David was an engineer in Schenectady and loved to travel and learn about other cultures. He realized he enjoyed teaching and mentoring younger people a few years ago, and has put those skills and creativity to use as a volunteer tutor. David’s focus was with the young men in the refugee community, who have kept him energized with their enthusiasm to improve their English and learn more about American culture and history.

Dr. AlMahamid is the founder of New York for Syrian Refugees. Ilham is a scientist with the NYS Department of Health and a faculty member with the School of Public Health at UAlbany. She is a US citizen who migrated from Damascus, Syria in 1984. She studied in France and worked in Berkeley, CA for 14 years before she came to Albany in 2005. Ilham enjoys bringing people together and lending a hand to those who need it. She considers it a blessing and an honor to help new immigrants and to work with such a beautiful community.

Jan Coles volunteers her time with New York for Syrian Refugees as a tutor. Her focus has been on providing homework help to children of all ages and helping mothers improve their English skills. She finds it gratifying to see so many children make great progress in a relatively short period of time. Since 2017, she has been happily paired with a very motivated mother who has wanted to learn to read, write and speak English. Now, she is helping her prepare for her citizenship test. Their meetings have given both an opportunity to improve their skills at charades, laugh together, and develop a warm friendship.

Hajar Alrifai is a Syrian-American architectural designer, writer, and filmmaker. She received her Master of Science in Architecture from MIT where she conducted research on cultural heritage and preservation practices in Syria. She was a founding member of NY4SR and is honored to assist in welcoming Syrian families and helping them make a new home in New York.

Omar Alrifai is a first generation Syrian American. He is currently a Junior at UAlbany pursuing a degree in Biology. He hopes to become a doctor, and to use his degree to attend to the medical concerns of people affected by war across the globe. He loves being a part of New York for Syrian Refugees and connecting with new families in the region.

Azmad Din was one of the initial members who assisted in launching the Facebook page of the organization. He started off personally delivering donated goods and furniture to the Syrian families’ homes. Azmad received his degree in Industrial Engineering from RPI. He is eager to help out our new families in order to help them become successful, productive members of our community.