Palestine: Families


Figure 1.--This is a bride's family in 1893. We see a wedding caravan from Nazareth. They are headed for the bridegroom's family in Maalul village. The the bride's family is escorting her. The bride is riding the horse with some else on the horse, perhps her sister. Her face is covered. Her little brother leads the procession, although we are not sure he is holding the horse's lead. Her mother is at the side carrying the intricately decorated dowery box with valuables. ( أعراس الماضي في فلسطين قافلة عرس من الناصرة عام 1893والعريس من قرية معلول اهل العروس يرافقون العروس التي تركب الحصان ومغطية الرأس مشيا على الاقدام وصندوق الحلي وادوات الفرح تحملة والدتها عام ١٨٩٣ )

Palestinian families could be quite large. This of course bried over time. Rural families in particular were often quite large. This has varied over time. Modern families, especially as the population became more urbanized, are now much smaller than familes in the past, but family bonds tend to be very strong. The basic pattern is similar to tht of other Aab countries, but there are some destinct features. The family has traditionally been the most important unit in Palestinian society and their disasterous political experience has only resulted in maintaining if not strengthening these ties. Unlike other countries there has been no substantial government-sponsored social safety-net, although the international community have provided support. Family identification and solidarity is the most importnt traditional structure to have survived the U.N. Partition an resulting war. Even in the refugee camps that were set up, Palestinian families maintained their family identity and coherence. The weak economy also seems to have served to strengthen the family. The Palestinian Authority and earlier organizations have weakened the economy which before the Interfada and decesion to cut economic ties with Israel was much stronger. This all has forced Palestinian families to fall back on the family. As a result, the family serves as the primary source of identity and extended families often live together in compounds or villas divided into apartments for the adult male sons and their families. Men who once worked in Israel now work in neighboring Arab countries, but still leave their wives and children behind to work in the prosperous oil-rich Gulf States. Many worked in Kuwait, but because they tended to support Sadam are no longer as welcomed there. They send money home to support the extended family. Extended families pool their resources and provide for each other when money is needed for major expenses such as medical emrgencies and educationa; expenses. Palestinian children continue to be raised to respect their elders and with a sense of responsibility to other family members. Older parents and grandparents rely on the financial support and care of their children and grandchildren. There are major differences between Christin, Jewish, and Muslim families. Part of this is because Jews and Christins were highly urbanized while the Muslim population largly lived in rural villages. They of course also had many varied traditions. They were also ethnic differnces. The Zionist Jewish population before and right after the partition was mostly European. Following partition with ge expulsion of Jews by Arab countries, the majoeity of the Israeli population now ha Middle-Eastern origins. All of this has had impacts on Palestinian/Israeli families. Arab Christian and Muslim families have the same ethnic origins, but since the partition and the radicalization of Muslim Arabs, attacks on Christias have declined in Palestinian areas so the Christian popution has signifiantly declined.

Arab Muslims


Family Wedding Carravan (1893)

This is a bride's family in 1893 (figure 1). We see a wedding caravan from Nazareth. They are headed for the bridegroom's family in Maalul village. The the bride's family is escorting her. The bride is riding the horse with some else on the horse, perhaps her sister. Her face is covered. Her little brother leads the procession, although we are not sure he is holding the horse's lead. Her mother is at the side carrying the intricately decorated dowery box with valuables.

Palestinian Family at Home (1940s?)

This photograp shows the interior of a Palestinian home. They look to be about 5-13 years old. We wonder if a cousin or two might be mixed in with the children. It is not dated. We might guess it was taken in the 1940s before partition, but we are not at all sure. The is gathered in one room in the evening, with a keroscene lamp providing light. The photograph exagerates the lighting that the lamp would have provided. The children and their mother sit on a rug studying. Some are around the low table. The mother is sewing. The bedding is all neatly stowed along one of the walls. Given all the children, the home is amazingly meticulous. Mother wears traditional clothes. The children are all neatly dressed in Western clothes.

Arab Christians


Jewish









HBC






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Created: 5:55 PM 11/8/2017
Last updated: 5:55 PM 11/8/2017