Products: Hand-carved olivewood and mother-of-pearl  home decors and jewelries
Beneficiaries: 35 artisans from Beit Sahour.

Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative is located in a Christian village of Beit Sahour near Bethlehem.  The Cooperative consists of 35 artisans who carve crosses, nativity scenes and jewelries from olivewood and mother-of-pearl.

Olivewood carving is an ancient heritage that dates back to as early as the 4th century with the start of Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In the 17th century, Franciscan monks introduced the art of mother-of-pearl carvings, which, together with olivewood, developed and flourished with the pilgrimage tourism in the Bethlehem area. 

In 1981, a group of artisans in Beit Sahour came together and established the Cooperative, with the aims “to strive to alleviate poverty, increase employment, decrease emigration, and increase the level of income and sustain the Palestinian handicrafts industry for the benefit of the traditional handicrafts workmanship through marketing their products, marketing the raw materials at a low cost, and developing their capabilities technically and managerially.” 

The Cooperative thrived with pilgrimage tourism in Bethlehem.  Yet, it all changed on the eve of the Millennium with the start of the Palestinian uprising and the tightening of Israeli occupation policies.  Bethlehem area has become an open-air prison, encircled with an intricate system of military checkpoints, army bases, Jewish settlements, and more recently, the Separation Wall.  The impact has been devastating on the local economy – tourism has come to a halt, and many artisans have lost family members to violence or to immigration.  Today, only two of the 40 souvenir shops in Bethlehem remain open. 

In recent years, the Cooperative has shifted its focus to export and Fair Trade, and has managed to pull itself out of the most critical situation by cultivating supporters and partners in Europe.  A member of IFAT (International Fair Trade Association) it continues to strive for the preservation of the traditional crafts while utilizing them for economic self-help for artisans and their families. 

Contact Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative:
The cooperative’s retail store is located in front of the Shepherd’s Field.
Mailing address: P.O. Box 20, Beit Sahour
West Bank, Palestine (via Israel)
Tel: +972-(0)2-277-3087
Fax: +972-(0)2-277-3088
hlcs@p-ol.com
www.holyland-handicraft.org