Ms. Rachel Sells Artworks by Children From Gaza
The works are part of a new benefit exhibition organized by the global early childhood education star, a vocal supporter of Palestinian children.
In her latest effort to raise funds for Palestinian children, Rachel Accurso, the early childhood educator and YouTuber best known as Ms. Rachel, will present an exhibition and sale of artworks by children from Gaza in New York City this week. Accurso, whose joyful educational videos have surpassed as many as one billion views, has vocally opposed Israel's genocide in Gaza, and particularly the killing of children, on her popular social media platforms, drawing significant right-wing backlash and harassment.
The exhibition, titled Colors That Survived, will be on view for one day on Tuesday, January 13, at Chelsea’s Caelum Gallery. According to a press release, 20 limited edition prints of each artwork will be sold for $200 each, and all proceeds from the show will be donated to the Palestinian children who authored them. After the show, the works will remain on sale until January 30 through Artists Support, an organization that sells art for charitable causes. (The sale goes live at this link on January 12)
Among the works highlighted by Accurso is the illustration “Begging for Food,” attributed to 16-year-old artist Yara, portraying starvation in Gaza. (The young artists are identified by first name only.) Another work, “House on His Back,” attributed to 12-year-old Ahmed, portrays a person bearing the weight of his home on his back.
The show follows the popular children’s star’s debut of a dress adorned with artworks by Palestinian children at Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year gala in November.
Following her public statements opposing the genocide in Gaza, the preschool educator, whose videos teach potty training skills and more, was named by the doxxing platform StopAntisemitism as a top contender for 2025’s “Antisemite of the Year.” In a tearful video posted in May 2024, Accurso spoke about the bullying she experienced as a result of her public comments opposing the killing of children in Gaza, but vowed to “handle this.”
According to some estimates, 50,000 children in Gaza have been killed or injured since Israel began its attacks in 2023.
On her YouTube channel, Accurso has featured children from Gaza, including a three-year-old girl named Rahaf who became a double amputee after an Israeli airstrike.
Accurso has since supported several fundraisers for children in Gaza, including one initiative on the app Cameo, which allows users to purchase personalized videos from celebrities, that reportedly raised $50,000. She has also sat for media interviews, including on Democracy Now!, defending her public advocacy for Palestinian youth. Her Instagram currently links to a fundraiser for 16-year-old artist Yara Abu Kwaik, who was displaced by Israel’s aggression in Gaza.
The exhibition is held in collaboration with the makers of the film The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025), based on recordings of the moments leading up to the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab by the Israeli military in 2024.
“I am forever changed by connecting with these incredible children from Gaza,” Ms. Rachel said in a press release. “They share their powerful art, stories, and hopes for the future with such courage in the face of unimaginable hardship.”
