Board of Directors
Dr. Ahmad Jaber
President
Dr. Jaber has been a Bay Ridge community member for over thirty years. He currently sits on the board of Beit Al Maqdis Islamic Center, the Arab Muslim American Federation and the Islamic Mission of America, and was a past president of the National Arab American Medical Association-New York Chapter. He is the Board President and one of the original founders of the Arab American Association of New York. Dr. Jaber is a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist.
Habib Joudeh
Vice President
Habib Joudeh is the owner of a Brooklyn pharmacy and a respected community activist who has formed strong relationships with the leaders of the Arab American community. He currently operates a pharmacy in Bay Ridge and has initiated numerous health related workshops, discussing topics such as diabetes, high blood pressure and prostate cancer.
Pastor Khader El-Yateem
Treasurer
Pastor Khader El-Yateem is the pastor and developer of the first official Arabic Lutheran Church in America located in Brooklyn, serving the spiritual and social needs of the Arab community. He serves on many boards and committees in America and abroad. He supports peace, justice, equality and freedom to all nations and peoples of the world through his ministry and work.
Virginia Tong, MSW
Virginia Tong, MSW, is the Vice President of Cultural Competence at Lutheran Medical Center. She has years of experience working in New York City as a social worker with Asian non-profit organizations. Virginia has been an important advocate for the Arab American community at Lutheran Medical Center where she serves as the liaison between the community and the hospital in south-west Brooklyn.
Souha Nikowitz, PhD.
Dr. Souha Nikowitz is one of the few Arab speaking mental health professionals in the community. Immediately after 9/11, she began crisis counseling for those impacted by the tragedy. Dr. Nikowitz currently provides one day a week of free mental health counseling at the AAANY. She is also an active board member of the National Arab American Medical Association-New York Chapter.
Sarab Al-Jijakli
Sarab Al-Jijakli is an Associate Director at an integrated marketing firm, and specializes in developing marketing programs that cut across all mediums. Sarab is a co-founder of the NY chapter of Network of Arab-American Professionals. As NAAP-NY's Political Committee facilitator, Sarab has focused on developing comprehensive election outreach campaigns throughout New York metro area in Arab-populated neighborhoods, and is heavily involved in coalition building efforts with grassroots initiatives, particularly in efforts to raise awareness about the situations in Palestine and Iraq, as well as to increase civic participation within the Arab-American community.
Bassam Amin
Bassam Amin is a local pharmacist by profession but he is also an important community activist, specializing in Palestinian issues. He is the current President of the Palestinian American Congress-New York Chapter.
Issam Mualla
Issam Mualla is an influential community activist. He sits on the board of Beit Al Maqdis Islamic Center, a local mosque, and has worked with many organizations helping to raise money for children and families in refugee camps in Palestine to provide them with free education, clean sewer systems and other public-works initiatives.
Dr. Eman Al-Janabi
Dr. Eman Al-Janabi grew up in Queens, NY, and returned to New York after spending some time in Iraq, where she learned most of her Arabic. She has been running a private practice as an obstetrician and gynecologist in Brooklyn for six years, is a proud mother of two, and has been an active member of the Arab-American community in Brooklyn.
Dr. Mishal Alkasimi
Dr. Alkasimi grew up in Brooklyn, NY. He completed all of his college and medical education in the State of New York and completed his Post Graduate Training at SUNY Downstate. At SUNY Downstate he received the Peter I. Karl Memorial Award for Excellence in Pediatric Research. Dr. Alkasimi is currently an Associate Professor at AT Still University SOMA and has been recently promoted as Network Director of Medical Education at Lutheran Family Health Centers. Dr. Alkasimi received the Award “Best Teacher” by Maimondies and Lutheran Medical Center, for Excellence in Medical education for the past two years. Also Award of “Teaching Excellence” from AT Still-SOMA Medical School. He is an active member of the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics for the Period of 2006-2013 and was elected as Fellow to the American Academy of Pediatrics as of April 2007.
