A journalist and writer for many years before turning fulltime to Middle East activism, Jordan Elgrably spent the 1980s based in Paris and Madrid, where he wrote for a wide range of European and U.S. publications, among them the Los Angeles Times Libération, El País and Vogue. In 1996 he cofounded the New Assn. of Sephardi/Mizrahi Artists & Writers Int'l (NASAWI). For five years, he produced a web site, hundreds of cross-cultural arts programs and published a quarterly magazine devoted to exploring Levantine cultures. NASAWI was a contributing factor in the creation of Open Tent Middle East Coalition in 1999, which in turn segued into the foundation of Levantine Cultural Center in 2001. Jordan remains active as a cultural arts organizer focused on uniting the majority and minority cultures and religious groups of the Middle East.

Rachel started designing web sites 5 years ago after taking an online journalism course at the University of Southern California. Having always loved working in layout design for print projects, web sites required similar design skills with added interactivity possibilities. She continued learning and refining her web design skills on her own by designing sites for friends in her free time. Word spread and her business grew into full-time design work over 2 years ago. Since then, she has been working with clients ranging from individuals, such as actors and musicians, to large-scale companies, such as Business.com and MLSonline.com. You can view Rachel's portfolio at www.azeldesign.com.

Dida Saab got her M.S. Degree in Plant Protection, Agriculture from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. In 1987 she moved to the U.S. with her husband and two children. She worked in Landscape Design for a few years. Later, she got her Teaching Credential from the University of Redlands in California and has been teaching for 10 years.

Zeina Saab was born in Beirut, Lebanon. She grew up in California and received her B.A. in International Studies - Political Science, with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of California, San Diego. In Fall 2006, she will be attending graduate school at MIT to pursue her M.A. in Urban Studies and Planning with an emphasis on International Development.

Anthony Saidy's grandparents came from Lebanon before 1900. He is a retired physician, son of a playwright, a chess master and author, as well as the past president of ADC-L.A. and past vice-chair of the Coalition for Peace in the Middle East. A world traveler, he has visited five former Soviet republics and eight Middle Eastern countries. He knows a few Arabic curses. He was a founding member of the L.A. -St. Petersburg Sister City Cte.

Cecile Sarruf holds a BA and MFA in creative writing. She was born the eldest of five in Los Angeles to a Lebanese mother (an Egyptian national) and an American father. She adopted her grandmother's surname as a way of reclaiming her Arab identity. For a more extensive bio, see Cecile's Party of God »