On the outskirts of Hebron, in the West Bank quarter of Wadi Al‑Samen, a modest art centre called Rommana is giving local children a place to express the trauma of daily life under military checkpoints and settler incursions. Founded in 2020 by artist Sarah Abu Madi, the studio—named after the Arabic word for pomegranate—now serves roughly 600 youngsters, with a goal to reach all 3,000 children living in the neighbourhood.
Art as a refuge
Abu Madi explains that each session begins by asking children how recent encounters with settlers or soldiers made them feel, what they think, and what they wish would change. “If there is a raid on a home, we ask: ‘What did that make you feel? What do you think? How does that affect you? What do you wish there would be?’” she said.
Children respond with drawings that capture their longing for freedom. Ten‑year‑old Talia Sabah sketched birds flying out of a cage, saying it represents freedom, while eleven‑year‑old Karam Sabah described how settlers have taken land his family once owned, leading to arrests for anyone who climbs the mountain.
Growing impact
What began as a few carpets in an old storage room now features low plastic tables surrounded by colourful murals painted by the children themselves. Their artwork has traveled beyond the West Bank, with exhibitions already shown in Canada and a planned show in Mexico.
One piece depicts three children riding a winged horse, symbolising a dream of soaring above the checkpoints that fragment their daily lives. “Art also creates a space that tells them: you can dream. You can imagine and build a reality different from the one you’re living in,” Abu Madi said.
Context of settlement expansion
The centre operates amid a surge in settler‑related violence and an accelerating expansion of Israeli settlements under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The United Nations and most countries consider the settlements illegal under international law, a view Israel disputes, calling the territory’s status “disputed.”
Despite the challenges, Rommana continues to provide a sanctuary where children can process their experiences, nurture hope, and envision a future beyond the walls and checkpoints that dominate their environment.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
