7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Friday, April 1, 2022
First Congregational UCC,
1126 Southwest Park Avenue,
Portland, OR, 97205
This year, in Genocide Awareness Month, we at The Immigrant Story invite you to join us on April 1 for our second edition of “I Am My Story: Voices of Hope.” Kicking off at 7 p.m. at Portland’s First Congregational United Church of Christ (1126 SW Park Ave., Portland 97205), this memorable evening will honor the voices and music of survivors of genocides and atrocities of war.
Storytellers from Bosnia, Rwanda, and Syria will present remarkable, first-person tales of courage, fortitude and resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges. These powerful sagas offer hope and inspiration at a time when those qualities are sometimes in short supply.
“I Am My Story Live” will kick off with performances from two world-class musicians. Ahmad Fanoos is one of Afghanistan’s most famous Ghazal singers. The music of Fanoos was shut down during the Taliban takeover in 1994. Finally, after the most recent Taliban takeover, Fanoos managed to escape to the United States in October 2021 with the help of a group of journalists. He will be joined on the stage by his son Elham Fanoos, an accomplished classical pianist.
From 8-9 p.m., the three storytellers will share the stories of the arduous journeys that brought them to the United States. The program is in conjunction with the current exhibition at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, To Bear Witness: Stories of Extraordinary Lives.
Please note the following restrictions. Because we want to ensure safety of our patrons and our performers, there will be no exceptions:
Please note the following restrictions. Because we want to ensure safety of our patrons and our performers, there will be no exceptions:
- Proof of Vaccination is required to enter the auditorium.
- While in the auditorium, the audience must wear masks.
- Audience will leave alternate seats vacant. This will restrict the total number of audience present to 250 at any time. Note that to simplify our procedures, even people who arrive together will be asked to leave alternate seats vacant.
- This event deals with stories of trauma. The stories are lived experiences of survivors of war and genocide that may not be suitable for all audiences.
- The content is not suitable for children under 12.
This free event is made possible by a generous contribution from the Zidell Family Foundation. This project is supported in part by a grant from the Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Additional funding was provided by a grant from Oregon Humanities (OH), a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds OH’s grant program.
