On the outskirts of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian artist has converted her home into a community art centre where children use drawing to express their experiences amid ongoing violence and military activity. The centre, called Rommana, which means "pomegranate" in Arabic, was established in 2020 by artist Sarah Abu Madi to provide local youth with a space to process and communicate their feelings about settler violence and Israeli military raids.
The centre’s relevance has grown in recent years as violence involving Israeli settlers has intensified alongside the rapid expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Settlements in the territory, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, are widely considered illegal under international law by the United Nations and most countries, a stance Israel disputes, maintaining that the status of the land is disputed.
Located in Wadi Al-Samen, a Hebron neighbourhood separated from the rest of the city by six Israeli military checkpoints, Rommana operates in an area frequently subjected to both military raids and settler incursions. Abu Madi described how the centre encourages children to discuss and reflect on their encounters with soldiers and settlers. They are asked questions such as how these events made them feel and what they wish could change.
The children often convey themes of freedom and hope through their artwork. Ten-year-old Talia Sabah, for example, drew birds flying free from a cage to symbolize her desire for freedom from the military presence. “I wish the military would stop being in our lives and there would be freedom, and we could do what we want with life,” she said. Another child, 11-year-old Karam Sabah, shared how settlers have occupied his family’s land on nearby mountains, restricting access and leading to arrests.
When Rommana first opened, it consisted of just a few carpets on the floor of an old storage room. It has since developed into a vibrant space adorned with colourful murals created by the children, who now gather around low plastic tables to work on their drawings. Approximately 600 children currently participate at the centre, with Abu Madi aiming to extend its reach to all 3,000 children in the neighbourhood.
The centre’s impact has also reached beyond the West Bank, with exhibitions of the children’s artwork presented in Canada and plans underway for another show in Mexico. One painting depicts three children riding on the back of a winged horse, symbolizing a dream of freedom and the ability to move beyond the restrictions imposed by checkpoints.
Abu Madi emphasized the importance of art as a means to inspire imagination and hope. “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,” she said.