My City January 2022

MYCOMMUNITY

7 Questions with … Lucine Jarrah Executive Director, Arab American Heritage Council

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SABRINA JARRAH

become one of my favorite dishes to make with my mom, and it is now something that I regularly make for friends and family. What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better? I’m so grateful to be surrounded by mentors, colleagues and friends who inspire me every day. Knowing that I have such an incredible community around me has got- ten me through my hardest challenges.ey have given me hope during tough times and played important roles in my organizing. Quality time with family and friends is something I value tremendously. is year, my work and school schedules have made it diˆcult to ‰nd time for my- self. However, in the last few months, I have tried to create more opportunities during the week to call or spend time with friends and family. We all need these spaces in our lives to strengthen our connections to each other and where we can rest, reŠect and grow together. Do you have any hobbies? I have always loved watching, studying and discussing movies. Movies played a signi‰cant role in my life growing up, and I fell in love with the way stories can be What’s your favorite way to spend a day o ?

The words that best describe me are: Passionate, creative, and learner. Whether it’s my work at the AAHC or organizing in my community, I have found that my passion not only brings more meaning to my work but also sus- tains it.is passion has also allowed me to bring forward creative solutions to the challenges that arise within our organi- zation and with my work on the ground. In every role I take on, I have learned that when we tap into our community’s expertise, talent and ideas, we can bring forward meaningful change that will allow us to build a transformative and sustain- able future together. My passion, creativity and commitment to lifelong learning have better positioned me in my work as an or- ganizer and my future as executive director. What is your favorite family recipe? A dish called warak enab (stu ed grape leaves) – always a go-to choice for big, family dinners at my house.Traditionally, grape leaves are stu ed with rice and meat (or veggies) and placed in a pot along- side pieces of lamb and potatoes to cook for about an hour.e process requires a lot of patience, as it is one of the more time-intensive dishes. Growing up, I loved watching my mom and grandma talk about life and share stories as they stu ed and rolled warak enab together.is recipe has

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