Al-Awda - Voices of Resistance and Liberation

Little Falls, NJ, January 21, 2006- The New Jersey based organization Friends of Al Jisser held a cultural benefit on Saturday to raise money for the Made in Palestine art exhibit that is scheduled to open in New York City this spring. The cultural benefit, Min Layali Falasteen, was held at the St. George Church Hall in Little Falls and included an evening of dinner and entertainment. Two hundred and sixty guests attended Min Layali Falasteen, which featured poetry by Natalie Handal, comedy by Maysoon Zayid, music by Johnny Faraj and Ensemble, and folkloric Palestinian dance by The Stars Folklore and Dabke Troupe. A traditional Arab dinner was prepared and served by volunteers, with the ingredients for the meal donated by Al Baasha Restaurant, Fattal's Bakery, It's Greek to Me, Sahara Grocery Store and Nablus Pastries.

The benefit was organized by Maha Kabbash and Ikhlas Munayyer of Friends of Al Jisser with the support of New Jersey Solidarity and Al Jisser Group of NYC. The event brought together activists, artists and community members for an evening that showcased the many aspects of Palestinian culture and heritage, all in support of the art exhibition, which has received nationwide critical acclaim. Palestinian artist and activist, Samia Halaby, (whose work is featured in Made in Palestine), reflected on the event by saying, "The event went great. People were enthusiastic and supportive and everyone seemed to have had a good time. We danced Dabke; while the star of the evening was a grandmother who had recently arrived from Nablus. She showed us how to really dance Dabke and also performed a traditional village yodel."

Min Layali Falasteen was a successful fundraiser on behalf of Al Jisser, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab arts and is organizing the Manhattan showing of the Made in Palestine exhibition. Made in Palestine consists of groundbreaking work by twenty-three Palestinian artists and has been touring the country since its inception at the Station Museum in Houston, Texas in 2002. The New York opening is scheduled for early March 2006 but Al Jisser is still in need of monetary support for the exhibition. Made in Palestine is also scheduled to tour additional cities in North America. For more information or to donate money for the New York opening of the exhibition, visit: http://www.aljisser.org.

This article may be shared, reproduced or distributed under a Creative Commons License.

Al-Awda is published monthly by New Jersey Solidarity-Activists for the Liberation of Palestine. We welcome submissions, letters to the editor, cultural works, and other proposals for publication.

Contact us: Al-Awda Newspaper
(973) 954-2521
info@newjerseysolidarity.org
http://www.newjerseysolidarity.org

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344 Grove Street, Suite 131
Jersey City, NJ 07302

Our editorial collective is responsible for editing, laying out and developing this publication. We are open to new members who are in accord with the mission and principles of this newspaper.

Please contact us about your upcoming events and activities of interest to readers of this publication.

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February 2006	http://alawda.newjerseysolidarity.org
Successful New Jersey Fundraiser for Al-Jisser by Maymanah Farhat Little Falls, NJ, January 21, 2006- The New Jersey based organization Friends of Al Jisser held a cultural benefit on Saturday to raise money for the Made in Palestine art exhibit that is scheduled to open in New York City this spring. The cultural benefit, Min Layali Falasteen, was held at the St. George Church Hall in Little Falls and included an evening of dinner and entertainment. Two hundred and sixty guests attended Min Layali Falasteen, which featured poetry by Natalie Handal, comedy by Maysoon Zayid, music by Johnny Faraj and Ensemble, and folkloric Palestinian dance by The Stars Folklore and Dabke Troupe. A traditional Arab dinner was prepared and served by volunteers, with the ingredients for the meal donated by Al Baasha Restaurant, Fattal's Bakery, It's Greek to Me, Sahara Grocery Store and Nablus Pastries. The benefit was organized by Maha Kabbash and Ikhlas Munayyer of Friends of Al Jisser with the support of New Jersey Solidarity and Al Jisser Group of NYC. The event brought together activists, artists and community members for an evening that showcased the many aspects of Palestinian culture and heritage, all in support of the art exhibition, which has received nationwide critical acclaim. Palestinian artist and activist, Samia Halaby, (whose work is featured in Made in Palestine), reflected on the event by saying, "The event went great. People were enthusiastic and supportive and everyone seemed to have had a good time. We danced Dabke; while the star of the evening was a grandmother who had recently arrived from Nablus. She showed us how to really dance Dabke and also performed a traditional village yodel." Min Layali Falasteen was a successful fundraiser on behalf of Al Jisser, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab arts and is organizing the Manhattan showing of the Made in Palestine exhibition. Made in Palestine consists of groundbreaking work by twenty-three Palestinian artists and has been touring the country since its inception at the Station Museum in Houston, Texas in 2002. The New York opening is scheduled for early March 2006 but Al Jisser is still in need of monetary support for the exhibition. Made in Palestine is also scheduled to tour additional cities in North America. For more information or to donate money for the New York opening of the exhibition, visit: http://www.aljisser.org. This article may be shared, reproduced or distributed under a Creative Commons License. Al-Awda is published monthly by New Jersey Solidarity-Activists for the Liberation of Palestine. We welcome submissions, letters to the editor, cultural works, and other proposals for publication. Contact us: Al-Awda Newspaper (973) 954-2521 info@newjerseysolidarity.org http://www.newjerseysolidarity.org New Jersey Solidarity 344 Grove Street, Suite 131 Jersey City, NJ 07302 Our editorial collective is responsible for editing, laying out and developing this publication. We are open to new members who are in accord with the mission and principles of this newspaper. Please contact us about your upcoming events and activities of interest to readers of this publication. Please contact us for advertising rates and information, or for material on becoming a distributor.

Successful New Jersey Fundraiser for Al-Jisser