er
t
t
le
s
w
e
N
h
a
ll
a
Ram
‫ر‬
‫س‬
‫ال‬
‫ة‬
‫را‬
‫م‬
‫هللا‬
‫ا‬
‫إل‬
‫خ‬
‫با‬
‫ر‬
‫ية‬
Birmingham Chapter
Issue 8 May/June 2015
1st Year Anniversary Ramallah Newsletter...
Highlights
Our Voice
Pg. 2
Ramallah City
Pg. 3
Dedications
Pg . 4
Heath/Foods
Pg. 5
Dates to Remember Pg. 6 & 7
Presidents Words
Interest Survey
Pg. 7
Enclosed
We are happy to celebrate the
Ramallah Newsletter’s 1st year in print
and it’s success. We started this newsletter
with the idea of furthering the unity and
communication throughout our community. We wanted the letter to reach everyone.
We print and mail six issues a year, near
200 copies per issue. You have access to
all issues online on our website and our
Facebook page. The social media has
played a prominent roll in allowing
us to reach and more importantly,
communicate with one another. Let’s not
stop here!
As a way to further open the line of
communication, we have put together an
“Interest Survey”, please take a few
minutes to fill it out and mail it. All the
data will be compiled in a spread sheet and
be available for viewing on our website
later next month.
We hope that everyone has enjoyed
and embraced the Ramallah Newsletter as a
direct way of staying in touch with your
family. It’s survivorship depends on YOU!
Please feel free to include your ideas for
articles, recipes, announcements. All you
young bloods we need your ideas and view
points!
As you all know the Birmingham
chapter of the Ramallah Federation was the
1st established Ramallah Club in the
United States. We set the precedence than
and we need to reinforce it today. So we
urge you to take part in this very important
survey and let your voices be heard.
Our Heritage
Check list!

Use Tumeric a lot!

Join and support the
Ramallah Club!!

Eat zate n’ zatar

Teach your children an
Arabic word every week.

Drink Arabic coffee.

Eat maza drink arak.

