FOOD
The Art of Tasting Olive Oil
Thurs Feb. 12th from 6-7pm
AYOON, Carroll Gardens
Refine your taste and learn what to look for in this Olive Oil tasting masterclass. Led by certified Olive Oil sommelier, Yale World Fellow, and founder of Clever Harvest- Soraya Hosni. Event is free and it’s held in one of the cutest SWANA-owned store of NYC.
MUSIC
Abu Zeyn
Thur Feb. 12th at 9pm
Barzakh Cafe, Crown Heights
An NYC debut! Through live bass, clarinet, and soulful improvisation, Abu Zeyn takes you through his original set of Sufi and Pharaonic spiritual compositions. A layered experience that truly nourishes the soul.
CINEMA
Gaza Mon Amour
Thur Feb 12th at 7pm
Mayday Space, Bushwick
Pregame Valentines Day weekend with this Palestinian rom-com! Homemade Palestinian hummus by Johnny Hummus. All proceeds will go to providing Ramadan food baskets for families in Gaza and Khan Younis through Gaza Mutual Aid.
MUSIC
This Time’s Quartet
Fri Feb 13th at 7pm
Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Midtown
This Time’s Quartet will be featured in the performance series “Offerings” at a giant church in Midtown! This dynamic Lebanese led quartet takes you on a multi sensory experience featuring music and violin by Layale Chaker, Puppeteering by Elsa Saade, and live illustrations by Tracy Chahwan.
PARTY
(Anti) Valentine’s Day Dance Party
Fri Feb 13th 10pm-3am
Funoon, Greenpoint
Bring your Anti-Valentines energy and party to the best heartbreak anthems from the Arab world and beyond. Sets by Fatin, Fursa, and Farah with a B2B2B DJ battle ending the night!
COMEDY
Marriage Unarranged
Sat Feb 14th at 7pm
Littlefield, Brooklyn Heights
Abdallah Jasim’s Valentines Day stand up special about being single, Arab, and in your 30’s. Come ready for anything at this night of comedy, live music, live matchmaking, DJ’s and Dabke!
MUSIC
Venus Rising
Sat Feb 14th from 5-10pm
Saturn Road, Carroll Gardens
Hang out at the cozy and intimate Saturn Road featuring DJs YAS11, and Sitna Miriam bringing out your heart eyes and good vibes all evening. The perfect set up for girls night, lowkey V-day date or situationship hang!
PARTY
Yalla!Love
Sat Feb 14th 10pm-2am
Brooklyn Art Haus, Williamsburg
Special addition Yalla! Party here, starting with a meet-cute singles happy hour, followed by Malice of Wonderland and Kofta spinning Y2K Arab love songs and sing-along bops all night! Featuring a secret admirer note station, you’re sure to leave the night with something (or someone;)).
THEATER
“About My Mother”
Sat Feb. 14th at 1pm and 4pm
IRT Theatre, West Village
Catch “About My Mother”, a collection of 3 solo shows performed by their writers: Lama El Homaïssi, Achiro P. Olwoch, and Yasmeen. These pieces directed by Imani Pearl, discuss homeland, exile, queerness, and survival. For one day only, matinee and evening performances available.
MUSIC
Valentines Night at Russian Samovar
Sat Feb. 14th Doors at 9 pm
Russian Samovar Restaurant, Theatre District
After dinner, head to a cozy, tucked away jazz show upstairs at Russian Samovar. Featuring the vocals of Faith Lynch and Lebanese singer Joey Josephs (otherwise known as “The Soul Prince”), this is meant to feel like an immersive, intimate, living room experience by candlelight.
LITERATURE
Eman El Gamal: iPartnering
Sat Feb. 14th at 6 pm
Healing Bean Cafe, Bay Ridge
Dr. Eman El Gamal is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, relationship expert, and author specializing in attachment, emotional health, and resilient partnerships. With iPartnering: The Resilient Way to Find Lasting Love, she challenges common relationship myths and offers practical tools for building secure, meaningful connections. The reading will be followed by an intimate conversation.
OPEN MIC
Al-Bait Baitkom
Sun Feb 15th at 7:30pm
Barzakh Cafe, Crown Heights
After a successful first show in January, Al-Bait Baitkom is back for round two! Support your local Sudanes artists in a night of music, poetry, and comedy at the beloved Barzakh Cafe.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Can I Come Over And Take Your Picture?
From Feb 16th-18th 8pm
Slip House, East Village
Clémence Polès Farhang is a buzzy Franco-Iranian photographer recently published in Vogue and New York Magazine. Her newest gallery is a visual and oral archive of more than 300 women’s portraits across New York, London, Paris, and Los Angeles. This show shines a light on the complex and unifying interior lives of women from around the world. Running for a few days, but catch the opening reception on the 17th from 6-8pm!
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT
Walls of Tears: 50ft Brooklyn Mural Pays Tribute To Children In Gaza
Through Feb 15
Photo credit: Hyperallergic
Wall of Tears is a massive art installation in Brooklyn, created as a tribute to the 18,457 children who have been killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and July 19, 2025. The mural stretches about 50 feet long and 10 feet tall, in this quiet sand color. Up close, you realize it’s covered entirely with the names of children, listed in the order they died.
Phil Buehler, a Bronx-raised photographer, created it with the nonprofit Radio Free Brooklyn. He chose to open it on the anniversary of Hind Rajab’s death, she was just five years old, left bleeding in a car surrounded by her family after it was targeted. Powerful timing. However, the piece was already outdated the moment it opened, because the data only goes through last July. Since then, more children have been killed even through the current fictif ceasefire.
If the artist’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s known for these large, confrontational public works, murals that force you to stop and look. But this one feels different. It’s quieter, heavier. Less about shock and more about remembrance.
It’s installed on 12 Grattan Street, right next to a bar. Life going on around it, people passing by, and this enormous reminder asking you not to look away. I hope that people will go see it and not look away.
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— Menna curates cultural content and events for informational purposes only. Event details are subject to change—
