Every year the Museum of the Palestinian People community gathers to celebrate the vibrant arts, history, and culture of the Palestinian people. Join us at the Patterson Mansion in Dupont Circle on November 3 at 6:30 p.m. as we hear from inspirational Palestinian artists, chefs, and thinkers. This event is in partnership with the Tabard Inn.
The theme for this year’s gala is simple: “We are here.” Palestinians are here in Washington, D.C., in Palestine, and around the world—we are here and we are thriving.
Our keynote speaker is Darin J. Sallam, an award-winning Jordanian writer and director of Palestinian roots. Darin is the creator of “Farha,” a historical drama released on Netflix in 2022 that weaves the story of a Palestinian family experiencing the Nakba in 1948.
Darin’s masterful storytelling exemplifies the gala’s theme by centering the Nakba in “Farha” and bringing the Palestinian narrative to a present-day audience.
The gala will also spotlight D.C.-area Palestinian chefs and restauranteurs RAMMY-award winner Marcelle G. Afram of Shababi Palestinian Rotisserie Chicken, Danny Dubbaneh of Z&Z Bakery, and Jinan Deena of Bayti. Marcelle, Danny, and Jinan have lifted up Palestinian cuisine in Washington, D.C. and reclaimed Palestinian culinary cultural heritage. We are thrilled to celebrate their contributions to the D.C. food scene at our gala.
The host of Museum of the Palestinian People’s 6th annual gala is Salma Zahr, an avid member of the Palestinian-American community, where as early as high school, she was a young community organizer in the Philadelphia chapter of New Generation for Palestine and now is a dabke instructor for her daughter’s Kids Mawtini Troupe with Palestine Foundation in Los Angeles. Salma is also the chair of her Employee Diversity Network, organizing Arab American Heritage Month events for financial services firm UBS, where she is currently Market Director for Los Angeles & Pasadena.