News Archives
AAANY's Brooklyn United Soccer Team Wins NYPD Commissioner's Cup!
On August 15th, a very hot and sunny Saturday, AAANY’s very own Brooklyn United soccer team defeated the Turkish American Sports Club 6-2 in the finals of the NYPD Commissioner’s Cup with supporters, members of the press, and law enforcement officials on hand. According to commissioner Ray Kelly, the league is designed to “increase fellowship amongst teens and build stronger relationships between them and the NYPD.” We congratulate our boys on a hard-fought tournament and a stellar win in the final game! View our photo gallery for more photos from the day.
Download the latest newsletter: Summer 2009
Another Successful Summer at AAANY Draws to a Close
On Thursday, August 13th, participants and organizers of AAANY’s Summer 2009 programs gathered in the event hall of Salam Arabic Lutheran Church to celebrate the completion of a busy and successful Summer Youth Program, which provided a safe, fun and educational space for thirty of our community’s youth. Guests enjoyed dinner while AAANY Director Linda Sarsour narrated a slide show featuring photos from Summer Camp field trips, the Soccer Team’s undefeated season, and the Debka Team’s performance at the Bazaar. City Councilman Vincent Gentile made a surprise visit and presented special certificates with the City Council seal to the campers, dancers, soccer players, volunteers, and AAANY staff involved in summer programming.
A celebration of this kind seemed fitting for year’s Summer Youth Program, our biggest and most ambitious yet, one which featured many exciting and educational field trips throughout New York City. For example, on Thursday, July 16th, our Summer Youth Program, led by Asmi Fathelbab and Mizanur Ahmed, took a tour of City Hall as a special guest of City Councilman Vincent Gentile. Our kids learned about the history of the building, witnessed its function and importance in city politics, and enjoyed a lunch on the front lawn with members of City Hall’s staff.
Another trip our youth enjoyed was a trip on August 14th to the New York Police Museum (pictured above), where the kids learned about the history of one of the country’s oldest police departments, had their mug shots taken in an old jail cell and in a line-up, and spoke with members of the force about their experiences. Several other special events were held at AAANY, including a visiting FDNY fire truck and crew (pictured left) and a Kidsmobile Unit from the Brooklyn Public Library, among others.
We at AAANY hope that next summer will bring even more fun, but in the mean time, our youth programming continues with after-school tutoring, Debka classes, Princess Club and Girl Talk. Please see our website or call our offices for the most up-to-date program schedules.
3rd Annual Bay Ridge Arab American Bazaar!
On Sunday, July 12th, AAANY partnered with the Arab Muslim American Federation to host its 3rd Annual Bay Ridge Arab American Bazaar in Shore Road Park, Brooklyn. The event, held as part of New York City’s Arab Heritage Week as declared in 2005, with a crowd of about 5,000 community members who were on hand to celebrate the best of Arab-American culture, featuring musical and dance performances, great foods, clothing and crafts sellers from across New York City. Thanks to sponsors Lutheran Medical Center, the U.S. Census Bureau, Health Plus, Apple Bank and Con Edison, the Bazaar was our biggest and finest to date!
The day’s performers included Yasser Darwish and Egyptian Celebrations, Walid Rubaee, Samer Tabari, Palestinian Stars Debka Troupe, and Omar Hayel. Those in attendance were treated to a surprise performance from Saad Lamjarrad (pictured at top), Moroccan finalist on Superstar, the Arab World’s version of American Idol!
We were also joined by several local political leaders, including State Assembly Member Janele Hyer-Spencer (pictured above), Senator Marty Golden, and City Council Member Vincent Gentile, each of whom extended their appreciation for such a celebration of Brooklyn’s multicultural heritage. Special thanks goes out to our dozens of dedicated volunteers, who committed countless hours of hard work – before, during and after July 12th – in order to make this year’s Bazaar such a tremendous success! More photos from the event are available in our photo gallery.
This year's Bazaar would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Lutheran Medical Center, Health Plus, Apple Bank, and Con Edison!
New York City Council Votes in Favor of Recognizing Muslim Holidays in Public Schools
On Tuesday, June 30th, New York City Council voted 50 to 1 in favor of passing Resolution 1281, urging the Department of Education to include Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in the city’s public school calendars. The Arab American Association of New York, having been involved in a coalition of over 80 organizations supporting this measure, has welcomed this decision warmly. With Muslim students making up over ten percent of the NYC Public School student body, it seems high time that these important holidays go recognized.
Muslim students – many of them residents of our own Bay Ridge community – deserve the chance to observe their most important holidays of the year while enjoying every chance to excel in school. Councilmember and Education Committee Chair Robert Jackson, pictured above with AAANY Director Linda Sarsour on June 18th in front of City Hall, was a chief sponsor of the measure, believing that a choice between missing important holidays with one’s family and missing important classes, trips and exams in school is not one that so many students should have to make.
Fifth Avenue Festival is a hit!
On Sunday, May 31st, a warm sunny day in Brooklyn, AAANY teamed up with local Arabic music store Princess Music to put on quite a show! AAANY's Debka (traditional Palestinian dance) troupe performed three times throughout the afternoon, attracting larger and larger crowds as the day went on.
With Princess Music's DJ spinning Arabic dance music, and raffle prizes being offered by Princess Music, Pharmacy on Fifth, 5th Avenue Kings, and Balady Foods, crowds reached in the hundreds, with dozens joining in the dancing on several occasions. Thanks to everyone who came out and joined us for a little taste of what's to come in our July 12th Bay Ridge Arab American Bazaar!
Arab Americans give back to Brooklyn!
Sunset Park Recreation Center was the site of AAANY’s Free Market on Saturday, May 16th, as part of the National Network for Arab American Communities’ 5th Annual National Arab American Service Day. This project, like dozens of others around the country, aimed to give Arab-Americans a chance to give back to their diverse neighbors while showing what they can do when they come together for a good cause. AAANY, with the invaluable support of Karen Gripper and Sunset Park Recreation Center, Network of Arab-American Professionals – NY, HealthPlus, Sunset Park Health Corps and Kings Kids Corp., offered free clothing, house-wares and children’s items to the predominantly Chinese- and Spanish-speaking community of Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Over sixty volunteers came out in support of this effort, serving hundreds of local residents throughout the day by organizing and distributing items to the public, spreading the word around the neighborhood, translating for attendees, coordinating volunteers, and more.
HealthPlus offered children’s activities such as cotton candy, spin-wheel giveaway games, and balloon creature making. Moreover, New York State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz visited the event in time to witness AAANY’s Debka troupe performing their traditional Palestinian dances!
Assemblyman Ortiz, when addressing AAANY’s volunteers, stressed the importance of collaborative efforts such as this, especially in such an ethnically diverse community during such tough economic times – and we could not agree more. May 16th’s Free Market gave Arab-Americans throughout New York City the chance to work hand-in-hand with members of the greater community. We are delighted to have organized our largest and most impactful National Arab American Service Day to date, and are eager to continue to serve in such a way – and we have our dedicated supporters and volunteers to thank for this opportunity.
The Arab American Association of New York would like to thank HealthPlus, Sunset Park Recreation Center, Network of Arab-American Professionals - NY, Sunset Park Health Corps, Kings Kids Corp., and all of our dedicated volunteers for making May 16th's 5th Annual National Arab American Service Day our most successful service day yet!
Updates - May 2009
On Friday, May 8th, AAANY hosted free mammogram scans, thanks to the sponsorship of the NYU Cancer Institute AMBER (Arab American Breast Cancer Education and Referral) Program, YWCA of Brooklyn and the American-Italian Cancer Foundation. Following what is becoming a biannual tradition at AAANY, twenty seven women received free scans, and participants were also provided with health care advice from the medical professionals and representatives on hand. Many thanks to the YWCA of Brooklyn and the American-Italian Cancer Foundation for their continuing support of the health of the Arab American community!
AAANY/LFHC Community Needs Health Assessment on the Arab-American community in Southwest Brooklyn won second place in Lutheran Medical Center’s Caring for Health Awards on May 14th!
