Kurdish Heritage Month 2023
In March 2023 a shadow has fallen over Kurds worldwide. The devastating earthquakes of February 6 have ravaged largely Kurdish areas of Turkey and Syria. This year we will gather under that shadow to share our grief at the destruction of so many lives, to cry together, and to look for ways that our culture can give us the strength to move through it.
We also recognize the courage and humanity of those who resist tyranny, we honor the generosity of communities that welcome refugees, and we salute the bravery and dedication of humanitarian workers who provide life-saving assistance in arduous conditions.
We invite everyone in the tri-state area to join us in this profound observance. Here are our events.
March 1 Announcement of Kurdish Heritage Month (online)
March 1-31 All month long, the film Seven Symphonies of Zagros is accessible on our YouTube channel.
March 2 In Washington, D.C., a screening of the film Kobane, in collaboration with the Washington Kurdish Institute. Time: 6:30 pm. Place: Exiles Bar. Address: 1610 U St., N.W., Washington DC, 20009
March 4, 11, 18, 25 Kurdish language class (Zoom)
March 5 Lukman Ahmad interview by Janet Biehl (video)
March 7 Book Club discusses Dilar Dirik’s The Kurdish Women’s Movement (Zoom)
March 11 “Earthquakes in Kurdistan: Intersectionality of Language, Ethnicity, and Trauma.” In person. Time: 2:00 p.m. Place: Midtown Manhattan location. RSVP: info@nykcc.org
March 13 Perwîz Rostemî, Kurdish director of Seven Symphonies of Zagros, interviewed by Zanyar Mihemmediniku. In Sorani. (video)
March 15 Fundraiser for earthquake victims. The first 50 people to make a donation to the Barzani Charity Foundation or to Heyva Sor a Kurdistanê will receive a premium ticket for the seventh edition of the New York Kurdish Film Festival, coming this fall. Donate using the information on this page, send the receipt to us at info@nykcc.org, and we’ll make sure you get that premium ticket in the fall. Help earthquake victims and enjoy great Kurdish cinema too.
March 16 Thirty-fifth anniversary of the Halabja massacre
March 21 Newroz. Enjoy celebrations of this great festival in all parts of Kurdistan: in Amed (Diyarbakir), in Bakur; in Acre, in Başur; in Palangan, in Rojhelat; and in Qamişlo, in Rojava. Listen to Hesen Zîrek sing “Piremêrd,” one of the most famous Newroz songs. And here’s a new song about Newroz, “Rakin Meşala Newrozê,” from Navenda Çanda Mezopotamyayê. Listen to Hasan Zirak sing his Newroz song here.
March 25 Kurdish Culture Day. Let’s share Kurdish culture. Bring a story to tell, an instrument to play, a song to sing. In person, Lower East Side location. In collaboration with Endangered Language Alliance.
March 29 Myles Caggins III interview by Janet Biehl (video)
