Join us for “Music for Palestine,” raising awareness of and support for displaced Palestinians in Gaza.

Musicians, activists and community members from Central New York are coming together for a special fundraiser titled “Music for Palestine.” The concert takes place on Saturday, May 16, at 2 p.m. at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society (MMUUS) in Syracuse.

Proceeds benefit Gaza Soup Kitchen, the Middle East Children’s Alliance and Playgrounds for Palestine.

The program includes the world premiere of Steven Button’s “If I Must Die” for soprano Laura Enslin, trombone octet and mixed chorus. The piece is based on Jordanian singer-songwriter Farah Siraj’s setting of the Refaat Alareer poem “If I Must Die.”

A renowned Palestinian writer, teacher and activist, Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike in 2023.

Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha, who was a close friend of Alareer’s, will speak at the fundraiser. The 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner is a Syracuse resident.

Rounding out the program are performances by singer-songwriter Zoë Mullan-Stout and local trombonists.

For more information about “Music for Palestine,” contact Button at 315.949.9450. For more information about MMUUS, including parking and accessibility, call 315.446.8920.