Inspired by my grandmother’s example, I set about carrying on the family heritage from the Holy Land through Catholic devotions and Palestinian handiwork, connecting with the artisans of Bethlehem, a population nearly extinct. It is my hope that the centuries-old connection to the land where Jesus, Mary, St. Joseph and the Apostles walked can be salvaged through Shurouq Crafts.
OLIVEWOOD
The craft of planting olive trees and harvesting its fruit and wood goes back to the time of Jesus, and with the increase of travel its wood carved into figures of the Holy Family and Rosary beads became a commodity for those wishing to have a tangible and spiritual connection to the land where the drama of human salvation through the Word Incarnate played out in time and space.
This land and its holy sites were the cause of the shedding of blood by saints and Crusaders, who sought to defend them and the ancient Palestinian Christian community. These sites and the ancient Palestinian Christian community are on the verge of disappearance if Christendom does not make a concerted effort, with the help of God, to prevent this ongoing catastrophe.
Saliba Bandak is one of the few Christians remaining in Bethlehem, and depends on the sale of souvenirs to tourists. His items may be purchased at: www.genesiscatholic.com.
We Christians are less than one percent in Bethlehem, and tourists have stopped coming to visit the holy sites, and so no one is visiting my store. -S. B.
