraries and thriving community centers across Palestine. Today, Seraj has opened 13 libraries, including an internationally recognized Storytelling Center and a Cultural Arts Center, serving rural villages, refugee camps, and marginalized communities.

  • Under Laurie’s leadership, Seraj has grown into a vibrant movement that nurtures Palestinian culture, creativity, and resilience. Its programs in storytelling, cultural arts, and community empowerment reflect her belief that beauty and imagination are essential for survival and hope.

    Before co-founding Seraj, Laurie worked with World Vision International as a governance and special projects specialist, and with Illinois Action for Children, one of Illinois’ largest nonprofit advocacy organizations. She holds a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from North Park University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from Taylor University. She has served on the board of World Vision Jerusalem and currently sits on the boards of the Veritatis Institute and John Millner & Associates.

    Laurie lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Estephan, and their three children. She is honored to call Palestine her home, and her life’s work is to share its beauty, its stories, and the dignity of its people with the world.

Can’t Attend?

You Can Join our 2026 Campaign: Steadfast Together

Your gift ensures Palestinian communities continue to access safe, vibrant libraries and empowering programs.

The Event will Feature

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The Event will Feature *

  • The streets of Palestine are alive with flavor and tradition—shawarma carved fresh from vertical spits, falafel tucked into warm khobez with herbs and pickles, and bakeries filling the air with the scent of za’atar and cheese pies. In Jerusalem, the iconic Kaek al-Quds—sesame-crusted bread sold at markets and street corners, often served with a pouch of za’atar—reminds us of the ingenuity and flavor of everyday life. With every bite, you taste history, community, and resilience.

    Your ticket includes Palestinian street food favorites, plus the beloved sweet knafeh. Prepared on site in the traditional way, this Nablus specialty is served piping hot, drizzled with syrup, and sprinkled with pistachios. More than dessert, knafeh is a symbol of hospitality and celebration—an experience to be shared.

    Join us to enjoy the vibrant flavors, aromas, and spirit of Palestinian street life!

Palestinian-American artist Ronnie Malley joins the Sumoud Collective for a powerful performance.

  • Ronnie Malley

  • Intifada collective

  • Asil Alkabariti

  • Mia Angelique

  • Palestinian Handmade Ceramics – Jerusalem Shops

  • The Ramallah Cultural Center Dabkeh Group

  • Dima Jewelry

  • TEE A Program for Teaching Children Arabic Language & Culture

  • Tatreez and Handmade Products by Amal Workshop

  • Falasteen Favorites

  • Handcrafted soaps (Saboon)

  • Sumoud Collective

  • Tatreez From Bethlehem

Savor the vibrant flavors, aromas, and spirit of Palestinian streets with your ticket!

Join Us

Thank you for standing with us. In moments like this, we remember the power of community… how love, story, and culture carry us forward, even through the darkest times. Together, we keep the light alive. Together, we will honor Palestine by supporting the work of Seraj.

Learn about Seraj’s libraries & community centers in Palestine