About Us | Holy Land Soap

“My name is Nuha Atick and I produce purely organic soaps out of Olive oil in the city of Bethlehem in Palestine”

Bethlehem Olive trees

Each winter, the branches of the olive wood trees are cut in order for them to grow even more during the following spring. My husband purchased these branches and carved little objects out of them. With my job of secretary, we were able to survive and offer a good life to our four children.

“But in 2010, a wall was built around Bethlehem, which hinders us to access Jerusalem. Before Jerusalem was only 15 minutes away from our home. After that, it was impossible for us to sell the olive wood products. The situation was very difficult and we faced troubles in providing food for our children. They all were going to school and we wanted them to be able to continue their education, as well as for them to live a decent life. But we did not have any source of income.

How it happens

When I was young, my grandmother taught me how to produce soap from the oil from the olive trees. Since centuries, we use these trees and the resources it brings us: we can use it and its different parts for everything: the wood, the oil, the fruits, etc. So I had the idea to use the skills and knowledge that my grandmother gave me and to produce soaps in small quantities. And then I started selling them to my family, friends, and people around me in Bethlehem.

“In the beginning, selling soaps helped us to barely survive. Today it helps us to live a little bit easier. It was very difficult and it is still. There are a lot of tensions in the region and people have no money. We just can sell locally at the moment, which is not enough to live a normal life.”

Achievements

We thought about leaving Bethlehem and Palestine hundreds of times. But this town is our home! We are Catholics and if someone asks me why I have stayed, I always answer that we are here, were everything started. By staying here we protect this holy land and its history.

Now, one of my sons works with me. We try together to find new markets and to develop our little factory.

I hope that one day we can live better from our soaps. Because what we sell, is all we have got.

“My name is Nuha Atick and I produce purely organic soaps from native Olive oil in the city of Bethlehem in Palestine.”