Yasmine El-Baggari, age 22, is doing her utmost best to make a widespread impact on the world, one person at a time. Through her tech start-up Voyaj, she seeks to help travelers make lasting, meaningful connections with hosts in different countries. The Voyaj service, which is preparing for its official launch, uses a matching algorithm…
For Stephanie Abraham, giving is in her blood. Her mother comes from an Irish Catholic family and her father’s family emigrated from Lebanon and Syria, where they were Maronite Catholics. For Stephanie, philanthropy wasn’t an option but a given. Her parents gave 5% of their income to the Church and 5% to other charitable causes,…
Omar Shehabi didn’t always identify with his Palestinian-Arab identity. A first-generation Arab American born in Warren, Ohio, Omar was cognizant of his ancestry growing up, as his mother is of Lebanese descent and his father immigrated to the U.S. from Palestine in the 1960s. The Shehabi family has its roots in Jerusalem, in the Old…
A new exhibit at the Arab American National Museum features work from photographer Somali-born Mohamud Mumin. CAAP had a chance to sit down with Mumin and discuss his inspiration for The Youth//Dhallinyarada. The exhibit, made up of large-scale black and white portraits of Mumin’s friends and other members of the Somali American community in Minneapolis,…
Back in February, the Arab American community was rocked by the tragic and senseless killing of Deah Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, and Yusor’s sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19. These three individuals were generous and kind, having been involved in numerous charitable endeavors and other activities meant to help and give back to…
Physical fitness has many benefits, including strong mental and psychological benefits. Brothers Paul and Todd Turner, the founders of GUTS (Ground Up Training System), hope to help individuals with special needs develop healthy fitness habits through their unique physical fitness and training program. CAAP recently visited the brand new GUTS facility in Ferndale, MI, to learn more about their mission…
Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post For David Salha, opening a summer youth camp on his vacation property in northern Michigan has been a longtime dream. A Lebanese, Muslim American, and the owner of a mattress store in Detroit, David and his family have a history of involvement in scout troops; David’s son and daughter are active members of the…
Universities are meant to provide a safe space for students, where they can express their opinions, study, gather, practice their religion, or express their culture. For Omar Abboud, a third-year engineering student at Columbia University, promoting Arab culture proved to be incredibly important. Omar has accomplished plenty in his time at Columbia, which includes his work…
Coffee is the world’s second most valuable traded commodity. Coffee owes its origins to the Arab World, as it was first produced in the port city of Mocha in Yemen. It should be no surprise, then, that there exists a strong connection between coffee and Arab culture; the English word for coffee even comes from the Arabic word for coffee, ‘qahwa’. Coffee…
Photo courtesy of GOOD Magazine The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) recently got a chance to speak with Tasbeeh Herwees, founder of Kifah, a Libya-focused online magazine, and a current employee of GOOD Magazine, a news organization that combats the negativity of today’s media by sharing positive news stories, to learn more about her and her work. CAAP:…