Palbox is the first and only Palestinian subscription box in the United States that offer Palestinian premium products

We are a Palestinian run family business based outside of Washington DC.  Our committment is to supprt Palestinian small businesses, artisans and families in Palestine where we source all of our products. In 2022, Palbox became under the ownership of Keffiyeh Masks LLC which is a social responsible brand that supports soical justice movements in the United States  

Palestine is known for some of the finest olive oil in the Middle East, some of it from trees more than a millennium old. Its wild gathered herbs have a mild but savory flavor that is unmatched elsewhere. It is home to some of the oldest soap factories in the world still producing olive oil soaps. Palestine also has artists in music and the visual arts that speak to everyone who loves both traditional and popular culture and which can travel electronically to Palbox subscribers.

Who is involved?

Bshara Nassar grew up outside of Bethlehem in Palestine, on his family’s educational farm, called Tent of Nations. He came to the U.S. in 2011 to pursue his master’s degree. He’s always been passionate about sharing Palestinian culture and telling their story as a people. In 2014 he founded the Museum of the Palestinian People which is based in Washington D.C. 

Kiersten Rossetto Nassar was born and raised in Mechanicsburg, PA. She studied peacebuilding and development at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, which is where she met Bshara. Her background is in refugee resettlement and integration and it remains a strong focus — working with communities and cultivating communities that welcome everyone and allow them to feel safe.

Artisans and local businesses in Palestine who provide products, design, artwork, printing, shipping, etc

History:

Palbox was originally founded artist Katie Miranda in 2016 after her volunteer work with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). 

She shares her story" The ISM olive oil customers asked me how could they get the olive oil outside of the 2-3 times a year they saw us (ISM) at fairs and events in the Bay Area. Subscription boxes were a new thing back then and I thought it would be great if we could get Palestinian products delivered to our customer's doors year round and also reach a broader audience around the country. I started Palbox with $500 paid to an animator to animate my drawings and some photos and make an explainer video for the front of the website. We used ISM's inventory and added my jewelry to the box because many of ISM's customers were mine as well".