Zeina Azzam Named Palestine Center Executive Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Zeina Azzam
zazzam@thejerusalemfund.org
(202) 338-1290
WASHINGTON, D.C. (9 March 2015) – The Jerusalem Fund Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Zeina Azzam as Executive Director of The Fund and its educational program, The Palestine Center. She joins the staff of The Jerusalem Fund on 11 March 2015.
Zeina Azzam has worked in the fields of education and Middle East affairs for over 30 years. Prior to joining The Jerusalem Fund, she served as Director of Educational Outreach at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University and Senior Program Manager of the Arabic Language and Culture program at Qatar Foundation International. She has also worked in the publishing field as editor of academic articles and monographs on Arab affairs. Azzam has presented at workshops and academic conferences on the Arab world, the Arab-Americans, the Palestinians, Islam and Arabic language, literature, and music. She is a published poet and freelance writer, with works that have appeared in Al Jazeera English, Jadaliyya, Mizna, Calliope and Social Education. Her academic background includes an M.A. in Arabic Literature from Georgetown University, an M.A. in Sociology from George Mason University, a B.A. in Psychology from Vassar College and a Publication Specialist Program certificate from the George Washington University.
Dr. Subhi Ali, chairman of the Board of Directors of The Jerusalem Fund, said of Azzam’s appointment, “Zeina Azzam was chosen to lead the staff of The Jerusalem Fund from a group of more than 20 candidates from across the country and overseas. Zeina fully understands the mission of The Jerusalem Fund and is well familiar with the history of our organization. She conveyed to the members of the search committee that working for this organization would amount to a homecoming for her. Our board recognized her stellar career in Washington and looks forward to working with her.”
Zeina Azzam is delighted to join the staff of The Jerusalem Fund: “It will be most gratifying to draw on my background and experience to do Palestine-focused work, which, as a Palestinian-American, is dear to my heart. I look forward to helping shape and contributing to the growth of the Fund’s vital cultural, educational and humanitarian programs.”
Established in 1977, The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development is an independent non-profit organization based in Washington, DC. The Fund provides humanitarian relief to the Palestinian people, educational outreach to the American public and showcases the vibrant, rich culture of Palestine and the Arab world. For more information, see www.thejerusalemfund.org.
Zeina Azzam can be reached by phone at (202) 338-1290 or by email at zazzam@thejerusalemfund.org.
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The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that maintains three programs. The Palestine Center hosts educational briefings and publishes analysis of the Palestinian experience and U.S. policy in the region. The Humanitarian Link provides short-term grants on a quarterly basis to humanitarian organizations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and surrounding refugee camps. The Jerusalem Fund Gallery hosts art exhibits, workshops, film screenings, concerts and more that showcase the rich artistic heritage of the region.
