Middle Eastern Theatre: Exploring the Early 1900s Struggle for a Unified Arab State and the Right to Self-Determination
Sunday August 10, 2025 at 10:30 am
Rana and Byron guide the First Parish audience through a historical journey, examining the complex and overlapping political and military efforts to achieve independence from colonial powers such as Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and Imperial Germany.
This service will be streamed on our YouTube channel at:
www.uuneedham.org/service-
Byron Doerfer and Rana Mana Doerfer were married at First Parish nearly eight years ago.
Byron grew up at First Parish. His UU upbringing led to an interest in the Arab Spring revolutions that began in 2011 when he was in college. Those interests brought him to Cairo, Egypt where he met Rana. After finishing his bachelors degree in Middle East Studies and marrying Rana, Byron returned home and attended Suffolk University Law School. He now operates his own law practice in Boston. At First Parish, he has served on the Parish Committee, as a youth mentor, and he now helps lead the First Parish youth group.
Rana Mana Doerfer grew up in the Sinai peninsula where she helped her family run a scuba diving company at a popular resort town. She later moved to Cairo, met Byron, and moved to Needham in 2017 where she was quickly introduced to First Parish. Rana became involved in church life almost immediately, and led the auction committee for several years. Rana is now the Assistant Finance Director and Director of Procurement and Grants for the town of Dedham. Besides public service, Rana is passionate about dogs, funny memes, and Arab Liberation.