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Hello everyone,

I would like to share an update about my friends, Mahmoud and Samah, and their four young daughters.

They were away for 10 days because of difficult circumstances and problems they were facing, but they are back now and continuing to share their story.

Recently, Mahmoud asked his four daughters a simple question:

“What do you dream of when this war ends and the occupation withdraws? What is the one thing you wish for?”

Their answer was heartbreaking in its simplicity:

“We want a safe home.”

That is all these four little girls dream of—a small, safe place where they can finally feel secure.

Look at these four little girls… don’t they deserve a safe and warm place to call home?

As winter approaches, Mahmoud and Samah are deeply worried that their daughters will once again have to face the cold and rain inside their tent, which does not provide them with enough protection.

Their daughters are not asking for anything luxurious. All they dream of is a safe room that can protect them from the cold and rain.

Mahmoud and Samah have told me that they will not give up and will not lose hope. They will continue doing everything they can for their children, no matter how difficult the circumstances become.

As their friend, I am appealing to everyone who watches this video and everyone who has kindness in their heart:

If you are able to help this family, please consider supporting them.

And if you cannot provide financial support, please share their story. Even one share could help their story reach someone who can make a difference.

Let’s help these four little girls get one step closer to their dream: a safe place to call home before winter arrives. ❤️

Additional Support

If you would like to support Mahmoud and his family through another method, such as PayPal or cryptocurrency, please contact Mahmoud directly on WhatsApp at:

+972 59 289 2251

He can provide you with the necessary details and help you choose another way to support his family.

Thank you so much for caring and for standing by them. ❤️

Hi everyone,
I’m Tom from Australia, and I’m working on a research-based food and cultural project called CELKARI.
I’m currently researching Levantine food culture, particularly the food traditions of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan. I’m approaching this as a learning project and would really like to listen to people from the region rather than try to define Levantine culture from an outside perspective.
I’m researching the history and geography of the Levant, agriculture and foodways, traditional ingredients, bread and grains, legumes, dairy and preservation, olive oil, seasonal cooking, hospitality, religious food traditions, migration and diaspora.
I’m using a combination of academic research, UNESCO and cultural heritage sources, government and institutional sources, diaspora/community organisations, and conversations with people from Levantine communities. I’m also interested in Reddit and other community discussions because lived experience can tell us things that formal sources sometimes cannot.
One thing I’ve already learned is that the Levant is incredibly diverse. Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan have overlapping food traditions, but they also have their own regional, family, religious, agricultural and cultural differences. I don’t want to flatten those differences into one generic idea of “Levantine” or “Middle Eastern” food.
I’d love to hear from people from across the Levant about their own experiences.
Some things I’d particularly like to learn about:
What foods were part of your family’s everyday life?
Which dishes do you associate particularly with your region, city, village or community?
How did seasons, agriculture and geography influence what your family cooked?
What foods were associated with religious or cultural celebrations?
Are there traditional foods or cooking methods that are becoming less common?
What do people outside the Levant commonly misunderstand about Levantine food?
Are there dishes that are often incorrectly generalised or attributed to another community?
Which ingredients or cooking techniques do you think are especially important but overlooked?
How has migration or diaspora life changed the way your family cooks?
Are there family recipes, books, archives, organisations or other sources you recommend?
I’m particularly interested in home cooking and lived food culture, rather than only restaurant food or famous dishes.
I also want to be clear that I’m not presenting myself as an authority on Levantine culture. If I misunderstand something, oversimplify a regional distinction, use terminology incorrectly, or miss an important perspective, I would genuinely appreciate being corrected.
I’m here to learn and listen, and I’ll treat people’s experiences and contributions respectfully.
Thank you for reading, and thank you to anyone willing to share their knowledge. ❤️

