Fatima from Dayr Al-Dubban

Fatima is a refugee living in Aqabat Jaber Refugee Camp, Jericho. She is shown here in a fancy dress often worn for celebrations. She was only six years old when she was carried on her father’s shoulders as they fled their village with their animals. She was the youngest of five brothers. She remembers that they fled to the nearby fields eating only dates and then to Ajjur where they lived in a tent for four years. The villagers were expelled on 23 October 1948 during a military operation. Deir Al-Dubban was located on a sloping hill at the end of the western foothills of the Hebron mountains. The population was 730. It was situated in an area rich with archeological sites dating back to the Canaanite period. They lived by rain fed agriculture and raising animals. The settlement of “Luzit”, composed of Moroccan Jews, was established northeast of the village site in 1955. The village site is now overgrown with thorny plants and remnants of stone buildings. Fatima’s dress is typical of the Hebron area with its colorful patches and rich embroidery and elaborate head wear.

Price: $35