For those who visited Sydney-based bakery Anything But Humble during November, they would have had the chance to sample handmade Palestinian pastries that were being sold through the Plate It Forward social enterprise.

At the helm of creating these delicacies was Anything But Humble chef Nehad Jerada, who came to Australia from Palestine as an asylum seeker along with two of her sons, leaving behind her eldest son and his family.

Beyond being an opportunity to showcase – and educate – people about Palestinian culture via food, all profits were also being donated back to help rebuild Ms Jerada’s family home in Gaza, which was lost in a recent bombing.

Ms Jerada told ABC News that creating the pastries had helped to keep her mind from dwelling on the fate of her son and his family.

“If not for the boss and the work, I would only think about it, all the time,” she said.

“Your mind couldn’t understand the pain and death that I think of.”

Ms Jerada’s pastries, which sold out well ahead of time on a few occasions, served not only to distract her from the unfolding situation, but also helped people understand her and culture.

“The people love my food a lot,” she said.

“If they see us and eat our food, that is a very important thing in helping them understand Palestinians.”

Plate It Forward CEO and founder Shaun Christie-David told ABC News the decision to support Ms Jerada had been an easy one to make for the organisation.

“For us, it’s never about anything beyond a human person that we adore and care for a lot,” he said.

“Everybody has been positively impacted by Nehad and her beautiful smile and who she is as an individual. It was the only way we knew we could do something.”

Image: Nehad Jerada with her son, Saif