Niles West is scheduled to hold the kickoff event for the annual Coming Together in Skokie event on Sunday, Jan. 29. The event, which will last for six weeks, focuses on a different culture every year. This year, the event will be focusing on the Assyrian culture. 

The Coming Together in Skokie (CTIS) event aims to encourage reading and exploring a different culture every year, doing so through selected books and events that will highlight the featured culture. Though one specific culture is focused on every year, people of all backgrounds are encouraged to participate, especially those who may not be well acquainted with the culture, according to Jim Szczepaniak, District 219’s community relations director.

“We have a large number of students in D219 who are of Assyrian heritage, but some of us…know very little about Assyrian culture,”  he said. “This year’s CTIS events give us a great chance to learn more about the rich history of the Assyrian people and the many contributions they have made to our civilization.”

The kickoff event will start off with an art exhibit, which will then be followed by a cultural program. The cultural program will give a history of Assyrian culture, and will include wedding traditions, dancing, and reflections from Assyrian students from both Niles West and Niles North.

One of the chosen books this year is “Gilgamesh,” an epic poem that is considered one of the oldest written works in the world, having been written around 2750 to 2500 B.C. Another chosen book–this one modern–is “Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees” by Deborah Ellis, which looks at children whose lives were changed by the Iraqi war.

“Our student body includes many students whose families have been refugees from war-torn countries,” said Szczepaniak. “This book, which many of our students will be reading in class, provides insight into the terrible challenges and experiences that some of our families in Niles Township have overcome.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 15, the IRC is scheduled to host an Assyrian Day, and Ellis is scheduled to visit Niles West on Friday, March 9, to talk about her book.

The kickoff celebration for CTIS is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 29 at Niles West. The event will begin with an art exhibit at 2:30 p.m., with Assyrian food to be served. The cultural program will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium.