Julia Makarem, from the first generation of American Druze, was always proud of belonging to the Unitarian Druze faith and of working to promote her belief.
Understanding the Druze faith was always a goal for Julia Makarem. She wrote extensively about Druze culture, as well as their heritage. Her latest achievement is the website dedicated to Druze issues.
She is among the first who researched the history, culture, and perceptions of the Druze in English and compiled it all into a single, concise, and user-friendly resource that anyone interested in learning more about the people belonging to this mystical faith can access.
What drove Makarem to begin her endeavor and made it her primary goal in research and writing were two things. First, when she arrived in Lebanon as a young bride, she realized that she lacked almost all knowledge regarding her people, and shortly after, she also realized that the Lebanese Druze themselves knew even less. Thus, she set out to work toward her goal of making a website available in English for both Druze and non-Druze, to answer the most common questions about Druze culture and heritage.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, USA, and always interested in her Druze heritage, she married Dr. Sami Makarem, known for his numerous research papers and books on the Druze. She and her husband moved to Lebanon and settled in Beirut and their village of Aitat in 1963.
From a young age, she witnessed the formation of the American Druze Society thanks to her parents, who were among the first Druze immigrants. She held leadership positions in the American Druze Society and traveled to Lebanon, where she participated in many community activities during the war years. She returned to the state of Michigan in 1987 and held other leadership positions in the society.
Makarem played a significant role in spreading knowledge about Druze culture through her writings and publications. She left a mark on Druze literature and contributed to shedding light on their history and heritage.