Shop using our business
directory first.
Email your own tip
for our heritage check list!
Anthony S. Shunnarah
graduated from
Birmingham School of
Law with a Juris Doctor and just passed the
Alabama State Bar!!
Working at
Alexander Shunnarah
Golf Shores Office!
We are very proud!
Congratulations!!!
Taylor Anne Shunnarah Steven M. Shunnarah
graduated from
graduated from
University of Alabama
Hoover High School
She is a leader in the
in Birmingham with
St. Jude's Club at school,
an English Degree
also volunteering at the
and has recently been
Ronald McDonald House.
excepted to
Awarded Patricia Kilgro
Cumberland
School of
Perseverance Scholarship!!
Law
with
a
Merit
We are so proud of her and
Scholarship
wish her all the best with
your future studies in
We are very proud!
Special Education
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations!!!
Our Voice
ADVICE by Shadia…
Pride.
Anger.
Determination.
Put these things together and what do you get?
Destruction.
We sit back and watch everything happening in
Baltimore and think to ourselves “they’re crazy”
and “they’re stupid”. We see what they’re doing in
the streets and to other people and how damaging
it is, how damning it is. What we don’t realize is
that we aren’t that different from them.
Palestinians are known for their pride, which unfortunately
gets correlated with anger. We also have determination. We’re
stubborn as hell and we know it. We also have a bad re. We are
deemed terrorists before anyone even knows our names. It’s up to
us to change this perception in others. In order to do that, we have
to change how we use our pride, anger and determination. Otherwise, we will be exactly like the rioters in the streets of Baltimore,
like Hamas and like the Zionists.
When discussing your heritage, keep these things in mind:
Be polite; greet others with a warm, genuine smile.
Wish them good fortune.
Present your position (of the conflict) with grace, dignity and
NEVER with disrespect or hatred toward the other side.
This makes us look like the stereotypes they want to believe.
No matter what the other person or people say, always carry
love in your heart.
Spread peace not war. Have empathy and maybe, you’ll receive
it.
I face a lot of hate for my position. I deal with negative backlash all of the time because I post it all over social media. I get
comments from people I don’t know telling me to “get over it” and
that “there’s no such thing as Palestine”, granted, I’ve heard worse.
My heart cannot wrap around the fact that these people believe the
way they do. My heart feels like exploding out of my chest at the
sound of Israeli support.
But I stand my ground, I bite my tongue and I breathe. I
THINK before I REACT. If I don’t, I’ll be just like the rioters. I’ll
be just like Hamas. I’ll be just like Israeli Zionists. No better than
the real terrorists.
We have to change the way people see us. We’re beautiful. Our
culture, our language, our pride and our determination will be seen
and will be loved. So when faced with that pounding anger in your
heart, realize this: we’re all humans first. We all deserve love,
liberty and life. Because we are one.
By Shadia Shunnara
Editorial….
We are all children
of God. There was once a
Man who lived over 2000
years ago who was also
the a Child of God, His
Son! A Man who walked
among all men and loved
everyone. He came with a
mission to bring the word
of His Father to us. It was
simple he wanted us to do
the right thing: Be good,
be kind, be helpful, don’t
judge, don’t criticize,
forgive and most of all
love one another.
We can walk as He
walked and do the right
thing as He did. It just
feels natural to do the
right thing. When we
raise and teach our
children we use these
same basic human principles that we were
taught. It’s simply. Ask
yourself what would He
do. When we use common
sense to do the right
thing, we are also walking
in his footsteps
When science fails to
recognize Him, His words
will never fail us. I see
the His footsteps in the
sand.
I believe in HIM
who is LORD!
Just
my
thoughts,
what
are
yours?
Samya S.
Ramallah City
Read the history of this great
school that touched all our lives.
First World War: In 1914 the Friends
Boys School Main Building was completed but it only came into use as a
school in 1918. The Girls Training
Home and the Boys School, like all other schools in Palestine, were closed
throughout the war.
British Mandate:
Both schools
reopened in 1919. At the newly named
Friends Girls School, day students, as
well as, boarders were accepted. Electric light was first used at the schools
in 1923.
Partition and Expulsion: The partition of Palestine in 1948 and the subsequent expulsion of many Palestinians
again changed the character of the
School. Friends Meeting House and the
School grounds became the temporary
home for refugees. School numbers
swelled to accommodate refugees from
the coastal cities. The White Gifts giving was instituted to give foodstuffs
and money to needy families. There
was a conscious endeavor to increase
the Schools’ scholarship support. As
World War Two came to an end, once
again the schools continued to struggle
to be a positive influence in a troubled
world.
Jordanian Rule: The School had a
relatively peaceful life during the Jordanian period from 1948-1967. The
fifth secondary class of the Friends
Girls School was added in 1956, and
plans were ready for opening the sixth
secondary in 1963. In 1962, four classrooms were added to Whittier Hall.
During Jordanian rule, the Friends
School earned a reputation throughout
the Middle East as a superlative educational institution. Attracted by the educational practices, expectations of student discipline, and commitment from
faculty and staff, students all across
the Middle East came to the Ramallah
Friends School, a legendary boarding
school at its time, to complete their
studies.
Israeli Rule: Following Israeli occupa-
tion, the boarding sections in both
schools were closed, as students from
neighboring countries were no longer
able to come. The enrollment figure for
