Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Kurdi.
Hi Omar, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in San Francisco, California in December 20, 1990. I grew up and lived in Muscat, Oman until 1999, and then moved to Amman, Jordan, and lived there until 2007. I made the move to Cleveland in 2007. I had to live in many different homes growing up due to my dad’s work in different cities. This experience though provided me with an open mind, and curiosity to always learn more about different cultures and traditions. My move to Cleveland is what helped shape the man I am today, and I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if not for my alma mater Cleveland State University, my friends, my parents, and my work team. I am now the CEO of Friends for Life Rehabilitation Services, and it is the most rewarding job. I get to work with adults with disabilities and contribute to the betterment of their lives. Outside of work, I enjoy the arts, as I am a co-founding member of Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi; Cleveland’s and Ohio’s first Arabic theatre company, and a resident company in Cleveland Public Theatre. I am also a co-founder of Arab Americans of Cleveland-Young Professionals Network, which aims to connect with young professionals in Northeast Ohio. My work has helped me win several prestigious awards like 40 Under 40 from and Notable Immigration Leader from Crain’s Cleveland. However, the biggest award is the connections I have been able to build with people. I treasure every friend, every acquaintance, every colleague, and every person I’ve ever come across. I have learned at least one thing from every individual I have met throughout my upbringing and career. They all have credit in me being where I’m at today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was definitely not a smooth road. I struggled a lot during my life, and many are unaware of these struggles. My first struggle was my parents’ divorce. I was in denial that it happened, and I hid it from people for 4 years. I had to juggle school, and work, and pretend that my parents were okay together. That was a huge burden and a traumatic experience. I felt a huge sigh of relief when I told my friend back in 2009, and I began sharing that my parents had been divorced. I realized that the cultural stigma of divorce should not and will not apply to me. I stopped allowing it to consume my life. My second struggle was financial. I grew up privileged thanks to my dad’s success in his work. However, after my parents’ divorce, and because of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, my dad lost a lot of his businesses, which also meant, it was time for me to figure out financials on my own. I was not financially literate and had to navigate taking care of finances with not so many means available. However, I was inspired by my dad’s strive to continue to work, and seeing him go to work, and explore other business ventures gave me the push I needed to continue to succeed in school while also working part-time. My dad built a new business with my step-mom while being sick, and he entrusted me with it. Seeing him show up to work while sick was not a beautiful sight but it was humbling. My dad died in 2018, and I felt like I still did not learn everything I needed to learn in order to manage after him. I had to navigate management with my stepmom, and I believe we succeeded due to the lessons we were able to learn from him, and due to his inspiring legacy.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a co-founding member of Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi, a project of Cleveland Public Theatre. Masrah was founded in 2018 as the first theatre company for Arabic-speaking communities in Ohio. This made Masrah a very unique and challenging experience. We performed our first two shows in November 2018, and both were sold out. The high demand led us to reperform the show “Dream of Home” again in April 2019 to two sold-out crowds. Masrah has helped me become a better artist and allowed me to participate in Borderlight International Theatre Festival in Summer 2019. It also gave me the opportunity to perform again in “And Then We Met.” We performed “And Then We Met” to four sold-out crowds in Cleveland, and two sold-out crowds in Dearborn, Michigan. Being able to perform to an audience outside of Ohio was a dream, and it made the hard work worth it.
I have always been a fan of the performing arts, and have been performing since I was 6 years old. I sing, act, and write. I self-published my first poetry collection “Delirium” in 2018, and I am currently working on my second collection in hopes to be published in 2022.
Talking about yourself isn’t always easy, but I learned that it’s okay to discuss things that pertain to me personally. My vulnerability gives me strength to share my experiences with others in hopes to help them and inspire them. We are all living on one planet, we all go through things, we all struggle, and we all react differently. These differences are what makes me a better artist, as I always study and absorb how others react, grief, celebrate, and navigate important events in their lives.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Covid-19 taught me so much, and it was a challenging yet rewarding experience. First and foremost, I learned that the most important love you can receive is the unconditional love you receive from those who care about you. I also learned that we should never allow our differences to divide us. We’ve noticed how so many people were reacting to the pandemic, vaccines, masks, etc. I had to see many of my loved ones disagree with me on certain stances, and it was a learning experience to accept them and love them despite their opinions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.arabamericanscle.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/omarkurdi20
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/arabamericanscle
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/omarkurdi20
Image Credits
Steve Wagner
Lindsey Poyar
Jason Miller
Rakan Aloran
