Elizabeth Boosahda

I worked with Elizabeth on a video project celebrating the Arab-American Community of Worcester, a project inspired by her remarkable book Arab-American Faces and Voices. She was not only a remarkable scholar but also a magnanimous host, who arranged for us to visit several churches and the local mosque. Those videos were created for a now-defunct online resource, but I hope to bring them back online as a tribute to her and the ancestors she wrote about so eloquently! A truly special woman!

Dear Beth,
Your soft voice is still remembered; I can hear it. Though you spoke softly, your ideas were bold.
You stood up for your own beliefs and helped others who were less confident find their voices.
Beth Boosahda, you and your siblings figure large in many of my most cherished early family memories

Elizabeth was a true champion,a pioneer. She went places, did things, and supported her friends and family always.

Even as a young girl, I recognized the way she brought joy to a situation, the way she conveyed to the people around her, especially young people, "you can do this."

Betty, as she was called years ago, came into our family,when her wonderful brother, Leo, married my big sister, Emily. I so loved seeing all the Boosahda siblings at big parties. And, in...

Her work was and remains an important document in the history of Worcester and in the history of Syrian/Lebanese immigration. That is a true legacy!