Some of the best holiday gifts are the ones that keep on giving. That’s what happens when you use your gift-giving as a way to support nonprofit organizations. With that in mind, in this Holiday Gift Guide we highlight our 2012 grantee partners. You can support their important work by giving great gifts that friends and family are sure to treasure.
1) Favorite Arabic Foods Cookbook from the Arab American Association of New York (AAANY)
AAANY’s Adult Education ESL and pre-GED programs are proud to present their Favorite Arabic Foods cookbook, a collection of favorite recipes, food artwork and memories of cooking. Over the course of the summer, members of the class contributed a great deal of time, effort and expertise to produce the book, which features over 80 pages of delicious recipes and beautiful designs by Razan Tayeh. At every level of English-language learning, from beginning literacy through advanced conversation, students honed their English skills by writing recipes, telling stories about learning to cook, and teaching about national food traditions in Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Palestine and Jordan. Buy one here for $25 and support AAANY’s Adult Education programming.
2) DVDs of films featured at the Arab Film Festival (AFF) and the Boston Palestine Film Festival (BPFF)
Rough Hands tells the story of Mustapha, a forty-year-old barber in Casablanca. His clients are retired high-ranking government officials and power brokers. On the side, Mustapha has an underground business “facilitating” paperwork, using his privileged access to grease the wheels of bureaucracy. The film debuted in California this year at the AFF.
Habibi, a story of forbidden love, is the first fiction feature set in Gaza in 15 years. Two Palestinian students in the West Bank are forced to return home to Gaza, where their love defies tradition. To reach his lover Layla, Qays grafittis poetry across town. Habibi is a modern re-telling of the famous ancient Sufi parable Majnun Layla and premiered in Boston this year with the BPFF.
3) Al-Bustan’s 2013 Concert Series
Philadelphia-based Al-Bustan annually features internationally acclaimed guest artists performing with their resident takht music ensemble led by Music Director Hanna Khoury. In February, the ensemble will showcase original work from Kinan Abou-afach, a Syrian-born cellist and composer. The music will be augmented by artwork from Kevork Mourad, a Syrian visual artist. Tickets for this event and others can be purchased here for $30. Al-Bustan is also selling beautiful handmade coasters with their logo. Available by contacting them here.
We are so proud to partner with all of our 2012 grantees and encourage you to support their meaningful work.
P.S. Don’t forget to check out the store at our sister organization, the Arab American National Museum, for handcrafted holiday gifts from the Middle East!
Related article
- 2011 Holiday Gift Guide (Philanthropy in AAction)