Members of Temple Beth Sholom Join Us for a Ramadan Iftar (July 31, 2012)
Members of Temple Beth Sholom Join Us for a Ramadan Iftar (July 31, 2012)
The members of Temple Beth Sholom and the volunteers of the Orange County Branch of Pacifica Institute gathered to join in on a Ramadan iftar dinner. The tables were all set, the dishes all prepared and ready to serve, and the hosts were anxiously waiting to welcome their guests for the evening. As the clocks drew nearer to 8 PM, the breaking time of the fast, the guests started walking in with their hands full of desserts that would finish off the awaited dinner. The atmosphere was truly that of home. Faces were lit up with love and friendship as everyone settled down around the tables and waited for the adhan, the call to prayer. One of the most beautiful moments of the evening was when everyone was sitting quietly in their seats and listening to the call to prayer. The respect and sensitivity the guests from Temple Beth Shalom showed towards the values and traditions of their hosts, was heart-warming. The sweet buzz of the friendly conversation around the tables joined the traditional Turkish music in the background in accompanying the delicious dinner prepared by the Turkish families of the community.
As the plates cleared and stomachs filled, Tezcan Inanlar, the CEO of Pacifica Institute, stepped up to the stage to speak about Ramadan and fasting, the meaning and values behind the tradition. He mentioned that Ramadan was a time of getting closer to God, a time of comprehensive thanksgiving. As Mr. Inanlar pointed out, through abstaining from drink and water during the daytime, Ramadan was an opportunity to truly appreciate the blessings from God.
A brief video introduced Pacifica Institute and its mission and also showed a glimpse of the various events and activities held throughout the community.
One of the honored guests, Steve Sherman, made everyone smile when he said he’d been hoping to see himself in one of the Turkey pictures shown in the video. Accepting the fact that “he couldn’t stop talking about Turkey”, he kindly took advantage of the opportunity to thank his hosts for the Turkey trip he had previously been on. After expressing his heartfelt feelings of closeness to the Turkish-American community of Pacifica, he extended an invitation to the Temple Beth Sholom’s own upcoming Harvest of Sukkot in order to further this mutual love and lasting friendship between the two communities.
Next, Rabbi Heidi Cohen was invited to the stage to share her reflections of the evening. She expressed her feelings using a verse from a song in the Jewish tradition saying, ‘How beautiful it is that the brothers and sisters sit together, sharing a meal together.’ Sitting round the tables that evening and sharing, she said, was a true blessing. It was not just the sharing of bread but a sharing of lives. She finished her words by thanking Pacifica for their generosity and hospitality, but most importantly their friendship.
After the remarks, everyone was invited to enjoy the delicious desserts, the guests from Temple Beth Sholom had brought in, accompanied by a cup of Turkish tea. Like the Turkish saying, everyone was eating sweet and talking sweet as everyone indulged once again in their conversations.
At the end of the evening, in order to make memories last a lifetime everyone gathered for a big “family picture” and as the guests headed out the door one by one, the renewed feelings of love and friendship were warm in everyone’s hearts.