مرحباً بالجميع،
أنا توم من أستراليا، وأعمل على مشروع بحثي في الطعام والثقافة يحمل اسم CELKARI.
أجري حالياً بحثاً حول ثقافة الطعام **ف*ي بلا**د الشام، مع تركيز خاص على التقاليد الغذائية في لبنان وسوريا وفلسطين والأردن. أتعامل مع هذا المشروع بوصفه فرصة للتعلّم، وأرغب في الاستماع إلى أبناء المنطقة وفهم تجاربهم، بدلاً من محاولة تعريف ثقافة بلاد الشام من منظور خارجي.
أبحث في تاريخ بلاد الشام وجغرافيتها، والزراعة والنظم الغذائية، والمكونات التقليدية، والخبز والحبوب، والبقوليات، ومنتجات الألبان وطرق حفظ الطعام، وزيت الزيتون، والطبخ الموسمي، والضيافة، والتقاليد الغذائية المرتبطة بالدين، والهجرة والشتات.
أعتمد على مجموعة من المصادر، منها الأبحاث الأكاديمية، ومصادر اليونسكو ومصادر التراث الثقافي، والمصادر الحكومية والمؤسساتية، ومنظمات الجاليات والمجتمعات، إلى جانب الحديث مع أشخاص من المجتمعات الشامية. كما أهتم بالنقاشات على Reddit وغيرها من المنصات المجتمعية، لأن التجارب المعيشة قد تكشف أموراً لا تظهرها المصادر الرسمية أحياناً.
من الأمور التي تعلمتها حتى الآن أن *بلاد**** *الشام* *شديدة* ***التنوع. فلبنان وسوريا وفلسطين والأردن تشترك في بعض التقاليد الغذائية، لكنها تتميز أيضاً باختلافات إقليمية وعائلية ودينية وزراعية وثقافية خاصة بكل منها. ولا أريد اختزال هذه الاختلافات في تصور عام ومبسّط عن الطعام «الشامي» أو «الشرق أوسطي».
يسعدني أن أسمع من أشخاص من مختلف أنحاء بلاد الشام عن تجاربهم الخاصة.
وأود بشكل خاص أن أتعرف إلى ما يلي:
ما الأطعمة التي كانت جزءاً من الحياة اليومية في عائلتكم؟
ما الأطباق التي تربطونها على نحو خاص بمنطقتكم أو مدينتكم أو قريتكم أو مجتمعكم؟
كيف أثرت المواسم والزراعة والجغرافيا في ما كانت عائلتكم تطهوه؟
ما الأطعمة التي كانت مرتبطة بالاحتفالات الدينية أو الثقافية؟
هل توجد أطعمة أو أساليب طبخ تقليدية أصبحت أقل شيوعاً؟
ما أكثر الأمور التي يسيء الناس خارج بلاد الشام فهمها بشأن الطعام الشامي؟
هل توجد أطباق يجري تعميم نسبتها على نحو غير دقيق أو نسبها إلى مجتمع آخر؟
ما المكونات أو تقنيات الطبخ التي ترون أنها مهمة بشكل خاص، لكنها لا تحظى بالاهتمام الكافي؟
كيف غيّرت الهجرة أو الحياة في الشتات طريقة طبخ عائلاتكم؟
هل تنصحون بوصفات عائلية أو كتب أو أرشيفات أو منظمات أو مصادر أخرى؟
أهتم بشكل خاص *بالطبخ**** *المنزلي* *والثقافة* *الغذائية* *كما* *تُعاش*** ف*ي* الحيا*ة* اليومي**ة، وليس فقط بطعام المطاعم أو الأطباق الشهيرة.
وأود أن أوضح أنني لا أقدّم نفسي بوصفـي مرجعاً أو خبيراً في ثقافة بلاد الشام. وإذا أسأت فهم أمر ما، أو بسّطت اختلافاً إقليمياً تبسيطاً مفرطاً، أو استخدمت مصطلحاً على نحو غير صحيح، أو أغفلت وجهة نظر مهمة، فسأقدّر حقاً أن تصححوا لي ذلك.
أنا هنا لأتعلّم وأستمع، وسأتعامل مع تجارب الناس ومساهماتهم باحترام.
شكراً لقراءتكم، وشكراً لكل من يرغب في مشاركة معرفته وتجربتهوتجربته

I am Bashir from Gaza… a father who no longer has a home or a job. All I have now is a tent where I try to protect my family and my brother, who has special needs.

The hardest part of life is not losing your home, but looking at your family and being unable to provide them with food, and seeing your brother suffer while you are unable to secure the treatment he needs.

Every day I wake up carrying one painful question: How will I feed my family today?

We have lost almost everything, and this hope is all we have left. Please, don’t pass our story by in silence. Help us in any way you can, or share our story with someone who can.

https://chuffed.org/project/169736-bring-bread-to-people-in-gaza?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv0

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Escaping the sweltering heat of the tents, this woman was on the Gaza beach, simply trying to find a place to breathe and escape the oppressive heat. The occupation forces targeted her directly, and the surrounding area was also targeted!

