January gathering
Berber New Year
Once Lamia and Samia joined us from Algeria, we shared their tradition of Berber/Amazigh New Year.
Algerian couscous · Moroccan mint tea
A Taste
Mary Jane explaining Kafenia
The gathering format
An evening at Kafenia
Food: 6–7 pm • Dialogue 7–8:30 pm
6 – 7 pm
Dinner
Regional Greek & Mediterranean meze and one pot meal. Come hungry, come curious. Earthy, simple, shared. $20 includes dinner.
7 – 8:30 pm
The Gathering
Cross-cultural circle: dialogue, storytelling, song. Village-style. The question of the night anchors everyone. Each person gets a chance to speak.
From the archive · The very beginning
The first gatherings menu
Every gathering started with a hang out time, with intentional opportunities to mix and introduce people to one another, during which we would each share food. The food was based on the kafenio — simple ingredients, dipped by hand, with one-pot stew to accompany.
Then we would gather in a circle for a dialogue rooted in one or two people sharing and opening conversation. They started with primal themes to evoke the village: Democracy, Peace, the Land.
Later gatherings centered on Welcome, Connect, Contribute.
Cafe Zoe weekly gatherings – Connect theme
Below is what we did during our Winter connect theme at Cafe Zoe. You can see each topic is rooted in someone in our extended community’s cultures, along with deep questions for us to explore.
Questions we gathered around
Each month, Kafenia gathered around one primal question — through food, story, music, and circle.
September
Belonging
You are all welcome.
What is your intention as a bridge builder this season?
October
Support
Yes, and…
How can we help each other with our projects and in our lives?
November
Democracy
Reimagine.
How can we reimagine democracy from a more humane place?
December
Peace
Embody peace.
How can we listen within and to each other as a practice of peace?
January
The Land
Old ways.
How can we relate to the land, inspired by indigenous and old ways?
February
Stories
Tea traveler’s tales.
Bringing stories back from travels, from abroad, from the heart.
March
Expression
What do you want to say?
Expressing our values through song, poetry, and what we stand for.
April
Diplomacy
Peacebuilding.
How are people ending conflict here and around the world?
May–June
Community
Build the village.
How can we have a good time and build something that lasts?
Gatherings build on our cultures
We brought forward hidden stories, treasures and cultures from our community. People who move here are often taught to adapt, but they also bring powerful cultures and stories that can help us all.
March 2018
Roots of Inclusion in Palo Alto based on Cold War Peacebuilding Here
Led by visionary Len Traubman, we heard stories of building connections to the Soviet Union in the 1980s, along with Mark Graham sharing stories of the first technological Space Bridge. Len, who has sadly passed, wrote up his reflections on the evening.
Virtual · COVID gathering
Learning about Wuhan
When Wuhan was being demonized for bringing the COVID virus, Kafenia brought a personal perspective by inviting Laura Gao to share her comic book about being from Wuhan and her life experiences as LGBT.
Shared recipe for Laura’s Mom’s Noodle Soup, since we were gathering remotely.
Virtual · 2020
Navigating shelter-in-place
Paul Bocanegra — released after 25 years from prison — led the community through what sheltering-in-place felt like from the inside. “He was completely fine. We were all stressed out.”
Everyone cooking at home on Zoom. Together.
