Washington Street Historical Society

05/16/2026

Statement from Washington Street Historical Society:

We are truly thankful for the words of support and thoughtful comments from members of our community. We are always committed to making improvements that further enhance the clarity of our message and better explain the goals of WSHS.

We are also deeply grateful for the support extended by the community surrounding Elizabeth Berger Plaza, the City of New York, and our valued partners, whose contributions were instrumental in making this project possible.

“Al Qalam: Poets in the Park” is a first-of-its-kind memorial and the most important Arab monument on public land in the United States, located in the heart of Downtown Manhattan. This permanent art installation commemorates the Lebanese literary icons of the Pen Bond and other writers, paying tribute to the Arab American roots of the neighborhood.

Installed just steps away from where many of these writers once lived and situated between two of Manhattan’s most visited destinations — the 9/11 Memorial and Wall Street — the monument will captivate the attention of millions of New Yorkers and visitors who pass through the area each year.

Board of the Washington Street Historical Society.

05/07/2026

Last week, we celebrated the historic opening of Al Qalam: Poets in the Park, honoring Little Syria’s enduring legacy. Created by Sara Ouhaddou, this permanent installation celebrates the literary and cultural heritage of Little Syria, the nation’s first Arabic-speaking community.

We are deeply grateful to our longtime supporters and friends of WSHS for championing this historic project.

Thank you to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Miotto Mosaics, Eventscape, and Harder Construction for helping make this vision a reality.

Photo credit:
NYC Parks / Daniel Avila
Daleelah Saleh
Maher Takkoush

05/05/2026

Al Qalam: Poets in the Park is the inaugural public artwork commemorating America’s earliest Arabic-speaking community. Designed by French-Moroccan artist Sara Ouhaddou, the installation recognizes nine influential figures from the Little Syria neighborhood’s historic literary circle. The monument, located in Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza, stands where immigrants from Greater Syria first arrived in the late 19th century.

Thank you to Isa Farfan and Hyperallergic for reporting on this historic cultural achievement.

Full article:

The public artwork celebrates the literary legacy of the city's storied "Little Syria."

04/21/2026

Nine years in the making. Now a permanent tribute.

Al Qalam: Poets in the Park is nearly complete. The only public art installation honoring the literary legacy of Little Syria and the first Arabic-speaking community in the United States, just steps from Washington Street.

Join us on April 30 at 11 AM at Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza for the opening ceremony.

With gratitude to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Miotto Mosaic Art Studios, Eventscape, and Harder Construction for making this dream a reality.

03/15/2026

📣 New Resource 📣 The Bibliography of Arab and MENA American Studies, a collaboration between the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives, is a new guide designed to help researchers stay connected to the latest scholarship on Arab and MENA communities in the United States.

Explore the first report at www.arabnarratives.org/bibliography

02/27/2026

The first formal study of Arab American public history is finally here. Through case studies of food traditions, genealogy research, cultural production, and neighborhood enclaves, Arab American Public History (Temple University Press) explores Arab Americans’ origins, evolving identities, and ongoing efforts to build belonging in the United States.

Editor: Edward E. Curtis IV
Contributors: Reem Awad-Rashmawi, Chloe Bordewich, Richard M. Breaux, Maria F. Curtis, Lydia Harrington, Randa A. Kayyali, Rebecca K. Shrum, and Matthew Jaber Stiffler.

Order a copy 📖

02/25/2026

🗓️ April 4, 2026 |📍BAM Brooklyn

In celebration of 150+ years of Arab American history in New York City, artists from the SWANA creative community across the five boroughs will join acclaimed Syrian-American rapper Omar Offendum in a five-hour event featuring live music, poetry, short film screenings, and much more.

Tickets 🎟️

Syrian-American rapper Omar Offendum hosts a five-hour Arab American Heritage Month takeover.

01/09/2026

Abstraction, light, and language come together in the work of French Moroccan artist, Sara Ouhaddou. Her solo exhibition Cosmogrammes, now on view at the Institut des Cultures d’Islam in Paris, explores how Arabic can be rendered through color, form, and space.

This same visual language shapes Poets in the Park, our upcoming permanent public art installation commemorating the first Arabic-speaking community in the United States, designed by Ouhaddou.

Learn more about Poets in the Park ➡️ https://washingtonstreethistoricalsociety.org/projects/
Visit the Paris exhibition ➡️ https://www.institut-cultures-islam.org/expositions/sara-ouhaddou-cosmogrammes/

12/21/2025

🗓️ January 18
🕕 6 PM
📍 Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, NYC

Syrian-American rapper and poet and multi-instrumentalist come together for a performance that blends the storytelling traditions of Damascus with the sounds and stories of New York.

Link in bio 🔗

12/21/2025

https://publictheater.org/performances-jp/2026/o/omar-offendum-neo-hakawati-nights/

Syrian-American rapper and poet Omar Offendum and multi-instrumentalist Zafer Tawil come together for a performance that blends the storytelling traditions of Damascus with the sounds and stories of New York.

🗓️ January 18
🕕 6 PM
📍 Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, NYC

Celebrate the summer with an unforgettable evening featuring Syrian-American rapper & poet Omar Offendum, whose unique performance style draws upon the hakawati traditions of Damascus, while remaining deeply rooted in the stories and streets of New York.

11/25/2025

Niyū Yūrk After Hours
🗓️ Fri, Dec 5 | 7:30 PM

Experience the Niyū Yūrk exhibition after hours at the NYPL with a special curator talk by Hiba Abid, live music in the Rose Main Reading Room, presentations on MENA food traditions, and more.

Reserve your spot! ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/NYPL-After-Hours-RSVP

If you want to dive deeper into the stories and themes of the exhibition, explore the curator’s recommended reading list, including Strangers in the West by our very own Linda K. Jacobs 📖 ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/Strangers-in-the-West

The Library After Hours: Niyū Yūrk in New York - Checkout. Join us at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building for the city’s most cerebral happy hour. While registration for this event has ended, we may have a limited number of tickets available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. The Ne