Dear Alif Community,
We hope that you passed your holiday in good health, surrounded by friends and family. Let us welcome 2024 together grounded in the hope for a peaceful and more just world. This year, let’s increase our knowledge and share the beauty of Arab cultures as we deepen our ties within and across communities.
The Alif Team is ready to hit the ground running as we put the final touches on our Winter/Spring calendar. We will have some big announcements soon, so please read the news below and stay tuned for more updates.
Our conviction in the power of the arts in storytelling and cultural education has proven effective in spreading awareness, expanding understanding, and building community. We are more committed than ever to provide a safe space at Alif Institute for all to learn more about Arab history and culture, come together as a community for mutual support, and a link to other community organizations and resources.
For a brief summary of last year’s work, please see the images below. And, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you can see upcoming opportunities to learn, process, support, and represent Arab cultures.
— The Alif Team
January Newsletter Sponsors
Thank you, newsletter sponsors!We couldn’t do it without your support!
Upcoming Events & Programs
Arabic Language Program
Winter/Spring Semester registration is now open!OPEN HOUSE IS JANUARY 6 from 12 - 3 PM
- Arabic language courses for children, youth, and adults
- Several options: Live online, guided self-study, and private tutoring
- In person options in Chamblee and Roswell
If you’d like to know more about our Arabic Language Program, please come to our Open House on January 6 (12 - 3 PM) or reach out to us at info@alifinstitute.org.
Rolling Enrollment for 3 & 4 year oldsBoth our Chamblee and Roswell locations are accepting 3 and 4 year old students on a continuous basis. Please EMAIL US if you are interested to start your child on their Arabic learning journey!
Arabic Music Program
Register now: Winter/Spring Session begins the week of January 23!Have questions? Email us at info@alifinstitute.org.
1/6 - Kan ya Makan: Arabic storytime & crafts
Saturday, January 6 at 1:15 PM
Free & Open to the public
Kan Ya Makan is a monthly program that happens on the first Thursday (11 am) and first Saturday (1:15 pm) of each month. Bring your little ones and enjoy Arabic storytelling and crafts at Alif Institute.
Movie Nights are back! We had a great response last year to our Palestine in Pictures series; this year we are continuing Palestine in Pictures in addition to our regular Movie Night program. It has been wonderful to gather over family-style meals followed by movies that transport you to a different place and time and engaging discussions. Please visit our Movie Night website for more information on film schedules and menus. If you have questions, please EMAIL us.
- Adult Movies - 7 PM - dinner (available for purchase, reservation required)7:30 PM - movie (free)
- Family Movies - 5 PM - dinner (available for purchase, reservation required)5:30 PM - movie (free)
JAN 12 - Adults(Tunisia)
JAN 26 - Adults(Palestine)
JAN 27 - Family(English language)
1/27 - Meet & Greet with H. Delano Roosevelt,CEO of the National Council for US-Arab Relations
Friday, January 196 PM at Alif InstituteFree & open to the public.RSVP to info@alifinstitute.org appreciated.
Join us for a reception at Alif Institute to meet H. Delano Roosevelt, the new CEO of the National Council for US-Arab Relations (NCUSAR). Mr. Roosevelt is in Atlanta to attend the Model Arab League conference and will visit us at Alif Institute to talk about the Model Arab League program.
2/10 - The Art of Arabic Cuisine
Saturday, February 10, 20245:30 PM - 8 PMAlif Institute (3288 Marjan Drive, Atlanta GA 30340)
Menu: TBD, more details coming soon.
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by sharing a unique culinary experience with your spouse, date, family, or friend! Space is limited, so you’ll want to reserve your spot ASAP for this entertaining and DELICIOUS evening.
Guest Chef: Rania Renno, is a Lebanese-Palestinian American food blogger. Dedicated to bringing homemade Arab cuisine to all through easy, clear recipes.
Questions? EMAIL us!
2/13 - Sahtain wa Hana
Saturday, January 13
12 PM - 2:30 PM
Join us for the first Sahtain wa Hana of the year! Check the website for the menu and EMAIL us if you have any questions.
SAVE THE DATES!!!
Get ready to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month! Stay tuned for more detail about all our activities, but be sure to mark you calendars for these two special programs. EMAIL us for more information.
December Recap
12/1 & 12/15 - Movie Nights: Palestine in Pictures
Thanks to all the community members who helped make this series successful by volunteering (especially our Movie Committee), contributing, attending, and participating!
In December we wrapped up our 2023 Palestine in Pictures weekly Movie Nights with The Wanted 18 and two shorts: The Present and Ismail. Back in October, we started showing Palestine-focused films on a weekly basis as a way of responding to the situation in Gaza. Gathering over a home-style meal was an added bonus, but the best part of these evenings has been the rich and engaging discussions following the screenings.
