Visiting Teacher from Gaza: Meet Amani Inshasi

Visiting Gazan teacher Amani Inshasi will be in Olympia for just under a week beginning Saturday July 7th. Bridge the gap between our communities and share in this cultural exchange! There are many different opportunities to meet Amani:

Embroidery Craft: Circle
SATURDAY, JULY 7, 3 PM – 6 PM
Join Amani Inshasi in conversation and learn Palestinian embroidery. We will each make a small Palestinian flag necklace pendant or keychain. There will be a small fee for materials. For location and details, contact [email protected] or call 360.754.3998 . Space is limited.

Middle Eastern Cooking Class
SUNDAY JULY 8, 11 AM – 2 PM, GRuB Farmhouse,  $5
The Rachel Corrie Foundation has teamed up with the Olympia Food Co-op to offer an authentic Middle Eastern cooking class taught by Amani Inshasi. Learn how to prepare – and sample! – her family’s favorite Palestinian recipes. Recipes will include hummous, traditional avocado salad, and chocolate pistachio cake. Join us as we welcome Amani to our community while participating in this cultural cooking extravaganza! Register for this class online here. There is a $5 dollar fee.

Arab Fest Art Workshops for Youth
FIRST SESSION – MONDAY JULY 9, 6 PM – 8 PM, Rachel Corrie Foundation Office, Free
Calling All Youth – Explore the Arab World and Help Bring it Home through Olympia Arab Festival! The Rachel Corrie Foundation is offering a series of summer activity workshops for middle and high school youth to explore the Arab world – the language, food, peoples, arts, and more. Creatively contribute to Olympia’s first Arab Festival by painting and creating collages for Arab countries with images and input from interviews with Arab Americans in Olympia. Participants will create activities and materials for young children and youth at this fall’s Olympia Arab Festival, October 6th, at the Olympia Center — and become part of our Arab Festival summer youth volunteer club. Weekly workshops will run through July and August.

The first workshop meets Monday July 9th, 6 PM at the Rachel Corrie Foundation office where we will meet with young teacher, Amani Inshasi, an English teacher in Gaza. Space is limited so reserve a spot today by contacting [email protected] or 360.754.3998 .

Basic Conversational Arabic Class
TUESDAY JULY 10, 11 AM, Traditions Cafe, Free
Learn from visiting teacher Amani Inshasi basic Arabic greetings, numbers, foods and more in Palestinian dialect. Spend lunchtime at Traditions Fair expanding your language horizon and connecting with an energetic young woman from Gaza.

Life Under Siege In Gaza
WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 7 PM, Traditions Cafe, Free
Visiting teacher Amani Inshasi will speak about life in Gaza and her experience teaching there. This is a rare opportunity to meet Amani during her short visit to the US as she shares the story of her life and work. Join Amani and the Rachel Corrie Foundation for this very special opportunity.

A Middle Eastern Dinner & Silent Auction
THURSDAY JULY 12, 5:30 PM, Huber’s Gasthaus, 2312 Friendly Grove Road NE, $30 per person/$100 for a table of four

Amani will speak to benefit Shuruq – Olympia’s first Arab Festival coming in October! Also Tarik Bentlemsani, a local guitarist, will be performing from 5:30-6:30pm.  Auction opens at 5:30 PM. Dinner starts at 6:30 PM. To purchase tickets, contact 360.754.3998 or [email protected] by July 6. Unable to attend? Support Shuruq with a donation to RCF, 203 East 4th Ave., Suite 402, Olympia, WA, 98501

BIO

Amani Inshasi holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language from the Islamic University, Gaza City, and shows an extensive and dedicated work history in the areas of education and fostering cultural ties between communities. While working at the United Nations Public Information office, Ms. Inshasi volunteered to work with the Gaza Cultural Exchange in 2011 as translator and teaching assistant at the United Nations elementary school in the Beach Refugee Camp, Gaza City. Ms. Inshasi also handled translation and logistical support between the United Nations public relations office and the exchange program.

Ms. Inshasi currently works with the Holy Family School in Gaza City as an English language tutor to elementary children and volunteers with the NGO Save Youth Future Society, providing English language instruction to young adults. Ms. Inshasi is the Gaza coordinator for a Skype program between volunteers in Europe and the United States and students at Save Youth Future Society.