Please join the Hopkinton Freedom Team at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts for our monthly  Artful Connections evenings at 6:30 p.m.  

On September 16, 2025, join us for a panel discussion of Sandy Tolan's book The Lemon Tree, hosted by Dr. Eman Ansari and Dr. Noam Shoresh. It is not necessary to have read the book to attend.  Several copies of the book are available at the Hopkinton Public Library to borrow. For more information, click on this NPR link: www.npr.org

Eman Khadra Ansari, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Eman Ansari is a Palestinian-American pediatric pulmonary and critical care physician, a practicing pediatric emergency physician at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She is the head of the PICU committee at PCRF and has been active in the space of health and humanitarian aid to Palestine. She's a mother of four and lives with her husband and children in Newton, MA.

Noam Shoresh, Ph.D, Director of computational biology and institute scientist, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. Noam grew up in Israel, living first in Tzfat (Safed) and then in Jerusalem. When he was 13, Noam joined the Peace Now youth, and later was part of the founding cohort of the Ratz party youth movement. At the age of 25, after serving in the IDF as well as completing a bachelor’s degree,  Noam moved to Seattle to pursue a PhD in physics. Noam has two sons and, since 2001, has lived with his family in Newton, MA. Noam is part of a vigil group that has been standing every Sunday since October 2023 in front of the MA State House, calling for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, hostage exchange, and diplomacy. Noam is also a member of Sawa, a Newton-Area Alliance for Peace and Justice.

Register here for September 16 Artful Connections

Learn more and RSVP for October 21, 2025 Artful Connections

For October 21, 2025, our co-hosts are Hopkinton High School student Arshia Tharakabhushanam, and cofounder of EnjoinGood, Asima Silva.

Arshia is a gold medalist in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She serves as a cultural storyteller for her community, is a student, poet, speaker, and advocate for creative youth voices. Arshia’s poetry explores the complexities and humor of growing up Indian American, navigating the challenges of balancing two cultures while finding her voice. Her work focuses on sharing stories of identity, family, and community through spoken word, aiming to create spaces for connection and reflection. This includes exploring the everyday moments of cultural tension and joy that shape her experience. Her work focuses on cultural celebration and building understanding across communities through art. Arshia is a volunteer in healthcare spaces and actively works alongside local organizations to support youth engagement and cultural connection through storytelling.

Asima Silva is a mother of five and the first Muslim woman elected official in Massachusetts. In 2016, she was invited to attend President Obama’s State of the Union for co-founding a nonprofit, EnjoinGood, that champions outreach and interfaith activities with local religious and educational institutions to build bridges of understanding and appreciation between communities. She graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a Master's in Computer Science and earned the title of IBM Master Inventor, with over 100 patents in her name. She co-instituted the Worcester Chapter of the Daughters of Abraham book club and is a board member for a national political organization, the Muslim Caucus of America. She volunteers for Justice for All, for whom she attended the Human Rights Council meetings in Geneva, advocating for human rights in India for two years.  She also hosts a local TV show, "Perspectives with Asima Silva," where she interviews local, national, and international motivational/inspirational people on topics and issues not covered by mainstream media.

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 #HopChalkAboutChange 9/3/20