MUSEUM OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE’S 9TH ANNUAL GALA
Patterson Mansion at Dupont Circle: 15 Dupont Cir NW, Washington, DC 20036
Thursday, October 22, 2026 @ 6 p.m.
The Museum of the Palestinian People celebrates the beauty of Palestinian arts and culture through its work in preserving, documenting, and sharing the history of the people. Join us for the ninth annual fundraising gala, Museum in Bloom, which celebrates the artistry and creativity of the Palestinian people across the diaspora, and the growth of the museum since its opening in 2019.
Join us for Museum in Bloom: Celebrating Our Growth on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
Artwork generously contributed by Sarah Alsamarai, Instagram @citycanvasbysarah
The wildflowers of Palestine, native to the land, provide sustenance, medicine, and beauty across the villages and valleys. Soon after the first rainfall of October, the fields turn green, and the flowers begin to bloom, reaching their peak from the end of the year through the summer months.
The lush flora inspires poems, art, and embroidery, reflecting the beauty of Palestinian culture with a deep-rooted appreciation for the earth’s bounty. Hillsides of long-stemmed lavender irises, red poppies, purple anemones, white and yellow daisies, and blue lupine flourished across historic Palestine and appear in the stories and memories of our Elders. Even in the harsh conditions of the genocide, the flowers blossom amidst the rubble like the resolve of the Palestinian people.
Artwork generously contributed by Sarah Alsamarai, Instagram @citycanvasbysarah
The Keynote address will be given by Laila al-Haddad. Laila is a James Beard Award–winning Palestinian writer, journalist, scholar-activist, and public speaker from Gaza.
Laila El-Haddad is a James Beard Award–winning Palestinian writer, journalist, scholar-activist, and public speaker from Gaza.
She is the co-author of the landmark The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey, which weaves together oral history, political analysis, culinary tradition, and cultural memory, and the co-editor of Gaza Unsilenced, an anthology she compiled alongside the martyred Palestinian scholar and writer Dr. Refaat Alareer. She is also the author of Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting, and Everything In Between.
At the heart of El-Haddad’s work is a commitment to narrating Palestine through Palestinian voices and to resisting the separation of the personal from the political. Whether writing about a meal, interviewing a farmer, documenting a family, analyzing policy, or speaking about Gaza’s political reality, she explores the intersections of food, politics, identity, culture, and power. In her work, food becomes history, recipes become archives, kitchens become sites of memory, and storytelling becomes a means of preserving identity and asserting Palestinian agency.
In November 2023, El-Haddad was among Palestinian plaintiffs who filed a federal lawsuit against President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, for their their failure to prevent and complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. She has received recognition for her writing, advocacy, and leadership, including the American Friends Service Committee’s Inspiration for Hope Award and the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee’s Literary Leadership Award, and has lectured extensively at universities, academic institutions, and community organizations in the United States and internationally.
A graduate of Duke University and the Harvard Kennedy School, where she studied political science and public policy, El-Haddad brings together rigorous political analysis and intimate storytelling. She lives in Clarksville, MD with her husband, 4 children, 5 chickens, and 3 cats.
The evening will be hosted by Rasha Mubarak. Rasha is a Palestinian-American, community activist, and leader, who was named “10 People Making Orlando a Better Place to Be” and “2019 Florida Young Democrat of the Year”.
Rasha Mubarak is a Palestinian-American Muslim community activist, consultant, political strategist, and leader, who was named “10 People Making Orlando a Better Place to Be” and “2019 Florida Young Democrat of the Year”. Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in the heart of Central Florida, Rasha is a grassroots organizer and political advocate for national, statewide, and local political candidates and campaigns around civil rights, human rights, interfaith work, immigration rights, and Black and Brown liberation.
Rasha has 15+ years of experience as a bilingual progressive organizer and political strategist specializing in: advocacy, non-profit management, campaigns, program development, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, education and mobilization immersed within a strong network of diverse communities both locally and nationally. Rasha always looks to add value with her skills, social capital, and ability to influence and build coalitions toward increasing advocacy and political engagement within low propensity voters and historically marginalized communities.
Artwork generously contributed by Sarah Alsamarai, instagram @citycanvasbysarah
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We are working on our silent auction. Please check back soon!
The Museum of the Palestinian People is a registered 501c3 charity. All donations are tax deductible.