Cambridge community Iftar draws crowd of 600, mayor emphasizes community and unity

Perhaps 600 people attended the 11^th annual Cambridge Community Iftar at the Cambridge Street Upper School on Saturday. As the sun set over clear purple skies, people broke their fasts with free water, dates, almonds, and halal chicken over rice with knafeh.

The long cafeteria tables were packed with people of all ages and religions, families and individuals, though there may not have been quite as many people as in 2023. The food, catered this year by Black Seed Halal Grill and Pita Cambridge, was served by volunteers from the Islamic Society of Boston and city councillors. Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui handed out knafeh to passersby while speaking with residents and snapping selfies with those who asked.

“Ramadan is a time to reflect, practice generosity, and think about how to better support those around us,” Siddiqui said in her opening remarks. She added that “reflection holds more power when it moves us to action.”

Referencing recent “divisive” rhetoric, Siddiqui emphasized “it was important to see that we can all enjoy and come together for a meal.” “[The iftar] is a nice way to bring people together, especially in these times,” Siddiqui added.

It brought plenty of public officials together, including city councillors Ayah Al-Zubi, Marc McGovern, Patty Nolan, Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler and Cathie Zusy as well as state Reps. Christine Barber, Marjorie Decker and Steve Owens. School Committee chair David Weinstein and member Arjun Jaikumar were also among attendees.

A number of them spoke. Rep. Decker described the “sacredness” of the month, and the opportunity Ramadan provides to “slow down and think about how we care for one another.” Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler commented on the need to “strengthen our sense of community” amidst “chaos and so much divisiveness.” Councillor Al-Zubi led a prayer, wishing that “Allah protect our community here and all around the world,” including in Iran, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Congo, and Pakistan. Former mayor and Councillor McGovern thanked the mayor for hosting the event for many consecutive years and encouraged the audience to “continue to love each other and hold each other.” Chief Deidre Travis Brown of Cambridge’s Office of Equity and Inclusion also wished the audience “great peace and blessings” while enjoying their iftar meals.

In addition to providing a room to pray and iftar meals, immigrant services liaison Tagesech Wabeto from the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship was present as a resource for legal information, including a LUCE MA hotline number for reporting ICE sightings as well as New Resident Guides and Red Cards translated in Amharic, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Bengali, and Somali.

Siddiqui noted that the iftar drew attendees from cities like Salem and Woburn, and not everyone was Muslim. One Cambridge resident who attended said she was Christian but values meeting people from different countries found the iftar “convivial, warm, and welcoming.” Bryanna M., who hails from Seattle, valued the space for experiencing her second ever iftar, having just converted to Islam last summer.

Students  also spoke during the short speaking program, sharing aphorisms about generosity such as “food is best when shared,” describing the power of Ramadan to “turn strangers into friends,” and gratitude. A young boy closed the community section with a few words on kindness. “Kindness grows when we share what we have. A small act of care can change the world around us,” he said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

This year’s iftar was organized by the mayor’s office in collaboration with Cambridge’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge Community Foundation, and the Islamic Society of Boston.

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