Musicians strummed religious hymns and chatter filled the air as dozens of guests gathered around tables for Iftar, the evening fast-breaking meal during Ramadan.
Ramadan, a holy month observed by Muslims worldwide during the ninth month on the Islamic lunar calendar, takes place this year from Feb. 17 through March 19.
It’s a time of prayer, reflection and charitable giving. It’s also when Muslims fast by abstaining from food and drink from dawn until sunset as an act of spiritual discipline and empathy for those in need.
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At Tuesday night’s Iftar, the majority of attendees weren’t Muslim — but that was the point.
Raindrop Foundation San Antonio is a nonprofit community organization founded by Muslim Turkish-Americans that works to promote interfaith dialogue and connect different cultures and communities. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
The event was part of a series of interfaith dinners hosted by Raindrop Foundation San Antonio, a charitable organization founded by Muslim Turkish-Americans that aims to cultivate cross-cultural friendships, promote dialogue across faiths and build bridges between diverse groups.
“Since fasting is in many faith traditions, people find it convenient to get into the shoes of Muslims during the month of Ramadan,” said Burak Aksoylu, a member of Raindrop’s outreach committee. “So coming together around common values, building bridges, cultivating mutual understanding. These are all part of our mission. That’s why we are organizing the dinners.”
The evening began with a performance by the Raindrop Ensemble and before dinner, three prayers were led by community members of Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths.
Rabbi Lisa Goldstein with Congregation Shalom of San Antonio, led the Jewish prayer.
Musicians with the Raindrop Foundation Ensemble performed a mixture of Christian and Islamic hymns and Jewish music while guests mingled and waited for the sun to set ahead of the fast-breaking dinner. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
She said the congregation and Raindrop have partnered for a number of years for events, and the groups’ members have become great friends. For example, on Yom Kippur, she said the congregation invites Raindrop to its fast breaking meal.
Goldstein said interfaith events like Tuesday night’s dinner are important because people generally tend to gravitate toward people like themselves, especially those of the same faith.
“There’s so much to be gained and learned from being friends with people in other faith communities and learning about other faiths,” Goldstein said. “The only way to combat antisemitism, Islamophobia, all of the hate that goes on in our society is through education and dialogue.”
After the dinner Memet Oguz, a member of the Raindrop Ensemble, gave an educational presentation about Ramadan and answered questions, giving attendees a deeper understanding of the spirit and traditions of the holy month.
Each guest was served two dates, a fruit traditionally used to break fasts as the Prophet Muhammad did in the Quran, Oguz explained.
During Ramadan, observers traditionally use dates to break their fasts which occur from sunrise and sunset. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
Attendees were also served chicken, rice, salad and bread, with plates of watermelon and green beans on tables to share, and baklava for dessert. Tea, coffee and water were served to drink.
For its final interfaith dinner and in the giving spirit of Ramadan, Raindrop is partnering with the San Antonio Food Bank for an event at its Community Event Center on Thursday, March 12. Tickets start at $23 with all proceeds going to the food bank.
At its recent events Raindrop has been collecting food and encouraging monetary donations to the food bank.
“This is very much in alignment with supporting the community during Ramadan,” Aksoylu said.
Programming similar to Tuesday night’s dinner will take place, with the addition of an Ebru art (or water marbling) demonstration, “offering a glimpse of this beautiful Turkish tradition and culture,” Aksoylu said.
Celeste Almazan, a 21-year-old UT San Antonio student, attended Raindrop’s interfaith dinner with an organization she’s a part of called Nurturing Hope. It’s a collaboration between UT San Antonio, the Alamo Colleges and Trinity University, which pushes students to get out of their comfort zones in today’s polarized environment, Almazan explained.
“Being here I was able to learn more about Islam and I was sitting at a table with the Rabbi, so I was listening to her speak a little bit too,” Almazan said. “It’s just trying to understand other people’s perspectives and how past experiences can affect the way we act in the future.”
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