The Jewish Diaspora from Lebanon to Brooklyn is
MCCC Lecture Topic April 23
4/19/19
West Windsor, N.J. –– The communal identity of Lebanese Jews in New York will be the topic of an upcoming lecture at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) April 23.
“The Jewish Diaspora from Lebanon to Brooklyn” will be the subject of a lecture by Rola Khayyat, an artist and curator, at noon on Tuesday, April 23 in the Communications Building, Room 109. Her talk is part of MCCC’s spring 2019 Distinguished Lecture Series at the West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. The lecture is free and open to the public.
In her film, From Brooklyn to Beirut, Khayyat explores the landscape of belonging for the community of Lebanese Jews in New York – along with the fragilities and complexities associated with their complex identity. Jews have lived in what is present-day Lebanon since Biblical times.
Khayyat will discuss the culture that has accompanied Lebanese Jews as they have settled in countries such as France, Israel, Brazil, and the United States. In their new homes, Lebanese Jews, like other Lebanese emigrants, have formed vibrant communities where Lebanese traditions and values are maintained; Arabic language, music, and cinema are used and celebrated; and memories of Lebanon are constantly recalled and shared.
Khayyat earned her B.A. in Historical Studies from the American University of Beirut, a diploma in Intensive Drawing from the Florence Academy of Art, and an MFA in Visual Arts from Columbia University.
For more information on MCCC’s Distinguished Lecture Series, call (609) 570-3324 or visit www.mccc.edu/lecture.
Rola Khayyat, an artist and curator will discuss the landscape of belonging for the community of Lebanese Jews in New York during a lecture at Mercer County Community College April 23.