A generous New York alum, Evelyn Barish ’56, has provided for a poetry prize to be awarded by the Bryn Mawr Club of New York City to a Bryn Mawr alum. In solidarity against and defiance of anti-Asian violence, this year’s poetry contest is focused on a well-known Japanese poetry format, the haiku.  The topic, naturally, is Bryn Mawr College. We are grateful to Evelyn Barish for her vision, generosity, and award.

Evelyn Barish ’56 a native of New York, graduated from Bryn Mawr College (magna cum laude) and studied at Oxford as a Fulbright scholar, writing her dissertation for New York University. She began her teaching career at Cornell University, later becoming professor of English at the City University of New York, its Graduate Center, and the College of Staten Island. Using archival sources, her books have been based on extensive research, and her biography, Emerson: The Roots of Prophecy, won the Gauss Prize awarded by Phi Beta Kappa in 1989 as “the year’s best work of criticism and scholarship.” She is also the author of Arthur Hugh Clough: Growth of a Poet’s Mind, Emerson In Italy, and The Double Life of Paul De Man for which the Bryn Mawr Club of NY hosted a book party event in 2014. Evelyn is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Humanities Center, the Radcliffe Institute, and the Fulbright Commission.

This haiku poetry contest, focused on Bryn Mawr College, is open to all Mawrters and requires no entry fee from participants.

WHAT: The Bryn Mawr Club of New York City Evelyn Barish ’56 Poetry Contest

WHEN:  All Poetry Contest Deadlines are (emailed or postmarked) by 4 p.m. EST March 1, 2022

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: brynmawrclubnyc@gmail.com.

Did you know…?

Mozart’s The Magic Flute was inspired by Zoroastrianism?

Zoroastrianism is considered to be the oldest religion?

Zoroastrianism was considered the first monotheistic religion?

Many concepts from Zoroastrianism are found in other religions?  

Freddie Mercury (the lead singer of QUEEN) was a Zoroastrian?

Please join the Bryn Mawr Club of New York City on Thursday, March 24th for an enriching and informative evening on Zoroastrianism. Together, Friya Bankwalla ’16 and Dr. Rubina Salikuddin, BMC Postdoctoral Fellow in Middle Eastern Studies, will delve deeper into the rich historical development of Zoroastrianism, review the religion’s impact on society in art and objects, explore myths and facts about the religion, and explore one of its most significant holidays, Navroze, and coming-of-age traditions, the Navjote.

Friya Bankwalla ’16 graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a Bachelor’s in English and Psychology, a rekindled interest in tennis and horseback riding, an insatiable passion for storytelling, and a desire to champion Zoroastrianism. Her creative background ranges from working at Penguin Random House, to promoting picture book to young adult New York Times Bestsellers, to screening and adapting intellectual properties for television at an independent film and television company, to much more. When she’s not reading, this Bryn Mawr Club of NYC Board Member can be found welcoming newcomers to the city, hunting for her next favorite restaurant, and searching for new narratives.

Dr. Rubina Salikuddin is a BMC Postdoctoral Fellow in Middle Eastern Studies. She is a scholar of the social and cultural history of medieval Iran and Central Asia. Her current research focuses on ideas of memory and community in the 15th C. Timurid domains. She has a Ph.D. from Harvard University as well as a Bachelor’s from Ohio State University. Currently, she is completing her Postdoctoral fellowship at Bryn Mawr College and in the fall will teach as the Assistant Professor in Middle Eastern Studies at the college. In her spare time, she loves cooking, spending time with her two children, and learning how to garden. For more information about Dr. Rubina Salikuddin, click here.

WHAT: A Look into Zoroastrianism, hosted by Friya Bankwalla ’16 and Dr. Rubina K. Salikuddin, BMC Postdoctoral Fellow in Middle Eastern Studies

WHEN:  Thursday, March 24th at 6:00 PM

WHERE: Please RSVP HERE. A Zoom Link will be provided upon registration AND on the day of the event.

HOW MUCH: Free.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Friya Bankwalla at fabanks@gmail.com

A conversation with two alums who graduated 40 years apart and who have pursued careers in International Humanitarian Affairs. Learn how microloans started and how present-day work at the UN and with a foreign not-for-profit supports those in need internationally.

