This year’s Ramadan was not like any of the others. After Harvard changed the funding for Iftar and general Ramadan programming, students were unsure what Ramadan would look like this year.
In previous years, Harvard provided students with iftar for all 30 days of Ramadan. The communal iftars included all Harvard affiliates and it took place in the SOCH. Attendees checked in at the check-in table, broke their fast with dates and water, participated in Maghrib prayer, and finally stood in line to eat food with friends!
At first, hearing that Harvard would only cover 6/30 days of iftar at the SOCH was stressful, however, it was this issue that truly highlighted the strength and effort of the Muslim community at Harvard. The Presidents of the Harvard Islamic Society put a lot of effort and time into making sure that Iftar was provided to Harvard undergraduates every day through collaboration and organization with other organizations.
Here is a list of just a few of the many iftars that were organized this year.
PBHA Iftar
The Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) welcomed the idea of hosting its first-ever PBHA iftar with open arms. They were very generous and supportive throughout the preparation and execution process. Prayer and iftar took place in the Phillips Brooks House and they catered delicious food from Shah’s Halal Food and Punjab Express.
It is because of the new format of Ramadan Programming this year, that collaborations took place between student organizations that have never collaborated before. The Bengali Association of Students at Harvard (BASHA) and the Eritrean and Ethiopian Student Association (EESA) came together to host an intercultural iftar where it was encouraged for people to wear cultural and semi-formal clothing and where food from both cultures was catered. This iftar event demonstrated the diversity in culture within the Muslim community at Harvard and the diversity in delicious cuisines.
The iftars at the SOCH still occur, but only on the Thursdays and Fridays of Ramadan (excluding Spring Break) These iftars were open to both Harvard undergraduate and graduate students, and Crimson Catering catered the iftar.
Iftar by the River
This was the second year Iftar by the River occurred. Although we had to change the location indoors due to the weather, the iftar was a great success. Five restaurants in the Greater Boston area, give students the delicious opportunity to eat food from various cultures. Huge shoutout to Falafel Corner, Black Seed Halal Grill, Sufra Mediterranean Food, Tribos Peri Peri, and Ali’s Uyghur Kitchen for making this iftar possible and for very kindly donating food to this event.
Many other Community Iftars
These are only a few of the many iftars organized this year. There were many amazing collaborations including the South Asian Association, Consulting on Business and the Environment, the Black Muslims Collective, the Black Student Association, the Society of Arab Students, the Institute of Politics, and more.
Although Ramadan at Harvard this year is different from the others, there were many positives to this change. Numerous connections were cultivated with student and Harvard organizations including the Wellness Center, the Study of Religion, and the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, many non-Muslim students learned more about Ramadan, and the Muslim community came together and made this a Ramadan to remember. Many of these collaborations were a first, and hopefully not a last. Thank you to all the organizations who made this year’s Ramadan one to remember.
