"We Embroider Hamsas with Rocket Shards": The Stunning Project of Sderot's Women

For ten years, they have gathered regularly at the 'Founders' House' in the city of Sderot. A group of Ethiopian women engages in their beloved traditional craft—embroidery.

Ahuva Abri-Adhanni, the project coordinator, states that this is one of the most exciting initiatives since most hobbies and habits from Ethiopia aren't continued in Israel. Here, women have the chance to embroider with colorful threads, just as they did decades ago, both as a hobby and as a formal job, since their creations are later sold and marketed to customers.

According to Ahuva, many of the women haven't missed a single meeting since the project's inception. But with the outbreak of the 'Iron Swords War,' the embroidery project paused. The dear women, some living in Sderot since their immigration from Ethiopia, had to leave the city, temporarily halting the beautiful project that had seen such impressive growth.

Embroidering Memories

Tafta Walde is one of the most talented women in the project. "About 30 years ago, I lived in a large village in Ethiopia," she reminisces. "My mother taught me embroidery when I was just a little girl. As I grew up, I would sew many dresses with my mother, sometimes for friends, sometimes for my sisters, and even occasionally for non-Jews who would pay us for our work."

In 1991, Walde and her family decided to emigrate to Israel. They initially walked together with their young children and elderly parents to Addis Ababa, where they stayed for a year before flying to Israel. "We lived in caravans near Netivot," Walde explains, "After a year, we moved to Sderot, and we've been here ever since."

She joined the embroidery project a few years ago and says that since then, she feels history repeating itself, drawing her back into a nostalgic world of memories from Ethiopia. "Of course, it's not exactly the same," she emphasizes. "In Ethiopia, I mostly sewed dresses, even wedding gowns, while here I craft decorative items and fabrics. But the common thread in both places is hand craftsmanship; we don't use sewing machines at all. That's why the work is so laborious and challenging."

What are the most in-demand items you embroider?

"People love the embroidered mezuzah cases, and there are also those who like framed embroideries used as wall decorations. Overall, there's a big demand. Certain times of the year bring many orders, and we work around the clock."

Busna Dessale also arrived from Ethiopia in the 1990s immigration. She was a young bride with a one-year-old child, but has since had more children who have grown and married, and she is now actively involved in the project. "Tourist groups from Israel and abroad often visit us," Dessale explains. "We tell them about our embroidery and how it was done in Ethiopia. Personally, I didn't embroider back in the village, but my mother was a very professional and experienced embroiderer who sewed dresses mainly for girls about to wed, decorating them beautifully and artistically. I was curious and often tried to imitate her, but I gained true professionalism only here in Israel within the project."

Dessale especially loves embroidering hamsas and mandalas. "The work is hard and requires precision," she explains. "Sometimes it's tough to handle the workload, but because I love it so much, I can't stop."

Never Stop Embroidering

However, both Walde and Dessale are no longer in Sderot. Like other city residents, they were evacuated due to the war. Dessale is staying in a hotel in Tel Aviv, while Walde is in a Jerusalem hotel.

Are you continuing to embroider from afar?

Dessale confirms this and even notes that she has found a new clientele in the Tel Aviv area. "Many people come to the hotel wanting to see my creations, mainly excited about the hamsas and buying them in bulk. It seems that in these times, people are especially seeking protection."

Walde also continues embroidering and receives orders from the Founders' House. "But there's nothing like being home," she emphasizes. "We're all counting the days until we can return to the city safely and without worry. Until then, embroidery keeps me busy and calms me because when I embroider, I worry less."

Ahuva, the project coordinator, stresses that until city residents officially return to their homes, she ensures that raw materials reach the scattered embroiderers nationwide. She also provides each one with a list of products based on orders people have placed. "Currently, people mainly order wall hamsas," she says. "We even have a special initiative of framed hamsas, with each featuring a shard of a rocket that fell on Sderot. The result is stunning artistically and also deeply touching given the situation."

According to her, although residents can officially return to Sderot, many, including the embroiderers, have not returned. "It's hard for them," she explains. "We're all still traumatized, and as long as it's not completely quiet, the difficulty in returning is very great. But I'm sure it will happen eventually; we're all looking forward to that moment when the project returns to its natural place, as we all hope and aspire."