Princeton University
Princeton Weekly Bulletin May 7, 2007, Vol. 96, No. 26 prev next current
- Senior Thesis
- • Quintessentially Princeton
- • Writing the melody of a novel
- • Seeking Mars survival secrets
- • Testing gender differences in political behavior
- Inside
- • Souk festival will foster Middle Eastern culture
- • Alumni conference: Leading Change in Science and Technology
- • Wristbands needed for Reunions
- Almanac
- • Calendar of events
- • Nassau notes
- • By the numbers
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- Editor: Ruth Stevens Calendar editor: Shani Hilton Staff writers: Jennifer Greenstein Altmann, Eric Quiñones Contributing writers: Emily Aronson, Chad Boutin, Ushma Patel Photographers: Denise Applewhite, John Jameson Design: Maggie Westergaard Web edition: Mahlon Lovett
Souk festival will foster Middle Eastern culture
By Emily Aronson
Princeton NJ — Souk, an outdoor festival featuring Middle Eastern food, music and art, will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at Scudder Plaza outside Robertson Hall.
The event, which takes its name from the Hebrew and Arabic word for market, aims to promote a greater understanding about the people and traditions of the Middle East.
Nearly 2,000 people attended Souk last year and similar entertainment and attractions will be featured at this year’s event.
The student-organized festival was started last year by five friends — senior Sarah Karam, a Lebanese Maronite; junior Saed Shonnar, a Palestinian Muslim; and Jewish students sophomore Zvi Smith, sophomore Jacqui Rabkin and senior Benjy Gerut — as a way to celebrate the similarities and differences between Middle Eastern cultures.
“We started Souk because we love the Middle East and we lamented the fact that in America we usually only hear about politics or war in the region,” Smith said.
Nearly 2,000 people attended Souk last year and similar entertainment and attractions will be featured at this year’s event. Israeli and Arab bands, a hookah café, a Persian tea shop, falafel stands, an Arabic calligrapher and a Turkish coffee shop will offer an array of Middle Eastern sights, sounds and tastes.
The event will feature performances by Israeli-Moroccan singer Smadar Levi accompanied by an Israeli band, the Arab band Yousef Shamoun, and a disc jockey who mixes traditional Jewish music and Middle Eastern songs. The Israeli and Arab bands will play individual sets and perform together starting at 1 p.m. Vendors, such as Yaday Zahav, Git-USA and Ayin HaShlishit, also will set up tables selling Middle Eastern food, clothing and jewelry.
Souk is sponsored by numerous student organizations, University offices and community groups. The festival will be moved to Dillon Gymnasium if it rains.
More Nassau notes in this issue