Register Today and Save Your Child Place in the Camp!
Join us for fun 8 days of Arabic language learning and cultural education through games, singing, music, dancing, arts, cooking, and much more! Fun atmosphere with highly educated and motivated teachers and excellent methods to give students the best skills and information!
When: July 31- August 10, 2017. Monday- Thursday 10 am- 3 pm/ Extended Day: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Mt. Ida College- Ricker Hall 777 Dedham St. Newon, MA
Tuition:
Regular Day: 10 am-3:00 pm $400/ student for both weeks
Extended day: 8:30 am-5:30 pm: $600/ student for both weeks
Minimum Age: 4 years old (we encourage a parent presence with little kids)
To register: email us at: aricheh@cacboston.org or call 617-893-1176
The First Anthology of Arab Independent Cartoonists Published in America!
Featuring artists from Arabic-speaking regions of the Middle East, including Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan among others, this collection provides a snapshot of the state of independent comics in the Arab world, in various styles and genres ranging from slice-of-life and satire to political commentary and fantasy. An essay by contributing comic artist and scholar Lena Merhej places the work in historical and social context.
Contributors: Lena Merhej (Lebanon); Mike V. Derderian (Jordan); Omar Khouri (Lebanon); Maya Zankoul (Lebanon); Nidal El Khairy (Jordan); Mahdi Fleifel (Palestine,Holland); Basel Nasr (Palestine); Ghadi Ghosn (Lebanon); Sandra Ghosn (Lebanon, France); Wassim Maouad (Lebanon); Magdy El Shafee (Egypt); Jana Traboulsi (Lebanon); Mohamed El Shennawy (Egypt); Barrack Rima (Lebanon, Belgium); Mohamed Tawfik (Egypt).
“We are very proud and happy to be part of the CAC family, where we made many new friends and rekindle old friendships, while our children learn our language and culture in a wonderful family environment.”
Dr. Assef Zobian and Family
The Center for Arabic Culture (CAC) is a nonprofit organization that promotes Arabic language, culture and the Arab American experience at its best, through its Arabic school at Mt. Ida College in Newton and its Center at the Armory in Somerville.
CAC’s main goal is to build bridges and open exchanges between the Arab-American community and the New England Community at large. CAC is reaching its 10-year mark and its existence is only possible because of generous donors like you, the vision of its founders and current Board, the hardworking staff member, its teachers and the many volunteers.
Why support CAC?
At the CAC Arabic School we pride ourselves in offering a secular education embracing everyone and for all age groups starting from 3 year olds to adults, holding small class sizes.
Our organization succeeded in establishing the first Arab American Children Choir in New England. With 25 members, the choir introduced Arabic music through various concerts in the Greater Boston Area. It sang with the NY Arabic Orchestra at the 2015 annual CAC spring Celebration.
We are becoming a valuableresource to numerous organizations in Massachusetts. The Boston Public Library, the American Cancer Society, the Somerville Office of Commissions and the Aga Khan Documentation center at MIT, to name a few, have all relied on CAC for advice, inquiries, events, and educational resources.
In 2015, CAC featured Arab-American artists, Arabic films, exhibitions, and held cooking classes, Arabic colloquial classes and a fashion show at the Armory in Somerville. It organized and sponsored comedy shows and concerts, as well as talented musicians from Boston together with musicians from New York under the direction of our ardent supporter and musician Bassam Saba.
CAC was able to train and supervise more than 20 interns during 2014 and 2015, the vast majority of whom are of non-Arab descent and interested in learning about the Arabic Culture.
“I started learning Arabic six years ago for work reasons, but I’ve continued my studies (and started my children learning here) because of the warm welcome, support, encouragement, and professionalism of the CAC staff, teachers, and families. We couldn’t ask for a better environment in which to learn about Arabic culture and language!” Mark Naylor, founder of Partner Capital, a company focused on US real estate investing by Middle East clients
We pride ourselves in having created all this programming with onlyone paid staff member and a large team of volunteers. With your support we can continue to bring more content.
Please continue to be generous as our services are unique and are not offered elsewhere in Massachusetts. We aim to offer an intensive summer course for children this summer and we hope to grow our extra-curricular activities for them. Your funding makes our programming for you possible. The school tuition barely pays for the rent and the teachers.
All our contributing donors above $100 will automatically become CAC members and enjoy our membership benefits according to their level of contribution. CAC is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax-exempt.
“Winner at the Sundance Film Festival, 5 Broken Cameras is a deeply personal, first-hand account of non-violent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village threatened by encroaching Israeli settlements.”
Date: Friday November 20, 2015
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Center for Arabic Culture
191 Highland Av. Suite 6B. Somerville, MA 02143
Free and Open to the Public
December Film
TUNISIA, YEAR ZERO
“The story of the first democracy in the Arab world.”
A Film by Feriel Ben Mahmoud
On January 14th, 2011, the people of Tunisia took to the streets in mass protest and toppled the government of Ben Ali. The event has a tremendous impact in the region which triggers the Arab Spring. Following the revolution, Tunisians make the radical choice to draft a new state constitution. Called to the urns for the first free elections of their history, the citizens of Tunisia will have to choose which model of society they wish to live in. Islam, secularism and women’s status become the major themes of a campaign under high pressure.
