YA HALA’S FIRST YEAR
IN 2025, ARTIST HALA SALEH FOUNDED YA HALA, A POPULAR COMMUNITY SPACE FOR SEATTLE-AREA PALESTINIANS.
SHE HAS BIG PLANS FOR 2026.
WRITTEN BY BRI LITTLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOVELLE TAMAYO
[January 27, 2026] | Mercer Island-based architect Suzanne Zahr’s design studio, nestled between an unremarkable coffee spot and an upscale apartment on the island’s north end, may seem unassuming from the outside. But each weekend, Zahr’s studio transforms into Ya Hala, a pop-up community space, café, and retail spot for Seattle-area Palestinians and their loved ones to celebrate the beauty and endurance of the diaspora.
The space is curated by Hala Saleh, a Palestinian artist known for her tatreez-style embroidery work. After its start in April 2025, Ya Hala — meaning “welcome” in Arabic — quickly became more than just a place to get some excellent, traditionally made Palestinian coffee. Game nights, open mics, fundraisers, collective grief space, and discussions and workshops by local culture-makers like author Ijeoma Oluo and jewelry designer Diana Fakhoury are all offerings one can expect to find in this lively space.
I met Hala Saleh for the first time in person on Valentine’s Day 2025; I was reporting on the Palestinian poetry reading she co-hosted with Lena Khalaf Tuffaha at Open Books in Pioneer Square. Hala’s warm energy exuded both unshakable calm and purpose. I was struck by the clear passion and pride she has in being a culture worker, a Palestinian woman. I knew I wanted to stay connected with her, as we shared a similar vision for our role as artists involved in realizing justice for marginalized people.
Less than a month later, I heard about the launch of Ya Hala. Since its debut, I’ve seen visitors show up both physically and in spirit, with a radical community continuously being built beyond its walls. Whenever I attend a Ya Hala event, I leave Mercer Island having safely shared part of myself: whether by way of a poem at their first-ever open mic, a collage for a liberated Palestinian future at an art-making event, or a meaningful conversation with a new or familiar friend.
But that’s just an attendee’s take. How has Hala Saleh experienced Ya Hala’s launch, and what’s next? In a phone interview with CHUM News, Saleh reflected on what it was like to start Ya Hala, shared the challenges involved in hosting a regular art salon, and set her expectations for Ya Hala and its community in 2026.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Bri Little: How did Ya Hala come to be?
Hala Saleh: I’ve been involved in community work since the escalation of the genocide in Gaza; I wanted to do more for my people and try different things. While I admire the people who do it, being in more overtly political spaces wasn’t hitting the right note for me.
I perceive my strengths as bringing people together and creating a space. I wanted to combine the two. The real calling started getting really clear to me after October 7th: a place where we could process our trauma and pain, have a space that’s ours and felt good to be in.
“Ya Hala is maintaining a clear focus on what it means to be Palestinian.”
In December 2024, I lost my job and I was trying to figure out what was next. I had worked in tech for about 20 years. I thought, What if we had a little retail shop that was curated with stuff from back home, where people from the Levant could share their trinkets?
I started writing documents about why I wanted this, my philosophy, and how we could show up and create intimacy with each other beyond our online interactions. Not a lot of spaces felt safe and open. I talked with Suzanne, who has the space in Mercer Island, and who said, Why don’t you just do your idea as a pop-up in the studio? Then my friend, Sabrene [Odeh] from [PNW-based Palestinian nonprofit] Baladna heard and said the organization’s leadership would like to help launch Ya Hala and be part of the team.
It was supposed to be a one-month pop up in April 2025, but people were so excited, so we extended it through May. We took June off to do more planning, and people kept asking, When are you gonna come back? It’s just been going since then.
BL: What are some unexpected challenges and delights of creating Ya Hala?
HS: I had never done a brick-and-mortar type of business, so I‘ve definitely had a steep learning curve when it came to that! How do you make sure you have enough inventory; how do you plan? I also do all the marketing and social media, the design pieces… that’s been a fun journey for me, I’ve actually gotten a bit of practice. Another challenge is facing the Mercer Island surrounding community. How do we deal with people who come into the space and harass the staff? That’s happened multiple times. People have gone on online rampages… even people coming physically into the space and trying to intimidate us. We knew there were people who wouldn’t love what we’re doing, but not to this degree.
“If we start to take on the privilege of taking care of each other, there’s this trust that we’d do this if or when it’s their turn.”
As for delights, the community response can make me cry on any given day: People are so open-hearted and generous. They’re always asking, What can we do? People help us do the dishes, clean up.
I want to help people relax and help take a load off emotionally. My theory is people feel that: how deeply we want to give, how meaningful that is, so it naturally creates a reciprocation.
The systems within capitalism are only becoming more difficult to navigate; people’s circumstances are becoming more challenging. If we start to take on the privilege of taking care of each other, there’s this trust that we’d do this if or when it’s their turn. Just this past weekend, people were playing games and laughing and chatting. We interrupted to ask for support for a father who was kidnapped by ICE and we raised $2,000 in one sitting. We’re trying to create alternate ways to exist within a system that works to keep us down in lieu of actual connection and supporting each other.
BL: I’ve been deeply moved learning about Palestinians’ culture of resistance, historically and presently. How does Ya Hala contribute to that?
HS: Our people, Palestinians, have been under assault in many ways. There’s been the physical: destroying homes, businesses, schools, lives. There is also cultural genocide: the genocide of knowledge and education and institutions, our archives and history. Ya Hala is maintaining a clear focus on what it means to be Palestinian. I cannot physically stand shoulder to shoulder with my siblings in Gaza. I try not to engage in political discourse because there are people who are more talented with that piece.
Ya Hala is about keeping the cultural components alive; engaging with things we don’t even learn growing up because of the trauma. Teaching people the framework, how to break free of the “perfect victim” gaze and desire for us to be small and meek. I know it doesn’t necessarily keep me safe, but I hope to inject a little courage and bravery into people who get to know us and what we do.
BL: What are some highlights of this experience?
HS: Open mics have been fun, having people share their talents. That’s been so tender for me. People will come, definitely people know what they’re doing, but most people aren’t totally polished and they’re willing to share anyway. It’s so beautiful to see it. Their willingness reflects a sense of trust that the community will receive them.
The reading group for Mohammed El-Kurd’s book Perfect Victims has been so fulfilling intellectually. We’ve had people who have expressed interest in discussing more, so we will be doing a part two for that. What else? We’ve hosted create your own tatreez design workshops, and events where my parents have been there. I did a tatreez circle with my mother. I’d never done that with her until this year — she lives in Amman, Jordan — so that has been so special.
BL: What are you excited for in 2026?
HS: I feel like I’m ready to take this momentum and make Ya Hala more permanent and sustainable. Which means finding our own space and making sure we can do this for real. I’m excited to make it happen.
BL: What should people be keeping their eyes on?
HS: The best way to support is to attend and share announcements. There are links in our Instagram bio for mutual-aid campaigns, and other posts. Sign up for the newsletter, which gives more info about what Ya Hala is, in addition to upcoming events. This is a space run by and for Palestinians, but we also very much exist to create bridges to the rest of our community: anti-imperialist, antifascist, anti- all these things we’re fighting, and we want to make sure everyone feels welcome.