Episodes

In this episode of Siti’s Stories, Laila sits down with Deanna Othman; a writer, journalist, educator, and community advocate and organizer.In this conversation, she reflects on the realities of working within media and the moment she realized that pursuing mainstream journalism would come at the cost of her values. From there, she made a different choice. One rooted in integrity, in education, and in staying aligned with what she believes.We also talk about how that shows up in her classroom ...

In this episode of Siti’s Stories, we sit down with Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani, Executive Director of the Chicago Palestine Film Festival and Assistant Dean of Learning Enrichment at a local college for a conversation about community leadership, Palestinian cinema, and the power of representation.Through both education and the arts, Nina has devoted her career to creating spaces where Palestinian voices can thrive. Whether she’s working with students in higher education or helping bring Palestinian...

What does it mean to farm under occupation? In this episode of Siti’s Stories, I sit down with Lana Mustafa the Executive Director of Montclair Community Farms and founder of Roots of Resilience. Lana’s work directly supports Palestinian farmers the very people on the front lines of occupation. We talk about how land, seeds, water, and agriculture in Palestine are used of tools of control. From cutting off water access, restricting crops like za’atar, flooding markets to create dependen...

In this episode of Siti’s Stories, Laila sits with Wafa Ghnaim an art and dress historian, embroiderer, educator, and founder of the Tatreez Institute for a conversation about tatreez as inherited knowledge and preservation.Wafa shares how tatreez entered her life as an intergenerational skill passed through the women around her, and how stitching became something she returned to again and again.In this conversation, you’ll hear about:Her journey from classroom teacher to researcher and event...

In this episode, I sit down with Najla Khass, a Palestinian-American activist and refugee resettlement manager. Born in Gaza, Najla fled with her family at eight years old during the First Intifada, part of a long history of displacement that traces back to the 1948 Nakba.In this episode, we talk about:Growing up in Gaza with fear and restriction but also so much love and the ways her parents tried to protect shield her living under occupation.Soldiers as a childhood boogeyman and the constan...

Filmmaker Cherien Dabis joins Siti’s Stories for an honest, layered conversation about representation, intergenerational trauma, and why film became her way of telling stories with care and truth.In this episode, you’ll hear:What it was like growing up Arab in small-town America after the Gulf War feeling invisible and hyper-visible at the same timeWhy stories carry real power and how film became Cherien’s way of pushing back against harmful stereotypesA reflection on intergenerational t...

In this episode, we sit down with multidisciplinary artist and urban planner Dana Barqawi to explore the power of art as resistance, storytelling, and truth-telling.Dana’s work challenges colonial narratives, honors Indigenous identity, and reflects the interconnectedness of womanhood, history, and community. Her creative process begins with deep research and writing; transforming emotion and lived experience into visual language that speaks across generations.Topics we explore:• Art as commu...

In this tender and deeply grounding episode, we sit with Mai Khader Kakish; storyteller, recipe-keeper, and the heart behind Almond & Fig. 🌿Mai shares how Almond & Fig began as a way to feel closer to home while her family remained in Palestine; a place to preserve her teta’s recipes and document the stories, wisdom, and traditions woven into every dish. For Mai, food is not just nourishment; it is storytelling, resistance, and the inheritance of a people who survived unimaginable loss.This ep...

What does it mean to stitch memory into fabric and to turn thread into a language of home, resistance, and love? ✨In this week’s episode of Siti’s Stories, I sit with Bayan the founder of Badan Collective a design house and learning space dedicated to preserving Palestinian embroidery, memory, and storytelling. She is also a writer, poet, and a social worker.In this episode, you’ll hear:• The meaning and legacy of tatreez and its role in preserving Palestinian identity• How joy and grief are...

What happens when a teacher brings her whole self- her culture, her story, her heritage into the classroom?In this week’s episode of Siti’s Stories, I sit with Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi, an educator, consultant, and advocate with over 20 years of experience supporting Arab and Muslim youth.Abeer shares her journey from growing up between America and Palestine to founding Altair Consulting, where she helps schools celebrate identity instead of silencing it.We talk about what it means to teach wit...

In this episode of Siti’s Stories, I sit with Nida AbuBaker, daughter of Shukri AbuBaker, co-founder of the Holy Land Foundation.Nida shares her journey of navigating life after her father’s wrongful conviction; as a daughter, a single mother, a writer, and an advocate for those who have been silenced.Through faith, art, and poetry, she shows us what it means to turn pain into purpose, and to keep creating even when the world tries to quiet your light.In this episode, you’ll hear:• How Ni...

Season Two of Siti’s Stories is almost here!This season is rooted in Palestinian memory, heritage, and the quiet stories we carry through everyday life.We’re returning to the voices of our Sitis and Sedos and gathering new stories from elders, artists, educators, chefs, and activists from across the Palestinian diaspora and beyond.✨ Season Two officially begins on November 25th, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday. Mark your calendars! ✨To follow along and never miss an episode:📸 Foll...