Dear Friends,
For the past several years, Shoulder to Shoulder has helped facilitate and uplift multi-faith connections during Ramadan through our United States of Love Over Hate campaign. Usually this has happened around real dinner tables sharing real food, face to face. For many of our Muslim neighbors, Ramadan is a time when they are often gathering, with their families, friends, and the wider community, to break the fast each evening and to connect with one another.
This year looks quite different. While concern for public health will prevent us from gathering in person this year, we are still here to help you find ways to connect meaningfully during this time. We strongly believe physical distancing should not mean social isolation or an end to interfaith engagement. However, it does take extra intention, effort, and creativity to connect with one another in these times, and connection remains vitally important for our own well being and the well being of our communities. We will get through these times together.
For Ramadan 2020, we’re launching an initiative we’re calling Welcome to My Table.
This initiative connects households to households, one-on-one or in small groupings to virtually share an Iftar meal (what’s an iftar?).
We have developed a system for pairing households to one another (click here to sign up!).
Sign Up Today
We created a downloadable 2020 Ramadan Guidebook to help you connect with new and old friends and with neighbors, and colleagues you already know or with whom you want to connect.
We’ve also included tips for those looking to move their larger community Iftars into a virtual space.
We don’t have all the answers on how to make meaningful connections in a time of physical distancing, uncertainty, and fear, but we are learning from others navigating these same waters, and are offering our resources to help make it a little easier to connect across faith lines this Ramadan.
Please reach out if we can support you in other ways this season, or if you have creative ways you’re connecting throughout Ramadan that you’d like to share with us!
Wishing you strength, love and light in these uncertain times,
Nina, Catherine, and Cassandra
P.S. If you haven’t already, check out & share our new Ramadan Road Trip Video Series and Discussion Guides. Four of the six videos have been launched thus far. We’ll be releasing two more videos, discussion guides, and more Ramadan resources in the coming weeks!