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Dear Alif Community,Farewell, 2022 and welcome, 2023! Happy New Year, everyone!
We’re ready to get back into the swing of things and are gearing up for a busy year full of inviting events and programs for all ages. We deeply appreciate all the support you showed us last year and we look forward to creating new memories and building important programs that serve our community. Wishing us all a wonderful year filled with connection, culture, and community. As always, thanks for reading!— The Alif Team
January Newsletter Sponsors
Thank you, newsletter sponsors!We couldn’t do it without your support!
Thank you for supporting Alif’s Year-End Fundraiser!
2022 Year-End Fundraising Campaign at a glance:
- November 29 - December 31
- Total Goal: $65,000
- Match challenge total: $20,000
- Number of donors: 82
- Smallest donation: $10
- Largest donation: $10,000
- Total raised: $40,327!
We’d like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who made this campaign a success. Even though we didn’t make our ultimate goal, thanks to all of your support we raised a significant amount in a short period of time.
Thank you, Alif board and staff members for hard work, tireless outreach, and, yes, donations!
Thank you, Alif community donors! Your individual donations remain the main source of support, fueling our ability to share the beauty of Arab cultures, create connections between communities, and reduce negative stereotypes.
Individual donor support is the cornerstone of Alif Instituteand we value each and every donation, no matter the size.Thank you so much!
Upcoming Events & Classes
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!Winter/Spring Arabic Language Program
Announcing our NEW Arabic Language courses for Winter/Spring 2023! Please click on the images above to select the Children & Youth or Adult program course listings.
New student or have questions? Come to the Arabic Language Open House on January 14 from 12 PM - 3 PM and meet the Arabic Language Team and other students and families! Also, you can always email us: info@alifinstitute.org.
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, January 14 from 12 - 3 PMRegistration is open now!
Upcoming Programs & Events
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! We’re excited and ready for 2023! Here’s a sneak peek at some of our upcoming programs and events. We’re still finalizing the details on the website, but if you have a question feel free to EMAIL US.
- Ramadan Bazaar - Sunday, March 5Click HERE to become a vendor at the Ramadan Bazaar!
- Ramadan Iftar & Lent Dinner - Saturday, March 25
- Spring Benefit Dinner - Saturday, April 29
- 16th Annual Atlanta Arab Festival - Saturday, September 30 & Sunday, October 1
- Winter Holiday Bazaar - Sunday, December 3
Story Time, Arabic style, is coming to Alif! What better way to engage your children in language and culture than with a fun and interactive storytime? Come and make memories with your children on the first Thursday and Saturday of each month. We’ll read stories in English and Arabic followed by a craft project. For questions, please EMAIL US.
Free for all children accompanied by parents!Thursday Winter/Spring Dates:11 AM - 12 PMFebruary 2, March 2 , April 6, May 4, June 1
Saturday Winter/Spring Dates:1:15 PM - 2 PMFebruary 4, March 4, April 1, May 6, June 3
Welcome to our Winter/Spring 2023 Arabic Cooking series, featuring classic Arabic recipes taught by experienced, local caterers:2/11 - Yumma’s Bread (Musakhan)3/18 - Zeina’s Catering (Shawerma)4/1 - Sweets by Diah (Mamool)5/6 - Leon International Foods (Falafel)If you have any questions, please email us at info@alifinstitute.org.
SUNDAY, MARCH 512 PM - 6 PM
Spring is coming and so is Ramadan! Mark your calendars for our Ramadan Artist & Artisan Bazaar will be Sunday, April 5 from 12 PM - 6 PM.
If you’re an artist or artisan and would like to be a vendor, please click the button above and fill out the application.
Thank you, Mr. Awad Awad!
We would like to thank Mr. Awad Awad for all his contributions in furthering the work of Alif Institute and its mission during the past four years as our Public Education Director. Mr. Awad’s impressive experience and infectious passion for teaching about Arab cultures will truly be missed. Although Mr. Awad will not be continuing in this capacity at Alif Institute, we look forward to future collaborations with him and wish him good fortune in all his future endeavors.
Welcome, Mr. Waleed Amer!
We are happy to welcome Mr. Waleed Amer, an experienced marketing professional, to the Alif Team! Waleed will use his talents to help Alif Institute reach a greater number of people to educate about Arab cultures and reduce negative stereotypes.
In 2022, the Atlanta office of the international architecture and design firm Perkins & Will chose Alif Institute for their community service project. In December, we met again to go over some very exciting concepts and ideas that we hope to present to you this spring. Please stay tuned for more details about upcoming design, expansion, and renovation plans for Alif Institute!
December 3, Alif participated in our third Refuge Coffee Holiday Market. Despite the rain, we had a great time representing Arab cultures and interacting with the other artists, organizations, and of course attendees! Thanks also to local author, Antoine Honeine, for hanging out with us, sharing his new book (Camelait) and helping us promote Arab cultures.
Alif will be at several of Atlanta’s favorite spring festivals, so please stay tuned for those dates as well as our own Ramadan Artist & Artisan Bazaar on Sunday, March 5!
On December 3, Alif students participated in a Practice Spelling Bee! As a warm-up to the end of year Spelling Bee to be held in May, 2023. Students had a great time getting used to being on stage and how to participate using the Spelling Bee protocols. We are so happy with our students’ progress and we can’t wait for them to show what they can do at the end of this semester!
