A different ethnic story

 Portland Press Herald -  A Shabbat and Ramadan dinner [was held] at the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine on Friday. The dinner was put on to be a gathering of Jewish and Muslim community members, “to celebrate friendship and understanding,” and was hosted by the center and the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center.

About 150 people attended the event at the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine in Portland, lighting candles, saying prayers, and enjoying traditional music and food just after sunset. Muslims are observing Ramadan, a holy month when most adults avoid eating or drinking during daylight hours and break their fast after sundown. And each week Jews celebrate Shabbat, a day of rest, from sunset Friday through sunset Saturday.

The room erupted in applause when Reza Jalali, executive director of the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, suggested that the dinner become a yearly event. “We have so much in common,” Jalali said. “To come together, to break bread, to create community, one meal at a time.” The convivial dinner contrasted strongly with a recent demonstration by a white nationalist group in downtown Portland and white supremacist mailers sent to several state lawmakers.