A ‘Super’ Eid Celebration at Khalil Gibran International Academy

By Jennifer Cohn, AmeriCorps Youth Programs Development Assistant

Hurricane Sandy could delay but not derail the Eid celebration at Khalil Gibran International Academy (KGIA). AAFSC is the lead community partner to KGIA, a public high school in Brooklyn in the process of applying to become an International Baccalaureate school. The school, which is open to all New York City youth, offers a competitive and world-class education with a particular focus on Arabic language and culture.

AAFSC staff members were invited to attend KGIA’s Eid celebration on November 5^th. There, KGIA students and staff members were treated to a spread of delicious Middle Eastern foods prepared by Parent Coordinator Irene Moussa and some of the parents. Many of the students who are not Arab, had never tried Arabic food or learned about Eid before the celebration, and were given the opportunity to discover a little more about some of their fellow classmates’ culture.

At the culmination of the festivities, AAFSC staff members handed out copies of “THE 99” comic book series to KGIA students and staff members. Generously donated to AAFSC, “THE 99” comic books were created by Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa and feature a team of superheroes based on facets of Middle Eastern history and Islamic culture. The series has been hailed by the public, including President Obama who commended “The 99” for spreading tolerance, and was featured in the PBS documentary “Wham! Bam! Islam!”

Thank you to everyone at Khalil Gibran International Academy for welcoming us at your Eid celebration!