Following the events day by day, TUNISIA, YEAR ZERO tells the story of a difficult birth: that of the first democracy in the Arab world. In 6 months, no less than 110 political parties were created. In this political turmoil, a few of them emerge: the Islamist party Ennhada seduces those disappointed with the revolution. Some other modernist parties, such as Ettakatol and the PDP, are divided on the content of their policies as well as on which strategy to adopt. Leading the polls, Ennahdha will confirm its success in the elections with more than 90 seats out of 217.
How could these results be predicted? TUNISIA, YEAR ZERO gives the reasons for the outcome of the elections.
Going beyond the headlines, this story—filmed in the fourteen months leading up to the Revolution— highlights the years of mounting resentment against the ruling regime. Filmmaker Lillie Paquette follows key opposition figures and young democracy activists as they struggle against extraordinary odds to remove an uncompromising US-backed authoritarian regime determined to stay in power.
Date: Friday October 30, 2015
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Center for Arabic Culture
191 Highland Av. Suit 6B. Somerville, MA 02143
Free and Open to the Public
Followed by an Open Discussion with director Lillie Paquette
The Arabic Music Workshops will introduce students to the music of the Arab World. They are open to all levels of professional performers and college students. The 6-hour intensive workshops feature a rigorous program of improvisation, rhythm, ornamentation and ensemble. All instruments are welcome.
The workshops will culminate in a concert with the CAC Arabic Chamber Ensemble and the New York Arabic Orchestra under the direction of Mr. Bassam Saba on April 18 at the YMCA Theater in Cambridge, MA!
Workshop Dates: (all times 1:00 – 6:00 pm)
March 7th & 8th
March 21st & 22nd
April 11th & 12th
April 17th & 18th Concert: April 18th, 2015
Location:
Center for Arabic Culture
191 Highland Ave. Suit 6B.
Somerville, MA 02143
Biography:
Bassam Saba of Lebanon is a world-renowned virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, and
leading figure of Arabic music. Saba studied nay, ‘ud and violin at the Lebanon National Conservatory. He received his BA in Western Classical Music and Flute Performance at the Conservatoire Municipal des Gobelins in Paris, and Masters in Western Flute Performance and Music Education from the Gnessin Musical Pedagogical Institute in Moscow. Saba has toured extensively with diva of the Arab World, Fairouz, as well as Marcel Khalife, Simon Shaheen and Ziad Rahbani.
He has collaborated with classical and pop stars such as Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Alicia Keys and Santana, and jazz icons such as Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones. Saba, one of the most sought-after teachers of Arabic music, co-founded and directs the New York Arabic Orchestra. Saba has been invited to perform as a soloist for the Hanover Philharmonic, Qatar Philharmonic, Beirut Philharmonic, Zurich Orchestra and East Oakland Bay Symphony, among others.
For questions about music and workshops or private lessons, please contact Bassam Saba: bassamsaba@yahoo.com or call 631-662-5464. For questions about registration, contact Alma Richeh at 617-893-1176 or aricheh@cacboston.org
Thank You CAC Friends and Donors
for all that you have done
to support the Center for Arabic Culture
Dear Friends,
Our strength as an organization comes from you, our members, participants, donors and volunteers, who make the Center for Arabic Culture (CAC) vibrant and strong! The CAC is grateful for all you do for us throughout the year. Because of you, we have realized extraordinary growth and achievement since 2006….
This year you helped us grow the CAC Sunday School by 20%. We added the extremely popular CAC Children Choir and Arabic Kids Playgroup for younger children, the first of their kind in MA. “Cook with CAC” has been heavily attended, and now we have teamed up with KITCHENiNC in Somerville to make those classes a regular program on the cooking class scene. The center is also becoming a great educational resource for college student interns; in the space of a few months, we have helped train 11 interns and will continue our mentorship and outreach in that arena. And, these are only a few examples of the programs that you enjoy at CAC.
At the CAC, you will receive top-notch services, and you know that you will be treated in a warm and caring manner by dedicated, professional teachers, program facilitators, and staff. We are very proud of the milestones we have achieved, but we also think we can do better, grow even more, and add even more programs.
But, we need your help to do all of this!
Your yearly gift of $100, $250, $500, $1000 or $5,000 can make all the difference for our Arabic Sunday School, for our cultural programming and lectures, for our art exhibits, or any other outreach and programs that we bring to you – and it will also make a big difference to everyone who works to serve you.
You can choose to join our monthly giving program today! You can become a CAC Champion Partner by giving $15, $20, $50, $100 or more every month. The CAC’s monthly giving program allows you to support our mission of bringing the community outstanding services on a recurring basis by way of automatic bank pay or credit card payments. Monthly giving is a convenient, automatic, and easy way to show you care.
Please help us continue our important work so that we can bring you more of what you have come to love and rely on. Without you, our community, we would not be able to continue our work. You give us meaning and a reason to exist! Please consider making as generous a gift as you can.
Your donation will make a world of difference!
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire CAC Team, thank you so much for your help and Happy Holidays!
The playgroup will focus on learning the Arabic language through games, songs, story telling and other activities.
The class will create an environment to engage the kids with the language in an attractive way.
The idea is to establish a social and educational experience for kids so they can have a stronger connection with their language and culture through a contemporary method of teaching and learning. Parents are encouraged to be part of the experience!!
Playgroup class starts Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014
Class Time: Sundays 3.30 pm – 5:00 pm.
Registration
$400/ student for fall semester
$750/ student for both fall and spring semesters
For more information or to register, please call 617-893-1175, or contact us at: