Sophie Zhang

Palo Alto community members enjoy dinner provided by local restaurants on March 8 at the Lucie Stern Community Center as part of the city’s Ifar dinner event. According to Shounak Dharap, vice president of the Palo Alto Unified School District board, events that gather the community allow for interactions that wouldn’t occur normally. “They [community events] let us reach out and talk to other folks we might not normally interact with, or who we might interact with in very different ways,” Dharap said. “It allows folks to see their elected representatives in a different light, in a way that is more community building and less just in their governance roles.”

Warm glow of fairy lights. Butter chicken, falafel and pita. Lively conversations among event guests.

These were all present at Palo Alto’s second Annual Community Ramadan Iftar Dinner on March 8 at the Lucie Stern Community Center.

In the spirit of Ramadan, people from diverse backgrounds gathered to break their fast and share traditions, according to event organizer Uzma Minhas, who created the event last year with a few of her friends as a response to the conflicts in Gaza and rising Islamophobia.

“We needed to have a gathering where we could all come together and the broader community could get to know us,” Minhas said. “Last Ramadan, we thought, ‘What better way than to have an Iftar dinner in the evening where we could all break our fast together?’ We ran the idea by former Mayor Greer Stone, and he loved it. The City of Palo Alto co-sponsored it, and they did so again this year.”

Ramadan is the Islamic calendar’s ninth month, during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. This period of abstinence can hold different value for everyone, from fostering self-discipline and gratitude through fasting to experiencing the joy of breaking fast with traditional foods and family tradition. During the event, youth speakers gave presentations that showed Ramadan as a time for spiritual growth and compassion. 

For Palo Alto resident Sheeza Khalil, who also attended the event last year, Ramadan is the time for reflection, self-control and moral principles.

“Ramadan teaches you patience, gives you values and teaches you blessings,” Khalil said. “It is not only about fasting from food but also refraining from doing bad or evil, which causes harm to others.”

Attendees broke their fast by eating the offered dates and water, a traditional start to Iftar. As the meal commenced, guests shared stories and laughter while savoring the diverse array of dishes donated by local restaurants. 

According to Khalil, this event is the perfect opportunity for everyone to learn and be involved in tradition.

“This dinner is for people to gather and celebrate Ramadan as a diverse community,” Khalil said. “It’s a great way for everyone, whether Muslim or not, to bond, which means a lot since there are many community members here.”

Similarly, Mayor Ed Lauing said that one of the best aspects of cultural events like this is the opportunity to celebrate and embrace inclusivity.

“We pride ourselves on being a welcoming city to any religion and celebrate that for them and with them,” Lauing said. “It’s very appropriate that we address the diversity and also the equality of any type of culture or ethnicity.”

According to Minhas, she loves the event because it strengthens community connections.

“It was just really beautiful, and I’m really glad we’re doing things like this because it brings the entire community together,” Minhas said. “It’s a really special tradition that I’m hoping to keep doing in Palo Alto.”

Shounak Dharap, vice president of the Palo Alto Unified School District board, said cultural events are essential for overcoming differences and creating unity within the community.

“A lot of times when we’re in the middle of issues that people have different ideas about, it can feel like we’re more divided than we actually are,” Dharap said. “It’s really important for us to be able to bring people together in these kinds of events, so we can all realize that fundamentally, in Palo Alto, we all share the same core values.”

According to City Council Member George Lu, people can look forward to celebrating more cultural holidays with the community as Palo Alto plans to expand its investment, making events more frequent and impactful. 

“This week in city council, we’re going to talk about the U.S. Special Events program, as we’ve hired a staff member to work on events for the city throughout the year,” Lu said. “We want everyone in the city to go to events, and we can make them bigger and better and have more of them in years to come because we have this new staffing.”