For our final episode of Season 1, we’re closing with love. Voicemails to Siti is a moving compilation of listener-submitted stories, memories, and reflections about the Palestinian women who shaped us. From tender traditions to hilarious voicemails, these messages are full of heart and a beautiful reminder of the legacy our Sitis leave behind.

I want to take a moment to thank each of you for being part of this journey. Siti’s Stories is a podcast from my heart, and as a one-woman show, every listen, share, and message has meant the world to me. This season was built with love for our elders, our land, and our stories.

✨ Season 2 is already in the works!
 While you wait, catch up on past episodes and stay tuned for surprise mini-series, projects, and live events happening throughout the summer.

Follow us on Instagram @sitis.stories or visit www.sitisstories.com to stay in the loop.

To connect or collaborate, DM me on Instagram or email me at [email protected].

With so much love and gratitude,
Laila
Host & Creator of Siti’s Stories

 In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Siti’s Stories, I share the incredible life of my grandmother, Halema Salamah Gaber. Her story is a testament to the spirit of resilience, determination, and boundless generosity.

Highlights from the Episode:

1. A Journey Across Oceans:
   • Halema's family's journey to America began with a twist of fate at Ellis Island, leading her father to military service in 1914 where he cut onions and peeled potatoes on a military boat. This unexpected turn granted them American citizenship even before Halema was born.
2. Arriving with $37:
   • In 1960’s, Halema came to America with only $37 in her pocket. She hustled tirelessly, working until she and my grandfather could open their own business and achieve the dream of becoming their own bosses and generational wealth. 
3. Real Estate and Resilience:
   • Halema invested in real estate at the perfect time, building her way up from humble beginnings to a successful and thriving business, all while remaining true to her roots and values.
4. Brothers Produce – A Family Legacy:
   • Halema and her family established Brothers Produce, a Middle Eastern grocery store that became a cornerstone in the community. What began as a family business flourished into a legacy; providing fresh produce, familiar tastes, and a space for community connection. For decades, Brothers Produce stood as a symbol of hard work, resilience, and the spirit of giving back.
5. A Legacy of Generosity:
   • Known for her unwavering generosity, Halema dedicated her wealth to giving back to her Palestinian community supporting hospitals, schools, mosques, and shelters both in New Jersey and overseas, even after her passing. 
6. Advice for the Next Generation:
   • Despite being illiterate, Halema believed deeply in education, hard work, and saving money. Her advice to younger girls remains a beacon of wisdom: "Get an education, save your money, and work hard."
7. A Life Well-Lived, A Legacy Remembered:
   • Halema passed away this past September, but her legacy of resilience, hustle, and community impact continues to be felt, having streets named after her and scholarships in her name. 

This episode is a tribute to her life, her sacrifices, and the powerful example she set for us all. This story isn't just about one woman, it’s about the strength of Palestinian women, the power of perseverance, and the deep roots of generosity that shape our communities. I recorded this episode as my very first one when I first got the idea for Siti’s Stories, and I’m honored to share her legacy with you.

 🔗 Visit sitisstories.com for more episodes and to share your own stories.Episode 7 was my own personal episode where I shared more about both of my grandmothers. 

Follow & Connect:

Instagram: @sitis.stories

Website: sitisstories.com

In this powerful episode of Siti’s Stories, I sit down with Palestinian storyteller, advocate, and now author Jenan Matari, whose work amplifies Indigenous voices and fights for the preservation of cultural heritage. Jenan is a beacon of storytelling resistance, using her platform to bring awareness to the struggles of marginalized communities—especially Palestinians.

We dive deep into:

• Navigating Palestinian Identity: Jenan shares her experience of feeling the need to "button up" her Palestinian identity in certain spaces, the turning point that led her to leave corporate America, and why Palestine was the line she refused to let others cross.
• Palestinian Women as Pillars of Resistance: We reflect on the strength of Palestinian women—how simply bringing new life into the world and raising it with pride for their homeland is an act of resistance.
  
  
• Generational Healing Through Storytelling: Jenan speaks beautifully about interviewing her grandparents for the first time, discovering stories even her parents didn’t know, and how storytelling can be a form of healing generational trauma.
  
  
• The Power of Passing Down Stories: Her upcoming children's book, Everything Grows in Jiddo's Garden, is a heartfelt narrative inspired by her grandfather's legacy, and a testament to the beauty of learning from our elders.

