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Explore Mr. Mahrous's journey through Beersheba

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BFA is the largest collection of original documents belonging to a single Palestinian family and the living memory of Mahrous Bseiso, chronicling Palestinian life from 1906-1977.

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This archive is a unique repository of important family materials that illuminate important aspects of the history of Palestine. I would recommend it to students, researchers, and historians.

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Rashid Khalidi

Edward Said Professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies

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This archive is a unique repository of important family materials that illuminate important aspects of the history of Palestine. I would recommend it to students, researchers, and historians.

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Rashid Khalidi

Edward Said Professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies

Archive

Excerpts around the law, people, and places of historic Palestine contextualize our collection.

Documents

Explore Mahrous Bseiso's vision through land he owned, worked, and developed for the Beersheba community in Palestine.

Stories

Read about Palestinian culture, art, and daily life.

The Voice of Hind Rajab

September 4, 2025

The Voice of Hind Rajab

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In January 2024, six-year-old Hind Rajab called the Palestinian Red Crescent from a car in Gaza. Her family had been killed around her, and she was left alone among the bodies, pleading for help. She told the dispatcher she was scared, her voice carrying both fear and hope that someone would come. Medics tried to reach her, but they never made it back. Days later, Hind and her relatives were found dead. Her voice was preserved on that call and quickly spread beyond Gaza, becoming a symbol of the human cost of war. Director Kaouther Ben Hania took that moment and built The Voice of Hind Rajab. This film recreates the atmosphere inside the Red Crescent call center. The actors listen to Hind’s real recording, trying to comfort her while knowing their efforts cannot change the outcome. The choice to confine the story to a single room and to rely on sound rather than images makes the film stark and intimate, drawing the audience directly into the helplessness of that night. When it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2025, the film received one of the longest ovations in the festival’s history. Critics noted its restraint and its refusal to sensationalize tragedy, instead letting Hind’s words speak for themselves. By blending art with testimony, the film ensures that Hind’s call is not forgotten, turning her voice into both a record of loss and a reminder of the lives silenced in conflict.

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News

Elevating official UN statements and other milestone events for BFA along our journey for justice

The Bseiso Family Archive: Ongoing Nakba and the Road to Reparations

Explore the story of Mahrous Mustafa Bseiso as published in the Journal of Palestinian Studies, a key figure in Beersheba during the early 20th century, and how his legacy connects to the founding of the Bseiso Family Archive. The article, written by his grandson Adel Bseiso, reflects on our wider family history and the importance of preserving Palestinian memory in the face of ongoing erasure. Read the full piece to learn more.

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MEDIA

Media

Listen to interviews, original compositions, and other contributions from the Bseiso family and community

May 15th - From Landowner to Refugee

May 15th - From Landowner to Refugee

Burn Me Alive - Shak Mustafa

Burn Me Alive - Shak Mustafa

Executions and Mass Graves in Tantura

Executions and Mass Graves in Tantura

Shouting at the Wall - Mc Abdul

Shouting at the Wall - Mc Abdul

Khabib Praises Ireland for Supporting Palestine

Khabib Praises Ireland for Supporting Palestine

Deira - Saint Levant

Deira - Saint Levant

Wake Up - Llunr

Wake Up - Llunr

Palestinian Embroidery

Palestinian Embroidery

A Cry For God

A Cry For God

Desert Swan

Desert Swan

A Palestinian Life

A Palestinian Life

The Story of Khalid Ibn Al-Walid: The Sword of Allah

The Story of Khalid Ibn Al-Walid: The Sword of Allah

Palestinian Soap

Palestinian Soap

The Bseiso Family Legacy, Introduction to Ancestry

Learn about the origins of the Bseiso family name, a branch of the noble Kayali family.