Founded in 2017, Safed House offers a culturally sensitive environment where storytelling becomes a path to healing, resilience, and connection.
Annual Essay & Video Contest
Since 2017, Safed House has proudly hosted its Annual Essay Contest—our flagship youth program designed to amplify the voices of high school students who have personally migrated to the United States. This legacy initiative reflects our deep commitment to honoring the human-interest stories of refugees and recent immigrants, offering a secure and empathetic platform for self-expression.
Through the Safed House Essay Contest, we help young people find belonging, celebrate their resilience, and support their educational journey. Each year, we invite high school students to share their lived experiences in a 500-word essay that speaks to identity, transition, and hope.
Winners will participate in a one-on-one interview with the founder of Safed House. These video testimonials offer a powerful platform for each individual to share their authentic voice and personal journey of diaspora—reflecting on the experience of leaving their homeland and forging a new path.
2025 Winning Video
We strive to shift the narrative around refugees in America—from one dominated by statistics and fear to one rooted in compassion and admiration.
2025 Awards Ceremony
Safed House will recognize our 2025 winners:
Joseph Ngolombe
First Place,
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ricardo Magana
Second Place, Mexican Immigrant, 12th Grade
The winners will receive their monetary awards and certificates during the recognition ceremony. Safed House will premiere the videos based on the winning contestants’ diaspora stories.
Alahambra High School
Friday, November 14, 2025 – 2:00 pm
3839 W Camelback Rd,
Phoenix, AZ 85019
https://www.pxu.org/o/ahs
See Our 2025 Winners:
Joseph Ngolombe
Ricardo Magana
Meet Susan Gitenstein Assadi
Susan Gitenstein Assadi is the co-founder of Safed House and is als the co-producer of the Safed House videos. She founded the organization in 2017 along with her husband during the Syrian crises as a way to give opportunity for Syrian refugees in Arizona to share their diaspora stories. Susan has worked with other non-profits including serving as the Program Chair and on the Board of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, founding a chapter of Seeds of Peace in Arizona, representing Cordoba House and the National Bahai Organization of America. Susan managed public relations for the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and served as their program chair.
Support Our Mission
Whether you're ready to volunteer, donate, partner, or simply spread the word, there’s a place for you here. Together, we can drive real impact and build a stronger, more connected community.
Meet Hannah Lillith Assadi
Hannah Lillith Assadi, daughter of the co-founders of Safed House, was approached in the early planning stages by the organizer of the Voices Of Gaza program, to brainstorm on participants in the program. The program took place on September 21, 2025 at Town Hall, NYC. Viet Thanh Nguyen, Mosab Abu Toha, Hala Alyan, Hannah Lillith Assadi and Seema Jilani were in conversation with John Freeman, editor at Knopf and the program featured Aasif Mandvi, Nan Golden, Mahmoud Khalil, and the Resistance Revival Chorus. As part of the event before the conversation, each one of the literary participants was given an opportunity to read from their forthcoming and relevant writing.
Please listen to Hannah reading from her forthcoming book “Paradiso 17” published by Knopf. More about Hannah here.