AAANY welcomes Sarab al-Jijakli, co-founder of the Network of Arab-American Professionals – NY, to its Board of Directors. We look forward to making the most of his passion for supporting and empowering the Arab-American community in New York City!
Earth Day Clean-up with NYPD
On Wednesday, April 22nd AAANY teamed up with NYPD Youth Services and some of our finest volunteers to clean up our streets in honor of Earth Day! A group of about fifty walked from our offices towards Leif Ericson Park donning brooms, rakes, gloves and paint rollers, cleaning up litter and painting over graffiti.
Our goal was to clean up our streets, but we also aim to set an example for our community in demonstrating that there are people – especially young people Thanks to New York Police Department Youth Services and Detective Ahmed Nasser for helping to organize our Earth Day Cleanup!
Health Fair for the Community
On Friday, April 17th, AAANY hosted its annual Healthy Family Fair at Beit al-Maqdis Mosque, partnering with Lutheran Medical Center to provide hearing, dental, blood sugar and other medical tests free of charge! Several of our community’s doctors – especially those who speak Arabic – were on hand to provide these services in addition to free consultations for the public. We would like to thank them for their dedication to the community!
With attendance nearing two hundred, we can consider this fair to have been one of our most successful ever! We know that both costs and a lack of awareness of healthcare options can plague many communities of New York City, and events such as this can help fight this. We would like to thank all of those who supported the event, including Lutheran Medical Center, HealthPlus, YWCA Brooklyn, NYU Cancer Institute, Pharmacy on Fifth, and all of the docto rs and staff members who provided their services to the community free of charge.
St. Patrick's Day Parade
On Sunday, March 22nd, AAANY joined in the annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day parade, which ran down 5th Avenue from 95th Street to 67th Street, right past our offices and through the heart of our neighborhood. On what was truly a sunny spring day, we were joined by many of our staff, volunteers and youth - as well as by some of our friends watching from the sidewalks! As one spectator shouted, "we are all Irish today!"
Please visit our Photo Album for more pictures from the parade!
Arab World Mothers' Day Party!
On Friday, March 20th, AAANY hosted its 3rd Annual Arab World Mothers' Day Party at Widdi Catering Hall in Brooklyn. This year's festivities featured more attendees than ever before, with over 400! Home-cooked food was served to all, thanks to our Women's Committee, led by Zeinab Bader. We enjoyed this great food, in addition to the sounds of Rana Beyruti, a song for our mothers performed by our youth, awards of appreciation for volunteers and organizers of the event, and plenty of dancing until past 10pm!
These are important times to come together as a community and celebrate the hard work of those who do much and ask for little or nothing in return. We are glad we had the opportunity to bring together such an active and dedicated group together, and we thank everyone for their show of support! More pictures will soon be available on our Picasa Photo Album.
Honors for Two of Our Own
Zeinab Bader was honored this February by the Brooklyn District
Attorney's Office as one of thisyear's Extraordinary Women,
a recognition given annually to select women who go above
and beyond the call of duty to improve the lives of Brooklyn's
citizens. Moreover, our very own Linda Sarsour was
honored by the Network of Arab American Professionals at
their 7th Anniversary Banquet on February 21st as a
recipient of their Community Achievement Award. We
would like to congratulate Linda, Zeinab and NAAP for all
of their hard work in the past year to empower our
community!
Introducing AAANY's Women's Committee
January, 2009 ~ We are excited to announce that AAANY Honorary Board Member Zeinab Bader, a Lebanese-American mother of 5, and long time resident of Bay Ridge, launched the AAANY Women’s Committee this past January. It is a female-driven forum in which members voice their concerns, collaborate on cultural and educational events and strengthen the community from the ground up. They focus especially on issues of women’s rights, intergenerational programming, domestic violence and educational discrimination. This initiative allows women to be at the forefront of the issues that matter to them most, and allows them to empower themselves and each other. Please call AAANY or visit our website for updates on meetings and upcoming events related to the Women’s Committee.