Suzan Salwa Saba Habachy ’54 was the initial Executive Director at The Trickle Up Program from 1994 to 2001. She has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in economic sustainability. Delving into her field due to her desire to help poor and underdeveloped countries, Ms. Habachy pursued an education at the American University in Cairo from 1951 to 1952. After immigrating to the United States in 1952, she attended Bryn Mawr College, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in 1954. Subsequently, she attended Harvard University, earning a Master of Arts in 1956.

From 1994 to 2001, Ms. Habachy was the executive director for The Trickle Up Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding women in poverty to advance their economic and social welfare. Prior to this role, she worked for the United Nations as a program officer, section chief, and staff member in the office of personnel at the Focal Point for Women beginning in 1969. Previously, she was a reporter and editor for McGraw Hill News Bureau, a reporter and editor for Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, an economist for Exxon Mobil Corporation, and a teaching fellow at Ohio University. In her spare time, she enjoys attending the theatre, traveling, and reading. With her sister, Nimet Habachy ’67 the famous WQXR and Metropolitan Opera Guild star, Ms. Habachy organizes a Crafts Fair attended by Bryn Mawr alums who support education for women and girls among the impoverished Egyptian “Garbage Community” of Mokkattam.

Marlies Bull ’93 is a Humanitarian Affairs Officer, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Bull has more than fifteen years’ experience working across the United Nations in the humanitarian, development and peacekeeping spheres. She has worked in Kosovo, Sudan, Nepal and other complex emergency settings and is currently based at UN Headquarters in New York. Her career has focused on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. She has worked on both policy and advocacy at the headquarters level, and management and operations in the field. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (M.A.) and Bryn Mawr College (B.A.). She also has a keen interest in interior design.

WHAT: Women, Money and Conflict, a talk by Suzan Habachy ’54 and Marlies Bull ’93

WHEN:  Wednesday, February 23 at 6:00 PM

WHERE: Please RSVP HERE. A Zoom Link will be provided upon registration AND on the day of the event

HOW MUCH: $20. (Free to students)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen Thurston at hthurston77@earthlink.net.

Come one, come all to The Bryn Mawr Club of New York City Mawrter Monthly Craft Night! Craft Night will be held the second Monday of each month.

Bring your knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, spinning or whatever craft you adore for a night of chatting and creative fun! This monthly zoom meeting is hosted by Leila Ghaznavi ’01.

Leila Ghaznavi ’01 majored in music composition and now works in fundraising and development for Carnegie Hall. A member of the board of the Bryn Mawr Club of NYC, Leila is also a puppeteer and founder of Pantea Productions, a multidisciplinary theatre production company that combines puppetry and physical theatre for unrestrained storytelling that defies gravity. In her free time, she collects more yarn than is possible to knit in one lifetime. She has also dabbled in needlepoint, crochet, and mask making — transforming her sewing machine from her nemesis into an ally.

WHAT: Mawrter Monthly Craft Night!

WHEN: Monday, February 14th at 7:00 PM.

WHERE: Please RSVP HERE. A Zoom Link will be provided upon registration AND on the day of the event.

HOW MUCH: Free.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Leila Ghaznavi ’01 at Leilag@gmail.com.

Come one, come all to The Bryn Mawr Club of New York City Mawrter Monthly Craft Night! Craft Night will be held the second Monday of each month.

Bring your knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, spinning or whatever craft you adore for a night of chatting and creative fun! This monthly zoom meeting is hosted by Leila Ghaznavi ’01.

Leila Ghaznavi ’01 majored in music composition and now works in fundraising and development for Carnegie Hall. A member of the board of the Bryn Mawr Club of NYC, Leila is also a puppeteer and founder of Pantea Productions, a multidisciplinary theatre production company that combines puppetry and physical theatre for unrestrained storytelling that defies gravity. In her free time, she collects more yarn than is possible to knit in one lifetime. She has also dabbled in needlepoint, crochet, and mask making — transforming her sewing machine from her nemesis into an ally.

WHAT: Mawrter Monthly Craft Night!

WHEN: Monday, December 13th at 7:00 PM.