the class of 67/68 plummeted to 180,
compared to the previous year of 320.
Gradually, enrollment figures began to
rise steady. In less than a
decade, the
student population would reach 350,
and would continue to rise steadily
thereafter. Since the very earliest years
of the School’s foundation, both boys and
girls from the two separate campuses
had shared some classes and this strategy had proved successful. Both boys and
girls were always taught together from
Kindergarten to Grade 2 and merged
again under the science and arts Tawjihi tracks in the 11th and 12th grades.
The Upper Kindergarten had begun
very early in the Friends Girls School
history and was permanently expanded
to the Lower Kindergarten in 1983.
There was a growing belief that coeducation was educationally sound and
could work well in Palestine. As the first
Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, grew
in strength, enrollment plummeted. The
financial situation also put pressure on
the Board to look closely at how to use
the resources of the two schools more
efficiently. In 1990, the campus of the
Girls School became a co-educational
Elementary School and Kindergarten
and the campus of the Boys School became a co-educational High School.
Palestinian
National
Authority:
Following the Oslo agreements, the uneasy peace brought greater stability to
the School with the emergence for the
first time of a government in waiting
that had a real interest in Palestinian
education. The second Intifada began in
September 2000. Since the beginning of
the second uprising, the Friends School
has been in the center of towns exposed
to a new level of violence with sequences
of nightly shelling from Israeli tanks
and light artillery and attacks by helicopter gunners. The psychological well
being of our parents, students and
staff was shaken and our enrollment
figures fell to 370 pupils in the FBS and
540 in the FGS in 2000/2001 as families
left for America and elsewhere to escape
the violence. However, following each
tragedy the School has recovered, maintaining its reputation as a leading academic center in the Palestinian commu-
nity. Despite everything today, the
Friends School continues to demonstrate the resilience and patience of
the Palestinian community keeping
alive the hope and vision of a better
future.
The adoption of new
programs during this period reflects
upon this interest. In 1999, the
School became accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), offering students in Palestine for the first time an IB Diploma
Program. New buildings at the Upper
School were erected to accommodate
more students from ASHA grants,
namely the new Science Building and
Multipurpose Hall, and plans are currently underway to create a new Special Needs Resource Center and Kindergarten Building with monies provided by the UNDP. Following the
Israeli pullout from parts of Ramallah and el-Bireh in 2003, School services have remained uninterrupted.
The School cherishes the prospect of
greater stability in the future and
continued growth within the community.
Read more in detail at
http://www.palfriends.org/schoolhistory.
php
Ramallah Friends Girls School Graduating Class of 1933 (above) & 1956
(below).
See more at
www.flickr.com/photos/earlhamarchives/3
090699815/in/photostream/
Hanna & Laila Shunnarah
Yaba and Uma we want to thank you both for your
love, scarifies and hard work in raising five children.
Yaba Happy 90th Birthday and Uma Happy 75th Birthday!!
Also Happy Mother’s & Father’s Day
“Inshallah meet sena”
With Love Marlene, Raid, Samya, Nabila & Samer & our families
Jack & Misadeh Shunnarah
Mitri & Laila Shatara
Happy Mother’s &
Father’s Day!!! With all
our love Sam, Annette,
Mitri and Salman II
Happy Mother’s & Father’s Day
Ida Farah, Annette Shatara,
Louie Shunnarah, Jackie
Authement, Amy Mousa
and our families.
Isabel Pharo Shunnarah
Salim Musa Shunnarah
For my Dear Mother who taught
me to care for others and to do my
best. We mish you! Love Helen,
Marie, Emile, Jimile, Martha &
Dalel
You were the best of fathers!
We always wanted to make
you proud. You are greatly
missed. also. Love Helen,
Marie, Emile, Jimile, Martha & Dalel
Abudalah & Nellie Shunnarah
There are many life lessons my parents taught me. There are too many to list but a couple have held strong. One
lesson my father taught me was a love our heritage. As children, my siblings and I would sit on our den floor (Jell and
George, the youngest probably don't remember because they were very young) and Daddy would throw out words in
either English or Arabic and we had to shout out the translation in the opposite language he used. It was a great time for
family bonding and together, we shared many laughs.
My mother, a beautiful, courageous and smart woman taught me how to be strong, especially in
times of hardship. She was a young bride, sixteen years old and came to America not knowing the
language or culture of its people. The only people she knew were her new husband and her new
in laws! I'm sure sharing a small house with two other families had its challenges! When daddy
died at a young age of 57 years old, momma had to figure out a way to make ends meet. With no
formal education, she started a very successful home daycare business. She even invested in a
rental house next door and paid for it completely on her own!
I hope to be like my parents and instill into my children, a love for their heritage and a way
to be strong during tough times. I miss you Daddy, and Momma, I love you very much!
Turmeric
“The name of the genus, Curcuma
is from an Arabic name of both
saffron and turmeric. Turmeric is
widely used as a spice in South
Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. Many Persian dishes use turmeric as a starter ingredient. Almost all Iranian khoresh dishes
are started using onions caramelized in oil and turmeric, followed
by
other
ingredients.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric
A c c o r d i n g
t o
www.about.com/health “If you’ve
ever eaten Eastern Asian or Middle Eastern cuisine, there’s a good
