Aisha's Story

When Aisha Azzam’s grandmother fled the Nakba in 1948, she carried with her a grinding stone. Decades later, now living in a refugee camp in Jordan, Aisha still uses that same stone to do her part in preserving Palestine’s rich culinary tradition and cultural heritage. Through her family’s grain mill, she grinds heritage grains and spices for her family and for the neighborhood. Even though Aisha’s daughters suffer from a genetic eye condition that leaves them essentially blind, she continues teaching them traditional recipes, while instilling in them the value of sumud—the Palestinian spirit of steadfastness. Aware that passing down recipes is a vital form of resistance against the erasure of Palestinian culture, Aisha passionately debates the details of Palestinian dishes with her friends. Aisha’s Story is a testament to the ways food remains central to Palestinian identity, rooted as it is in history, tradition, and the ongoing struggle for survival and resilience.