WHERE: Please RSVP HERE. A Zoom Link will be provided upon registration AND on the day of the event.

HOW MUCH: Free.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Leila Ghaznavi ’01 at Leilag@gmail.com.

Artists from all disciplines are invited to this meetup to network, socialize, and mutually support and celebrate each other’s work. The Zoom meeting is hosted by alum Leila Ghaznavi ’01.

Leila Ghaznavi ’01 majored in music composition and now works in fundraising and development for Carnegie Hall. A member of the board of Bryn Mawr Club of NYC, Leila is also a puppeteer and founder of Pantea Productions, a multidisciplinary theatre production company that combines puppetry and physical theatre for unrestrained storytelling that defies gravity. In her free time, she collects more yarn than is possible to knit in one lifetime. She has also dabbled in needlepoint, crochet, and mask making– transforming her sewing machine from her nemesis into an ally.

WHAT: Artist Meet-Up.

WHEN: Monday, December 13th at 6:00 PM

WHERE: Please RSVP HERE. A Zoom Link will be provided at registration AND also on the day of the event.

HOW MUCH: Free.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Leila Ghaznavi ’01 at Leilag@gmail.com

Where governments suppress dissent, every act of creation takes on new meaning. News from Central Asia, an exhibit at The Jewelry Library (founded in 2018 by Karen Davidov ’79), presents works by Central Asian artists, designers, and makers who use their chosen media—jewelry, photography, art, and more—to capture, reflect, and propagate political protests, climate change, historical events, collective memory, and adaptation to a modernizing world.

Bryn Mawr Club of New York City invites members to take a personalized tour through the exhibit hosted by Karen Davidov’79 and led by curator Aida Sulova. This curatorial exploration, will provide unique insights into how the creation of tactile and visual art can serve as historiographical and political commentary in places where open protest is harshly punished.

More on the exhibition: “Wearable art can be a powerful tool able to mobilize, call for action, evoke emotions, reflect on past, present, and future.”

Davidov founded The Jewelry Library (TJL) in 2018, while working on ideas around the future of libraries with her husband, Henry Myerberg (architect of BMC’s Rhys Carpenter Library). TJL has two research and gallery spaces that offer a wide range of exhibitions, talks and events all across the jewelry-spectrum, collaborating with both contemporary and vintage gallerists, artists and collectors, as well as storytellers, historians, makers and wearers.

Also, on view that night in The Jewelry Library’s 8th floor space: Sisterhood: Bodies in Proximity, an intimate and contemplative exhibition that explores the creative life and secret world of sisters—by Luci Jockel, a jewelry artist and Emily Jockel, an architect and ceramicist.

WHAT: Jewelry as Activism in Central Asia: A Guided Tour of The Jewelry Library’s Latest Exhibit with Wine Reception, hosted by Karen Davidov ’79.

WHEN: Thursday, December 9th at 6:00 PM. Vaccinations and masks required.

WHERE: The Jewelry Library (1239 Broadway, Suite 500, New York, NY). Please RSVP HERE.

HOW MUCH: 20 spots only at $20.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Davidov’79 at karen.davidov@gmail.com.

Come one, come all to The Bryn Mawr Club of New York City Mawrter Monthly Craft Night! Craft Night will be held the second Monday of each month.

Bring your knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, spinning or whatever craft you adore for a night of chatting and creative fun! This monthly zoom meeting is hosted by Leila Ghaznavi ’01.

Leila Ghaznavi ’01 majored in music composition and now works in fundraising and development for Carnegie Hall. A member of the board of the Bryn Mawr Club of NYC, Leila is also a puppeteer and founder of Pantea Productions, a multidisciplinary theatre production company that combines puppetry and physical theatre for unrestrained storytelling that defies gravity. In her free time, she collects more yarn than is possible to knit in one lifetime. She has also dabbled in needlepoint, crochet, and mask making — transforming her sewing machine from her nemesis into an ally.

WHAT: Mawrter Monthly Craft Night!

WHEN: Monday, November 8th at 7:00 PM.

WHERE: Please RSVP HERE. A Zoom Link will be provided upon registration AND on the day of the event.

HOW MUCH: Free.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Leila Ghaznavi ’01 at Leilag@gmail.com.