Philadelphia Weekly: "Breaking Bread"

"In the final, turbulent days of 2016, civilian families did their best to escape war-torn Syria, despite repeated attacks on an attempted “humanitarian corridor.” Celebrating the holidays in the U.S. felt surreal as the situation in Aleppo worsened.

Still, members of the city’s growing community of Syrian and Iraqi refugees came together to discuss the situation in the Middle East over a great meal at the Friends Center (15th and Cherry Sts.), thanks to a diverse coalition of local nonprofits, religious groups, and high school students sponsored by the Arabic cultural organization Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture.

Inside, a large meeting room bustles with chatter in Arabic and English while the music of renowned Lebanese composer Marcel Khalife plays. Kids pose with toys and props in a photo booth and decorate frames for their photos at an art table."

Read the full story by Sarah Grey at Philadelphia Weekly.