We are a couple from the cities of Jerusalem and Jenin. We established the "Monat Al-Beit " store, a family and collaborative project. The idea of the store simply began to take shape in 2018 when relatives from the family residing in Jerusalem would ask us to bring them some traditional foods from Jenin, such as sheep cheese, thyme, olives, honey, etc. These products were considered a priceless treasure and nourishment for the body and soul, as these products were scarce in Jerusalem and 48 areas in general.
Due to our travels and visits, the idea of the project initially started as an additional income for the household. However, as we delved into the details of traditional foods, the regions known for them, their production methods, history, and even their taste, our perspective on this project changed. It became a place where we could escape the pressures of our lives and responsibilities, despite the effort it required. It became a sanctuary for knowledge, storytelling, and getting to know people, cities, and villages. It turned into a passion that drove us towards establishing and developing this project into an online store as it stands now, and eventually into a physical store.
By the end of 2020, we launched " Monat Al-Beit" as an online store on social media platforms, where we began marketing five products under this name with simple packaging. We marketed electronically on Facebook and Instagram, receiving a wonderful reception from family, friends, and others who got to know us through our pages. From there, we started as a small store that grew over time to now offer around fifty distinctive products in terms of quality, taste, attractive packaging, and environmentally friendly and recyclable containers.
The uniqueness of our store lies in collaborating with several women, families, and farmers working on these traditional products (about 20 families). We search for the origin of the local product and provide it. For example, we provide sumac from the mountains of Meithalun village in Jenin, known for its sumac trees, olive oil from Salfit, which is known for the quality and purity of its oil, grape molasses from Hebron, a precious staple of its products, and traditional freekeh from the northern West Bank, as well as local olives and sheep cheese from the Northern Jordan Valley, along with other rich Palestinian traditional products that are countless. In addition to our personal production of sun-dried tomatoes and pickled cucumbers, which have garnered wide popularity.
The most important aspect is the authentic taste that takes you back to your ancestors' time. Despite the differences in tastes in all aspects of our lives, the majority of those who buy from us come together in their love for the taste and rely on its repetition, which boosts our morale and responsibility.
Our aspirations are simple but require a lot of effort. We aspire for our products to reach international markets, not just locally. We aim to enhance the production process so that the traditional products are made from organic vegetables from Palestinian farms. We aim to achieve even a small part of Palestinian self-sufficiency, encourage local production, provide job opportunities, and preserve the Palestinian culinary heritage for generations to come.