We talk about the power of storytelling—not just as a tool for resistance, but as a means of connection, healing, and preservation. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

“Voicemails to Siti” submissions!!! Last week to submit YOUR Siti’s Stories directly on our website, click the tab on the side and start recording right away to be included in our Season 1 Finale! 

🌐 Connect with Jenan Matari:

• Instagram: @jenanmatari
  
  
• Zaytoun Publicity: Zaytoun Publicity
  
  
• Everything Grows in Jiddo's Garden: pre-order here

🌿 Connect with Siti’s Stories:

• Instagram: @sitis.stories
  
  
  
• Website: Siti’s Stories

In this episode of Siti’s Stories, host Laila sits down with Lina — a Palestinian-Panamanian creative, founder of Llinas thobe, and co-host of the podcast Tatreez Talk. 

Lina’s work is rooted in tatreez but she’s reimagining it through her own lens. From starting a business that helps others make their own thobes, to designing motifs that reflect her dual heritage, Lina is reshaping tradition into something deeply personal and powerfully communal.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Lina turned tatreez into a thriving business
• Blending Palestinian and Panamanian identity through design
• Creating her own modern motifs while honoring tradition
• Storytelling through embroidery and fashion
• Co-hosting podcast Tatreez Talk to uplift and highlight fellow tatreezer’s
• The power of building community through culture and craft

This conversation is for anyone who’s ever felt called to honor their roots while making something new.

🔗 Connect with Lina
 🧵 IG: @linasthobe
 🎙 Podcast: https://www.tatreeztalk.com/
🌐 Courses & Resources: https://www.linasthobe.com/ 

🌿 Connect with Siti’s Stories
 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts
 📸 Instagram: @sitis.stories
💌 Contact & Collaborations: [email protected]

🔗https://www.sitisstories.com/ 

In this authentic and heartfelt episode of Siti’s Stories, host Laila sits down with educator, author, and literacy advocate Deema Al Alami, whose work is transforming Arabic children’s literature and reclaiming Arab narratives through storytelling. 🌿📚

Deema opens up about growing up as a half-Palestinian, half-Iraqi woman in Jordan, and how her multicultural upbringing shaped her identity. She shares her journey through postpartum depression, co-founding the Mother to Author program, and using writing as an act of healing, resistance, and legacy.

We dive deep into her book, 48 Stories of Exile from Palestine — a moving project born out of grief, hope, and collective memory, preserving the voices of Palestinian displacement across generations. Deema also reflects on the influence of her grandmothers, her advocacy for sensitive topics like body safety in children's books, and the power of community-driven literature that speaks across ages.

🎙 In this episode, we explore:

• The power of storytelling and refusing to be reduced to numbers as refugees
• Navigating Arab identity and feelings of belonging
• The role of grandmothers in preserving culture and memory
• The urgent need for high-quality Arabic literature for our children
• Empowering mothers to become authors and share their stories
• Carrying forward the stories and legacies of our ancestors

Whether you're a reader, writer, educator, or simply someone who believes in the power of storytelling, this conversation will move and inspire you.

📚 Mentioned in This Episode:
 🔹 48 Stories of Exile from Palestine – https://www.48stories.com/
🔹 Mother to Author Program – www.frommothertoauthor.com

📩 Connect with Deema:
 Instagram: @deema_al_alami

🎙 Connect with Siti’s Stories:
 Instagram: @sitis.stories
Website: www.sitisstories.com
Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Siti’s Stories, we sit down with Linda—the visionary behind The Haleemah Project, an initiative born out of love for her Siti Haleemah, a Nakba survivor.

Linda embroiders Palestinian motifs onto upcycled clothing—transforming everyday items into powerful symbols of heritage and resistance. But this project goes beyond stitching. At its heart, The Haleemah Project is a mission to give back. Every piece is sold with purpose, with 100% of proceeds going to grassroots efforts supporting Palestinian communities.

Inspired by the women in her family—her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—Linda honors their legacy through sustainable design, storytelling, and mutual aid.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Linda’s Siti Haleemah survived the Nakba and shaped her path
• The role of tatreez in cultural memory and resistance
• Why sustainability and upcycling are part of her political practice
• The power of using art as a way to give back to Palestine
• How community and collective care fuel her work

Connect with The Haleemah Project:
🧵 Follow Linda’s work on Instagram: @thehaleemahproject
🤲🏽 Support and donate: Link in her bio

Connect with Us:
📲 Follow Siti’s Stories on Instagram: @sitisstories
📬 Visit our website: sitisstories.com
🎙 Share your own Siti's story: Submissions open for our season finale!