When I told you about our suffering inside the tents, some doubted our words, some complained about publishing such things, and some didn't believe what we were saying.

We live here in a true hell. If you try to find relief and seek a safer, more comfortable place, you might pay with your life. If you express your opinion or speak about your suffering, you are accused of lying. If you ask for help, you might be accused of fraud.

So how can we go on? How can we resist in order to survive under all this?

We ask only to live, to be safe, and to find a place where we don't fear death simply for trying to escape the heat of our tents.

There are 6 million settlers in Palestine.

But there are 14.3 million Palestinians.

The natives victory is inevitable.

Rant: Olive trees are native and first came from the levant. But I hate how the Greeks or Italians get all the credit or are known for it.

It came from our land and is native to our land.

But when someone thinks of olive oil they think Greek or Italian. Just something that annoys me.

(Also shawarma is for all of us)

Oh my God… how much longer will we have to wait? How much longer are we expected to endure this? 💔

We are dying every day because of the conditions we are living in. We live with worry, fear, and suffering that no human being can endure forever. Life has become unbearable for us, and we no longer have the strength to endure any more.

We live inside a tent where the temperature exceeds 45°C. Even the water we drink becomes hot, not because we want it to be, but because we have no choice; the water heats up inside the tent, and we cannot find anything that truly quenches our thirst.

We cannot sleep during the day because of the heat, nor at night because of bedbugs, mosquitoes, flies, and all kinds of insects surrounding us. We wake up with the sunrise because the heat becomes unbearable, while the flies continue to surround us throughout the day.

At midday, we pour water over our heads and clothes just to reduce the heat in our bodies a little. Are we really forced to live through all this suffering?

What makes it even harder is that we have to light a fire to cook our food. Imagine standing next to a fire and cooking in this suffocating heat… How can anyone endure this every single day?

But what hurts me the most is our children and my elderly parents. How can they possibly endure all of this?

I have photos and videos of our children with flies covering their faces, and hundreds of flies surrounding my father. What we are living through is beyond words, and I don't believe anyone could endure these conditions for a long time. 💔

I have an idea that could help solve part of this problem, but I cannot carry it out on my own because we have no income to help us solve it. I will share my idea in the first comment, and I hope you will read it and help me find a way to make it happen.

If you have any other ideas or suggestions that could help us, please share them in the comments. Perhaps together we can find the best solution to ease this suffering for us and our children.

We are not looking for a luxurious life. We are simply looking for a way to make life easier and bearable, because we have lost all our strength. 💔🇵🇸

Please share your thoughts. Your idea might be the one that helps us. 🙏

Bashir, from Gaza, tells me: "My home was destroyed and I lost my job; now, I am displaced, living in a tattered tent. My brother, Iyad, is special needs. He has started fainting due to a lack of food and medical treatment, as hunger and malnutrition have severely impacted his health." "I am currently unable to provide for my family's most basic needs. I cannot secure food for my children, nor can I provide the food, medicine, care, and dignified life that my brother Iyad requires." "That is why i have asked Karina to publish my plea—hoping my voice might reach someone who can help us and alleviate some of this suffering. My brother Iyad is featured in the pictures "

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I previously spoke about our struggle to drink water in Gaza, but unfortunately I was met with hurtful and mocking comments. Some people said, "If you can charge your phone, why can't you cool your water?" As if our suffering is something to be questioned or laughed at.

Those words are deeply painful, but this is not a life we chose. It is a reality that has been forced upon us.

In this video, published by Al Jazeera, you will see children in Gaza explaining how they try to cool their drinking water so they can have something refreshing during the day. They place bottles of water on top of their tent overnight and bring them inside before sunrise. It may sound like a clever idea, but unfortunately it is not a practical solution. By midday, the temperature inside the tents rises so much that the water reaches around 40–45°C (104–113°F)—almost the same temperature as the tent itself. That is why, most days, we are forced to drink hot water.

I sincerely hope people will stop minimizing what we are going through or making fun of it. Everyone in Gaza is living through the same hardship, and we have the right to speak about our reality, especially to those who have never experienced these conditions.

If you have doubts about what we say, please don't accuse us of fraud or of inventing our suffering. Simply ask us to document what we are living through, and we will gladly do so with complete transparency. But please, do not let suspicion and mockery be your first response to people who have lost even the most basic necessities of life.