At the Andes Public Library, 242 Main Street, Andes, on Saturday, April 2 at 11 a.m. - a W.I.D.E. (Women for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) family program – will celebrate Arab American Heritage Month; the history, contributions, and culture of the diverse population of Arab Americans. Arab Americans have ancestry in the world’s 22 Arab nations, which are Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Yemen. The people of these nations are ethnically, politically, and religiously diverse but share a common cultural and linguistic heritage.
Children attending will listen to a reading of “The Arabic Quilt,” an immigrant story by Aya Khalil, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan, about a girl from Egypt who moved with her family to America, and her experience starting school in this country. Families will watch a video to learn about Etel Adnan, a well-known Lebanese-American poet, essayist, and visual artist who championed women’s rights. Each child will receive an 8x10 canvas, paints, and a palette knife to make their own landscapes of a place that is special to them using Adnan’s style of painting. The children will have an opportunity to guess spices from Arab countries: sumac, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, turmeric, cinnamon, and caraway. To taste the culture, families will make a Baharat spice mix. Children can pick one book to take home to continue to learn about Arabic culture. For elementary ages, Razia’s Ray of Hope – One Girl’s Dream of an Education by Elizabeth Suneby, illustrated by Suana Verelst, and The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Lathan and Karim Shamsi-Basha, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. For older readers, there is a copy of Fear of Beauty by Susan Froetschel. For more information or to RSVP call 845-676-3333, email an.ill@4cls.org, or visit www.andeslibrary.org.
More Upcoming Events:
Thursday, April 21 – 6 p.m. - Holocaust Lecture with Dr. William Reszelbach, who will digitally talk about Kristallnacht and what it’s like to be children of Holocaust survivors. Audience members can come to the library for the digital live lecture and question/answer period, or tune in via zoom. This program is not appropriate for young children, but teens and adults who want to learn more about the Holocaust are encouraged to come.
Thursday, April 28 – 5 p.m. - Holocaust Lecture with Seymour Kaplan, a decorated World War II Veteran who was a liberator and translator at Dachau and other concentration camps. He has spent his life doing what the camp survivors asked: “To remember what you’ve seen here and talk about it so that it never happens again.” This is an in-person event. Masks are recommended.
Thursday, May 12 from 6 – 8 p.m. - “What It’s Worth” Antique Road Show. Start hunting through your collectibles, antiques, treasures and junk to find items to have appraised. Author, auctioneer, appraiser and radio show host Mike Ivankovich will introduce participants to “what determines value” and reveal what your antiques, collectibles, and personal treasures are really worth today. Attendees are invited to bring in one or two items for Mike to appraise. Bring the items to the library at least 15 minutes prior to the event. If 15 or fewer people bring items for appraisal, have one primary and one backup item. If more than 15 people wish to have items appraised, there will only be time for one. Anyone is welcome to attend the in-person or Zoom meeting.
Contact the library to reserve your space in advance of this program.
The Andes Public Library is at 242 Main Street in Andes. For more information or to RSVP, call 845-676-3333, email an.ill@4cls.org, or visit www.andeslibrary.org.