chance that you have probably
encountered turmeric. Turmeric
is a yellow colored powder that is
often used as a food-coloring
agent and as a spice in a variety
of foods. It belongs
to the ginger family and has been
used for centuries
in Chinese medicine to treat inflammation, infections, and various
g a st roi nt est i nal
ailments.
The medicinal properties of its
active ingredient, curcumin, have
been known for a long time. Although turmeric is currently most
notable for its antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory
properties, there has been recent
talk about its ability to lower cholesterol.
Does
Turmeric
Lower
Cholesterol?
The research
on turmeric so far appears to
be very favorable. It appears
that turmeric mainly affects
LDL cholesterol (the “bad”
cholesterol) and triglyceride
levels. One study conducted
on rabbits fed a high-fat diet
showed
that
turmeric
appeared to lower LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides,
as well as preventing LDL
from being oxidized. Oxidized
LDL has been shown to greatly accelerate the formation of
atherosclerosis. The cholesterol lowering effects of turmeric
have remained consistent in
these studies. In fact, one
study even concluded that
LDL cholesterol was lowered
anywhere between one-half
and one-third of those subjects
consuming turmeric in comparison to those not receiving
it. “
For more great information about turmeric and
your
health
visit:
http://www.about.com/health/
Do you have a jar of
turmeric languishing in
your spice cupboard? Or
perhaps you're looking for
ways to add it to your diet
in response to all the
recent studies indicating
its health-promoting and
disease-preventing properties. Turmeric has long
been a staple in Indian
curries as well as in foods
like mustard (it provides
that golden yellow color!),
but there are lots of other
ways to eat and drink this
spice. Here are seven easy
ideas.
1. Add it to scrambles
and frittatas.
2. Toss with roasted
vegetables.
3. Add into rice.
4. Try it with greens.
5. Use it in soups.
6. Blend it into a
smoothie.
7. Make turmeric &
ginger tea.
For recipes and more
information go to:
http://www.thekitchn.com/
7-ways-to-eat-drinkturmeric-198696
Newsletter Sponsored
by Jason Bajalia
DATES to Remember...
THIS IS BIG!! 100 FAMILY BIG!!
June 12th & 13th
8:00 to 3:00
Lots of great stuff!!
Our biggest fundraiser of the year!
Plan to Attend, Donate or Volunteer
your time during the event!
Please start your big spring clean up today!
CALL FOR DROP-OFF OR PICK-UP
REYAD 205-266-5771 OR SAMYA 205-617-0155
Proceeds will benefit local charities.
Events like this will help keep us united
and help local charities.
“It takes a village to raise a child”
Anthony S. Shunnarah
May 1st
Janet Issis
May 3rd
Shawki M. Shunnarah
May 5th
Sammy Shatara
May 9th
Mona Fawal
May 18th
Samira Sue Moreno
May 20th
Jimmy Shunnarah
May 20th
Christina Shunnarah
May 22nd
Tammy Dinga
May 23rd
Nijmeh W. Shunnarah
May 25th
Bobby Shunnarah
May 26th
Hilweh Shunnarah
May 30th
George A. Shunnarah
June 1st
Derrick Banks
June 6th
Azzia Shunnarah
June 29th
Phoenix Lang
June 29th
Happy Birthday to ALL!!!
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
A Word from Our President….
Our club is in renewal!
What does that mean?
It means we are working hard
to communicate positively
and effectively to make our
club what you would like for
it to be. We want you to
know that we care about you
and your participation in the
Ramallah Club. A survey is
included with this issue of our Newsletter for you
and members of your family who are 18 years of
age or older. Please take five minutes to complete
it and mail it back to us in the attached selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Make copies for
others in your family who are 18 years old or older.
It would help us to know your interests and why or
why you are not participating. Every member of our
community is important. We are brothers and
sisters from the same root family. If you have been
slighted in the past, please forgive us. We are
making every attempt to improve. We want everyone to participate and enjoy your community.
Our vision is to have a viable community that is
actively taking part in activities and decision making, as
well as to have a club home. Please join our activities,
meetings and social functions. Let us know what you want
and the changes we can make to help you feel comfortable
and interested in our club.
Our Rummage Sale is fast approaching. It will be held
Friday and Saturday, June 12 -13. This will be our major
fund raiser for the year. Clean your closets and donate
those slightly used items that are sitting around collecting
dust. We also need baked goods to sell, such as cookies,
cakes, pies, etc. Visit our website for more details:
RamallahClubBirmingham.com
Meetings for July and August have been suspended due to
vacations. We will resume our meetings in September. Please come to our June meeting.
Hotel rooms for the Chicago convention July 2-4 are going
fast. If you plan to go, call today and reserve your room.
By now everyone should have received their copy of the
updated Ramallah Directory. Please be sure to send your
$40 to the Federation to defray the cost of this wonderful
resource.
Hope to see you soon! With best wishes to each of you,
Helen Shunnarah Mills
Newsletter Sponsored by
“Arak & wine from the Holy Land is NOW
available in Alabama! Pickup Arak Ramallah
& Arak Jabalna at ABC stores, also Star of
Bethlehem Palestinian wine at select retailers.”
Sam & Annette Shatara
May 11th
Bobby & Stephanie
Shunnarah
May 27
Marie & Brien Bateh
June 14th
Mike & Vicky Shunnarah
June 22nd
Remon & Jeanine Danforah
June 21st
Jason & Juliet Lang
June 30
“Inshallah Meet Sena”
For more information, Contact Jason Bajalia
[email protected]
Jason Bajalia
Newsletter Sponsored by
ENCLOSED
SURVEY
INTEREST
2015
P.O. Box 55631
Birmingham, AL 35255
American Ramallah Club of Birmingham
Best wishes for a successful
Ramallah 57th Annual Convention!
See you in Chicago!