Hazami, an Arab-American and graduate of Columbia University and Stanford University, is an architect and has worked in the fields of architecture and urban development in Philadelphia and New York City. She is also a photographer and has exhibited her work in Philadelphia. As the founder of Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, she has been responsible for developing and managing the various initiatives. She is the mother of two boys, ages 16 and 13 years.
Hanna is an Arab-Israeli violinist trained in the classical traditions of Arab and Western music. In 2010 he received a Pew Fellowship in the Arts, a prestigious award given to Philadelphia artists for exemplary talent. A recipient of the America-Israel Scholarship and Qattan Foundation Award, Hanna graduated Magna Cum Laude with departmental honors from UCLA with Bachelors in Economics and Music Performance, and obtained his Masters degree in Music from Temple University. Hanna began teaching music with Al-Bustan in Spring 2009. He leads the development of Al-Bustan’s music program in-schools and the Philadelpha Arab Music Ensemble and Arab Music Concert Series.
Eric received his B.A. in History from Haverford College and Masters in Urban Education from University of Pennsylvania. His Master’s thesis explored the challenge of building trust and motivation in schools. In 2011 he completed two years with the Teach for America program; teaching at Germantown High School in North Philadelphia. Following that, he served as Co-Director of Serendipity Day Camp at Haverford College, working with 5 to 12 year-old children. He recently served as a volunteer intern in history classes with high school students at Science Leadership Academy. He has seen the need for cultural enrichment in public schools as well as the need to raise awareness of Arab culture in America. Eric has traveled to the Arab region, having spent a semester studying Arabic in Morocco and visiting Palestine. He is very excited to forge new connections and contribute to Al-Bustan’s educational programs. Eric began working with Al-Bustan in February 2012.
Musa, a Palestinian-American, graduated from Haverford College in 2009, receiving a B.A. in Archaeology with a Minor in Astronomy. He spent two years of his childhood living in the West Bank and visited Jordan and Lebanon. His experiences in the Middle East have spurred his interest in the culture and politics of the region, as well as Arab American issues in the United States. His experience working with youth developed as a counselor at Opequon Quaker Arts Camp in Virginia where he organized arts-related workshops for campers. Musa joined Al-Bustan in January 2010 as an AmeriCorps member.
Miranda graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 2010 with a B.A. in History, with a focus on North African and Middle Eastern history and concentration on French and Arabic languages. Her time spent studying abroad in Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco deepened her interest in Arab culture; she delved further during her senior thesis when researching development efforts in Morocco. While at Bryn Mawr she founded the “Adopt a Grandparent” program to connect students with residents of a local retirement home through weekly visits. Miranda loves cooking and eating foods of all kinds, especially Arab desserts like maamoul and knafa. She joined Al-Bustan in January 2011 as an AmeriCorps member.
Ayman is a visual designer with over six years experience in the design field, focused on web and interactive projects. Born and raised in Damascus, Syria, Ayman studied Visual Communication at Damascus University School of Fine Arts and in May 2011 completed his Master of Science in Digital Design at Philadelphia University. Ayman joined Al-Bustan on a part-time basis in fall 2009.
