The most widespread idea is that the origin of the dabke (دبكة), whose meaning in the Levantine dialect is “beating with the feet,” may have been related with the way the roofs of houses were traditionally built in villages, when groups of relatives and neighbors would gather to climb on the newly built roofs and compact the mixture of wood, straw and earth which they were made of by stepping and softly jumping on them until created a uniform surface without cracks. Others, however, believe that the origins of the characteristic jumps in this dance lie in ancient Canaanite fertility rituals to safeguard crops and scare away evil spirits. The dance is accompanied by a characteristic sort of music with a very brisk rhythm marked by tambourines or darbukas, which guide the repetition of the steps while a line forms with all of the participants holding hands. For generations, this folk dance has featured at weddings and celebrations of all kinds, having become one of the hallmarks of Palestinian culture, just like the popular scarf known as the kufiya and cross-stitch embroidery (tatreez).

The Jafra group was created in 2018 as an ensemble open to people of all nationalities and ages wanting to learn more about Palestinian culture and contribute to bringing the spirit of solidarity with the cause of this people in their struggle for the preservation of their traditions and cultural identity out into city streets and squares.