In'ash al-Usra Society
The Palestine Folklore Museum
Set up in 1965 as a Palestinian women's charity, In'ash al-Usra works to improve the position of women in the local community. Their vocational centres provide training in such areas as nursing, embroidery, beauty culture, and secretarial skills. The society has a wide range of other activities including an orphanage, child care centre, clinics and a financial aid project for Palestinian students. Perhaps of most interest to the visitor is the Palestinian Folklore Centre and the society's efforts "to revive Palestinian folklore and preserve it from theft or loss." As well as compiling folkloric material and publishing a quarterly journal "Heritage and Society" the society's headquarters houses a library and the Palestinian Folklore Museum. The museum exhibits collections of traditional costume, pottery, household and agricultural implements and has two rooms designed as a traditional Palestinian house. Entry to the museum is free. On the floor above the museum is a display of the society's products, which include a variety of attractive and reasonably priced embroidered goods. To get here either take a special taxi, or a service to Jalazoun from beside the market, get out at the Etemad taxi stand, walk down the hill and take the third street on the left, In'ash al-Usra will be on your left hand side.