Can you believe it?!

We are just starting our 12th year serving greater Los Angeles. Don Heckman wrote the first LA Times article about us, positively reviewing our first public program, in a Calendar review published June 25, 2001. (We received another thumbs-up review in December 2001 by theatre critic Don Shirley and many more LA Times articles since.) 

"'Arabesque' was out of this world amazing. We enjoyed it very much and can't wait for the encore." —Laila El-Hajoui 

"Great event at the Levantine Cultural Center Saturday night...the music took my soul on a beautiful journey." —Nancy Tedder 

The Levantine Cultural Center presents an encore performance of "Arabesque" with Al-Fareed of Radio Al-Fareed, AKA Alfred Madain and a group of musicians, the band calling itself Bedouin X. The band members are David Markowitz, Timothy Maloof and David Martinielli. Special guest artist visiting from Tunisia, Jamel Eddine Boukraa.

Showtime's Omar Elba hosts L.A's hottest comedy group, the Sultans of Satire, in a special performance featuring Middle Eastern and Indian comics. The Sultans of Satire are seriously funny—if you love to laugh, if you need to laugh, you'll appreciate this show with its satirical insights and fresh perspectives on American and Middle Eastern life. The humor is universal; the comedans hail from the Middle East, North Africa and India! This show's cast features Mike Batayeh, Omar Elba, Maria Shehata and our headliner from the San Francisco Bay Area, Samson Koletkar, with specal guests Zara Mizrahi and Raj Sharma. The Sultans of Satire is the longest-running Middle Eastern stand-up comedy show in the U.S. Features some of the best young stand-up comedians today from diverse faiths. This show cosponsored by Freedom Theatre West. Tickets/info 323.413.2001. Watch video clips at sultansofsatire.com.

Join International Dance Artist Aubre Hill for lessons in Arab Folk Dance and Bellydance on Mondays at the LCC. Drop-in for one class, or buy a discounted 4-pack of classes and develop your dancing skills while having fun. Classes run in 4-week sequences. This series runs March 4th-March 25th.

Arabic Folkdance, Mondays 6:00-7:00pm 

Learn the diverse & colorful folk dances from around the Arab World, while enjoying regional music & movement variations. For the month of March, Aubre will focus on folkdances from Egypt especially Saidi including assaya (stick) dancing. Giving historical & cultural context while having fun, join Aubre every Monday 6:00-7:00pm. All ages and levels welcome.

This special edition features headliner Aron Kader in his first Sultans appearance after touring with the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour. If you love to laugh, you'll dig this show with its satirical insights on the Middle East and fresh perspectives on American and Middle Eastern life. The revolving cast features Aron Kader, Fahim Anwar, Maria Shehata, Nasry Malak, Ara Basil and Mike Batayeh. The Sultans of Satire is the longest-running Middle Eastern stand-up comedy show in the U.S. Features some of the best young stand-up comedians today who just happen to be of Arab, Lebanese, Palestinian, Egyptian, Iranian and Afghan heritage from diverse faiths. Tickets/info 323.413.2001. Watch video clips at sultansofsatire.com.

Friday, Jan. 18, 7 pm, the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, in partnership with the Levantine Cultural Center, presents renowned Lebanese broadcaster and writer Karen Boustany, who will talk about political and cultural life in Beirut, the crisis in neighboring Syria, and the future of the Middle East. Ms Boustany comes at a time when Lebanon once again finds itself in the midst of a crisis that is not of its own making—this time the brutal struggle for power in Syria that for many years orchestrated similar power struggles inside Lebanon itself. This program will be primarily in English, with some French and Arabic.

[Monday December 10, 2012] On Wednesday December 19th, The Levantine Cultural Center presents honored media critic and film scholar Dr. Jack G. Shaheen in an intimate discussion and forum on misleading stereotypes based on Hollywood's negative portrayal of Arabs. Shaheen will be discussing his life-long commitment to illuminate social justice, with insights into the highs and lows of his 40-year quest, including his mission to reveal and terminate these damaging Arab and Muslim stigmas.

WHO: Jack G. Shaheen, media activist
WHERE: Levantine Cultural Center, 5998 W. Pico Blvd., LA 90035, street parking.
PRICE: Free to general public
INFO/RSVPs: Levantine Cultural Center, 323.413.2001, levantinecenter.org.

[Los Angeles-Monday November 27, 2012] Beginning Saturday, December 1st, the Levantine Cultural Center presents a fascinating new exhibit based on the work of film and media scholar Dr. Jack G. Shaheen's work: A is for Arab: Stereotypes in U.S. Popular Culture.

Megan Sweas
Religion News Service
Oct 30, 2012

LOS ANGELES (RNS) Unshaven and wearing a black hoodie and cap, Omar Elba looked out from the lectern, surrounded by a gold cross and organ pipes. "Moses, you are my nizzle fo' shizzle," said the Egyptian-born Muslim comedian, doing his best to channel Snoop Dogg.

More than 40 films—from features to animated shorts—showed to audiences in five cities in California, including Berkeley and San Francisco. In Los Angeles the festival was cosponsored by the Levantine Cultural Center, a community partner that runs the New Voices in Middle Eastern Cinema series, with support in part from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.