Palestine in Pictures will continue in 2024 as part of our regular Movie Nights program; we will dedicate one of our three monthly films to focus on Palestine. We look forward to another meaningful year of film screenings as we educate ourselves and our community.
12/1 - Winter Wonderland Exhibit at Fernbank Museum
As usual, the Arab American Women’s Society of Georgia and Alif Institute were proud to participate in the Fernbank Museums’s Winter Wonderland celebration by decorating a tree representing Arab cultures as well as an educational display about religious traditions in the Arab world. This is an incredibly popular exhibit, reaching thousands of visitors each year. Thank you, AAWSG, for your creativity and dedication in helping us showcase Arab cultures!
12/2 - Winter Holiday Bazaar
Our Winter Holiday Bazaar raised $8,111 for PCRF! This year’s Winter Holiday Bazaar was busier than ever. In response to the situation in Gaza, we brought together artists and artisan vendors, nonprofit & civic organizations, and lots of volunteers to create a day of education and support for Palestine. Thanks to the over 1,000 people who turned out to support humanitarian relief in Palestine as well as our local artists and artisans. Here are some highlights from the day:
Artist & Artisan vendors - Alif Institute donated all vendor rental fees directly to PCRF. Vendors and attendees contributed to PCRF as well!
Sahtain wa Hana - For the last Sahtain wa Hana of the year, Alif volunteers cooked up some delicious home-style Palestinian and Tunisian comfort food. Make sure to join us on Saturday, January 13 from 12 - 2:30 PM for the first Sahtain wa Hana of 2024!
Kan ya Makan - Alif volunteer and board member, Lara Karam Dempsey, read two Arabic stories for the children followed by a fun craft inspired by the book.
Silent Auction & Donations - Several generous community members donated beautiful carpets, books, and works of art to auction. The silent auction alone collected $1,600!
Panel Discussion on Civic Empowerment - Moderated by Dr. Lujayn Kayaly, representatives from PCRF, ADC-GA, CAIR-GA, and attorney Ibrahim Awad came together to explain the situation on the ground in Gaza and how American citizens can effectively engage with their elected officials to help.
Presentation - Dr. Rashid Naim (Political Science, GSU) gave a presentation on modern Palestinian history.
Roswell Community Masjid (RCM) - The RCM youth created a beautiful exhibit showing the history and culture of Palestine.
Dabke Workshop & Fundraiser for PCRF - Samir Hasan (Al-Fursan Dabke Group), tabla performer Matias Hazrum, and Loqman Salem (shabbaba) volunteered their time to teach a fantastic dabke workshop. All proceeds were donated to PCRF!
12/9 - The Art of Arabic Cooking - Palestinian Mezza
Our last cooking class of 2023 was led by the amazing Rania Renno, who taught us how to make a Levantine Mezza (Palestine, Syria, Lebanon), including manakeesh and fatteh! Rania shared so many amazing tips to help us recreate this traditional breakfast at home and shared wonderful stories that helped us understand its cultural importance. What a great way to end our 2023 cooking series! On February 10, our 2024 Winter/Spring Cooking Series will start with Rania leading a special Valentine’s edition of the Art of Arabic Cooking, so please save the date! EMAIL us if you have questions.
12/9 - Alif at Refuge Coffee’s Holiday Bazaar
Alif staff and volunteers represented Arab cultures at Refuge Coffee’s Holiday Bazaar.
12/16 - Haflatua & End of Year Celebrations
We are so proud of all of our Arabic language students and teachers! On Saturday, December 16 Alif’s Arabic for Youth students and families gathered to celebrate another successful semester of Arabic language studies. Students sang, acted in little skits, and presented research projects. After the presentations, everyone feasted on a delicious pot-luck meal. Thank you, Alif parents, for trusting us with your children’s education and supporting the work our teachers!Registration for Winter/Spring 2024 is now open! Classes start the week of January 20, so click HERE to register.
Tabla lessons are back! Matias Hazrum is ready to teach youth and adults how to play incredible Arabic rhythms on the tabla. Tuesday & Wednesday classes start on 1/23 & 1/24, so visit our website to register or email us for more info!
Gaza Response
As a cultural and community organization, Alif has responded to the crisis in Gaza in several ways: mission tested, this is how we responded…
Movie Nights, Winter Bazaar, Educational Support - Regular programs, like our Movie Night series and Winter Holiday Artist & Artisan Bazaar, were re-centered on educating about the crisis and supporting humanitarian relief. As always, we provide educational support to the general public and to schools. If you’d like to know more about our cultural resources, please email us for more details.
If you’d like to chip in to help us continue educating about Palestine and the Arab world, a $20 donation will go along way. Thank you so much!
Copyright (C) 2024 Alif Institute. All rights reserved.
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