More than 120 people attended the Festival for Falastin held in Cumberland last week.

The event features workshops, activities and a silent auction. This evening will feature a Palestinian dinner, panel discussion, music and dancing.

One of the workshops was on antisemitism and how common narratives can conflate support for Palestinian causes with being antisemitic. The workshop is being led by the group Jewish Voices out of Victoria. 

"The whole thing is about education and connection and community building and really about learning about the history and the reality of life," said Ingrid Brown, Minister at the Weird Church in Cumberland who is one of the organizers of the event. "Most folks that are sort of under 70 don't know the history of the state of Israel that we know today ... As we learn more about colonization, stolen land and Indigenous folks here, it gives us more perspective on Indigenous folks around the world."

Attendees also had the chance to learn about direct aid and how that can be beneficial to individuals and families that have specific, acute needs.

At 6 p.m., those in attendance gathered indoors for a dinner, panel discussion and entertainment.

The event was in part to help raise direct aid funds for Palestinian families in need.

The direct aid, which is immediate assistance provided directly to people in need, will be provided to four families. Sixteen-year-old Ahed is located in the Mawasi and Kahn Yunis area. He and his family have been displaced five times, and were left without a tent after an airstrike. A release from Comox Valley For Palestine says that Ahed's father has been held captive for over six months, and his injured brother needs medical care.

"Ahed is now responsible for his family's needs, and with no way out of Gaza due to the destruction of Rafah Crossing, they urgently need support for shelter and hope," a release promoting the event says.

The second recipient of aid is a woman named Yasmeen. She is also located in Mawasi with her husband and two kids. They are hoping to come to Canada, and are trying to raise enough money to start the refugee process. Ahmed is another recipient, who is currently in Egypt, but is working from there to support his family in Gaza. Ahmed's sister has a respiratory illness and requires oxygen, and Ahmed is trying to meet this and other family needs. Mayassa is another recipient. She is a 27-year-old mother of two from Gaza who escaped to Egypt in April. She is raising funds for basic needs and to hopefully reunite with her family.

To Elmar Nabbe, a member of Comox Valley 4 Palestine, the event was a chance to witness to the crisis in Gaza.

"How does genocide happen?" he said. "How does a whole nation ... like Germany, or Rwanda, allow a genocide to take place and then pretend that no one knew? We know. It's taking place now, and life just seems to go on. It's very difficult to hold our governments accountable, to stop the arms from going over ... the best we can do is bear witness and see what's going on, and look. To not oppose it is being complicit. That's my view."

The event was held at the same time as one on Hornby Island, which attracted 150 people.