Juha the wise fool is sometimes witty, sometimes wise, never a thief or evil, but all too often, a fool or the butt of a joke with a moral to each anecdote or story. Thanks to all who came to learn about this fascinating and entertaining traditional folkloric figure and a special thanks to our Juha expert, Mr. Awad Awad!
On Saturday, December 3, Alif’s own Arabic instructor, Wafa Abuassaf , presented her version of lizaaqiyaat. With roots that go back to medieval Arabic cookbooks of the 9th century, these thin pancakes of yeasted dough batter are griddled to perfection and stuffed or topped with sweet or savory delicious concoctions. Our guest chef and students were having so much fun, that at one point the group actually started to dabke! Where else can you find a cooking class that includes spontaneous dance?
Also in December, our wonderful Arabic language instructor, Reham Beshr, presented Egyptian style Mahashi! These savory stuffed vegetables are quintessential across the Arabic-speaking world and beyond. Known in Arabic as mahshi (s), mahaashee (pl), dolma, etc., each region and household have its twist on the recipe. Thanks to all who joined us for the yummy Egyptian version of this dish.If you like these programs, you can register NOW for our upcoming Winter/Spring Arabic Cooking Series!
On December 10, Alif students, staff, and guests enjoyed cheering the Moroccan team on to victory in the World Cup Semi-Finals. Although this happened spontaneously, we enjoyed being together so much and seeing the game on the big screen that we are sure to have more of these viewing parties!
Looking forward to cheering together more in 2023! If you would like to celebrate your own event at Alif Institute, please send us an email at info@alifinstitute.org to find out more.
Another successful Arabic language semester at Alif Institute is complete! On Saturday, December 17, we held Haflatuna, our end of year celebration, to showcase our young students’ hard work. Our sincere gratitude goes out to Kinda Hanano, our Arabic Language Program Director, and all our talented and dedicated instructors: Mrs. Wafa Abuassaf, Mrs. Reham Beshr, Mrs. Carla Bitar, Mrs. Jihan Hasan, Dr. Sahar Hashem, Dr. Ahmad Keichour, Ms. Ghada Mohamed, Mrs. Hala Mohsen, and Mrs. Abeer Shanti.
Thank you, parents, for trusting Alif Institute with your little ones and for supporting their Arabic language learning. REGISTRATION is NOW OPEN for the Winter/Spring 2023 Arabic Language Program so don’t delay!
- The Children’s program has two locations:- Saturday at the Alif Institute location begins on Saturday, January 21.- Sunday at the Alpharetta location starts on January 22.
- The Adult program starts the week of January 21.
This December, we carried on the tradition of A Taste of Christmas in the Arab World: Artist & Artisan Bazaar at Alif Institute. We enjoyed holiday shopping by local artisans, great Arabic food by local caterers, a fun and competitive Christmas in the Arab world trivia game, and, of course, SANTA! We hope you found unique gifts for your loved ones and enjoyed the music by DJ Zahia. Thank you to all who joined!
We are especially happy to see new Arab Americans translate their artistic talents into growing businesses. Several of our vendors launched their businesses for the first time and we look forward to watching them blossom!A very special thank you to Alif’s wonderful volunteers, who shared their talents and time with us: Hiam Jaraysi & Yasmine Makhlouf for the beautiful Christmas tree decoration on stage, the talented ladies of the AAWSG & Knit & Stitch Club for baking delicious sweets and pumpkin kibbeh to sell at our Alif booth, and Sohel Elias for bringing Santa to our wonderful bazaar. And, of course, thank you to our amazing vendors for enriching our Holiday Market with their passion and talent!
Alif in the News!
Alif Interviewed by Al Hurra TV for World Arabic Language Day
On Saturday, December 17, Al Hurra News spent the day at Alif Institute in honor of World Arabic Language Day (December 18, 2022)! Click on the video above to see the interview featuring Alif staff, instructors, parents, and students!
Looking for a venue for your special occasion? Add Alif’s special touch to your event!
Our newly renovated EVENT HALL is open and ready to host your special event! Our Event Room make-over is complete, featuring freshly updated paint, carpet, and a new stage! We have created an elegant and clean canvas for you to decorate with your own personal touch to reflect the spirit of your special event. And, if you like, ask us how Alif can help you add the beauty of Arab cultures as a special touch.If you are interested in celebrating your special affair in our Event Hall, please email us EMAIL US to reserve and we’ll be happy to help.
Community News & Announcements
Please send us an email if your organization has an event you’d like for us to share with the community!
Atlanta Intown & Reporter Newspapers - 20 Under 20
Alf mabrook to Salaam Awad of Midtown High School for being selected to Atlanta Intown & Reporter Newspapers’ Atlanta 20 Under 20 List! Salaam also enjoys being a henna artist and a part of Alif’s community of local artists. Click HERE to read about Salaam’s accomplishments!
CASTING NOTICE - AUDITIONS FOR THE UPCOMING BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF A DOLL’S HOUSE
Seeking: Boys and girls ages 4-9 to provide recorded voices for the upcoming Broadway production of A Doll’s House starring Jessica Chastain. We are interested in submissions from children with middle eastern and white dual heritage.
To Submit: Email audition@carnahancasting.com with the child’s picture, date of birth and any previous acting experience. Previous acting experience is not required.Commitment: These roles will never appear onstage nor need to be at the theatre for performances. They will be recorded voices which will be recorded over a day or two in mid-to-late January.
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