In this powerful episode of Siti’s Stories, we speak with Dr. Sawsan Jaber — award-winning educator, scholar activist, and daughter of Palestinian refugees — about reclaiming identity through education and the legacy of resistance carried through generations of Palestinian women.

Sawsan’s story begins with her great-grandmother, a fierce woman who fought in the Battle of Deir Yassin, and continues through her parents' journey as refugees. Now in her 26th year as an educator, Sawsan is on a mission to decolonize education, center marginalized voices, and help students reclaim their own stories with pride.

We discuss her dissertation on the experiences of Arab American students in U.S. public schools, her work as a curriculum designer, English teacher, department chair, and founder of Education Unfiltered Consulting. She shares how she uses writing and storytelling to guide students toward self-love, identity, empathy, and understanding others across difference — all while creating classrooms rooted in equity, acceptance, and justice.

Sawsan also shares exciting news about her first co-authored book, coming out in July 2025, and how she’s collaborating with leaders like Shane Safir (Street Data) to transform what equitable education can look like.

🧵 Looking to explore more?
 We recommend checking out:
 📖 Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd
📖 Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat
📘 Street Data by Shane Safir

🎉 Pre-order Sawsan’s upcoming book (coming soon) 

https://www.corwin.com/pedagogies-of-voice 

Connect with Dr. Sawsan Jaber
 📱 Instagram: @SJEducate
📧 Email: [email protected]

Connect with Siti’s Stories
 🌿 Instagram: @sitis.stories
🌐 Website: www.sitisstories.com
📧 Email: [email protected]

In this powerful episode of Siti’s Stories, we sit down with Nada, founder of Teta’s Legacy, to explore the cultural significance and enduring beauty of Palestinian thobes and tatreez embroidery. Nada shares how these traditional garments are more than clothing — they are woven archives of memory, identity, and resistance.

We discuss the history embedded in every stitch, the regional variations of thobes, and how the legacy of women like Widad Kawar, who has worked tirelessly to document and preserve Palestinian dress, continues to inspire her work. Nada also reflects on her hopes to spark a renewed love for tatreez and thobes among younger generations — reminding us that these textiles are living stories passed from one hand to the next.

🧵 Want to learn more about the stories behind Palestinian thobes? Check out the book "Threads of Identity" by Widad Kawar available at the Palestine Museum US.

Connect with the Host
 🌿 Instagram: @sitis.stories
🌐 Website: www.sitisstories.com
📧 Email: [email protected]

Connect with the Guest
 🪡 Instagram: @tetaslegacy
📧 Email: [email protected]

For the season finale of Siti’s Stories, we’re creating something truly special—a heartfelt tribute to our Sitis, told in your own voices.

We want to hear about your  Siti—her strength, her story, and the ways she shaped your world. Tell us about the balad she called home, and if her life carried the weight of migration or exile. Your submission doesn’t have to be long. It could be a beloved memory, a phrase she always said, a tradition she passed down, or something beautifully ordinary—a scent, a dish, the way she made tea.

Whether your Siti is still with you or lives on in memory, whether you were raised by her or only knew her briefly, we want to hear her story through you.

📢 How to Share Your Story:
 🎙 Record a 2–3 minute voice message at sitisstories.com
📩 Have a longer story? Email your story to [email protected]

🗓 Submissions close April 25th

💛 However you feel moved to share, I can’t wait to hear from you. Thank you for being part of Siti’s Stories—and for helping us close this season with the warmth and wisdom of the women who came before us.

Follow us on @sitis.stories on instagram for updates! Tune in to our season finale to hear these voices come to life—a chorus of love, memory, and legacy from our community to yours.

This episode is different. It’s just me—no guest—sharing something I haven’t before mine and my siti’s stories. 

As the host of Siti’s Stories, I’ve spent this season highlighting the voices and stories of others. But I realized I hadn’t taken the time to share where this project truly comes from—my own Sitis.

In this special bonus episode, I reflect on the two women who shaped me- my grandmothers, both named Halema. I talk about their strength, their sacrifices, their love for Palestine, and the ways they passed down our culture, resilience, and values.

I also open up about why I created this podcast, what I hope it means to our community, and how I envision it growing—through storytelling, impact, and honoring the legacies of the women who came before us.

At the end of the episode, I invite you to be part of something truly special for our season finale!

Connect with me!

Instagram: sitis.stories

Website: Sitisstories.com

Email: [email protected]