Artists and food industry figures, including chef Reem Assil, artist Jeffrey Cheung and local eatery Tacos Oscar, will come together this Saturday at Clay Clubhouse in Oakland’s Dimond District to raise money for Palestinian humanitarian efforts.
“We want to make sure Palestine is recognized for all the beauty and art it brings to the world, even as people are trying to erase it,” said co-organizer Sam Sundos.
As the number of people killed in Gaza in the ongoing Israeli military offensive reaches over 35,0000, fundraiser organizers Michelle Nazzal, an Oakland chef, and Sundos, a Brooklyn artist, say they wanted to bring together other chefs and artists who’ve been vocal about it. To honor those folks, they’ve named the event “Aswat,” which means “voices” in Arabic.
“Seeing people really educating themselves about what’s happening in Palestine and speaking up — it really means a lot,” Nazzal said. “And we really wanted to keep the focus on Palestinians, who are trying to figure out how to leave or stay there and build a life.”
The fundraiser takes the form of a group show and a community potluck. All proceeds from art sales will go to Gaza Mutual Aid Solidarity, a volunteer mutual aid group which helps families in Gaza to meet basic needs, says Sundos. Nazzal and Sundos have framed the event as a “micro-fundraiser,” and hope to inspire others in the community to follow suit.
“The mutual aid fund we’re contributing to is working directly with people in Gaza,” Nazzal said. “A micro-fundraiser means it’s more grassroots — it means the community coming together to raise whatever money they can.”
In an effort to make supporting Palestine more accessible, the duo asked the artists to price their work between $100 and $300.
“I think it lowers the barrier of entry,” Sundos said. “We’re opening the doors for anyone who wants to come in.”
Sundos, who’s traveling from New York to the Bay for the event, will lead a workshop on traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez for Saturday’s event, and is selling one of his embroidery pieces in the show. Nazzal, who runs the Palestinian food pop-up in Oakland Mishmish, will give a talk about food sovereignty and will make stuffed grape leaves, hummus and labna made from cashews for the potluck.
Nazzal and Sundos both have deep family history in the Palestinian region. Pro-Israeli forces expelled Sundos’ family from Palestine in 1948, alongside 700,000 other Palestinians, he says. Rallying their community around their shared culture and shedding light on the ongoing atrocities are the central themes of “Aswat.”
“The connections I’ve made through fundraising actions for families in Gaza have been super heartwarming, especially with artists and chefs who already have a hard time scraping by,” Sundos said.