Today, more than half of all Palestineans live in the diaspora, outside of their home country. And all of them carry memories of Palestine.
Of course, some were born in Palestine. Others were able to visit on a new passport. But for the vast majority of Palestineans in the diaspora, such a visit is not an option. Yet, all Palestineans in the diaspora carry their memories of Palestine.
Over the years, these memories have become precious stories. They are deemed important enough to be continuously told and retold, shaped and reshaped during countless gatherings.
While some of these memories have made it into famous books or movies, of course, the majority has not. This blog/archive, in fact, is about those stories that are kept alive by families and friends.
Whether they were shared by youngsters or elders, by Muslims or Christians, by people born in Palestine or not, it is obvious that these stories are a key part of what grounds Palestinians in the Diaspora.
Once a year, I travel to a city with a Palestinean community. I always meet people who are willing to share their stories. We will talk about leaving Palestine, about living in a new homeland and about memories of Palestine.
Please enjoy.
Grtz,
Frank Ostyn / www.frankostyn.com
PS. If you want to reach out to people that I interviewed, please get in touch via the contact page.