Peace Islands Institute Boston

04/05/2026

03/16/2026

We had a beautiful and meaningful evening today at our Interfaith Iftar for Peace: Breaking the Fast, Building Bridges, organized together with the MetroWest Interfaith Community and Peace Islands Institute Boston.

The program was held at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, where friends from many faith traditions gathered to share the spirit of Ramadan and strengthen bonds of friendship and understanding.

We are grateful to Fr. Carl Chudy for offering the welcome remarks and setting a thoughtful tone for the evening. A special thank you to MC Sheyla Tozan for guiding the program so gracefully, and to Rabbi Mimi Micner for leading the interfaith blessing prayer for peace and justice.

During the evening, guests learned about the meaning of Ramadan, watched a short educational video, listened to live music, and shared the iftar meal together. Benjamin Aysan also offered a live calligraphy demonstration, writing participants’ names and sharing a small piece of this traditional art.

Gatherings like these remind us how powerful it is when people from different backgrounds come together with respect, friendship, and a shared commitment to peace.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped create such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We look forward to continuing to build bridges of dialogue and understanding in our community.

03/15/2026

Sisters in Spirit Iftar Gathering at Emmanuel Church

Last evening, we had the pleasure of gathering at Emmanuel Church for the Sisters in Spirit Iftar, a beautiful evening of friendship, reflection, and shared community during the blessed month of Ramadan.

The program began with warm welcome remarks from Rabbi Michael and The Rev. Pam, Rector of Emmanuel Church, setting the tone for a meaningful interfaith gathering. Guests were introduced to the significance of Ramadan and the tradition of Iftar, followed by an inspiring keynote speech by Imam Ibrahim Sayar.

Faith leaders offered a heartfelt blessing and prayer before the call to prayer, and together we broke the fast with dates and water at sunset. The evening continued with dinner, fellowship, and engaging conversations around the table.

The evening included a calligraphy demonstration that introduced guests to the beauty and tradition of calligraphy, as well as its significance within Turkish culture.

The program concluded with reflections on unity, spirituality, and community, reminding us that gatherings like these help build bridges of understanding and friendship among people of different traditions.

A heartfelt thank you to Emmanuel Church, the organizers, speakers, volunteers, and all participants who helped make this evening so meaningful.

The evening concluded with community conversations and a joyful group photo.

03/13/2026

We are grateful to everyone who helped make our Ramadan Food Drive Distribution a meaningful and successful event. During this blessed month of Ramadan, it was heartwarming to come together to support families in our community and share the spirit of compassion and generosity.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Revere Mayor’s Office for their partnership and support in hosting this event at Revere City Hall. We are also deeply thankful to the Revere Arabic Community for their generous support and contributions that helped make this food distribution possible.

A special appreciation goes to the dedicated members of the Boston Dialogue Foundation Humanitarian Aid Group whose hard work and commitment made the organization of this event possible. Your efforts truly reflect the values of service and solidarity.

Together, we were able to bring hope and support to families in need, embodying the true spirit of Ramadan—community, compassion, and sharing.

Thank you to everyone who contributed, volunteered, and supported this initiative. We look forward to continuing to serve our community together.

03/13/2026

We were honored to host our Annual Interfaith Iftar Dinner this evening at the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Brighton. It was a meaningful gathering where friends from different faith traditions came together to break bread, share reflections, and celebrate the spirit of Ramadan while strengthening the bonds of peace and friendship.

We sincerely thank our wonderful speakers Nevia Selmon, Fr. Carl Chudy, and Jurgen Shehu https://www.facebook.com/jshehu1 for their thoughtful reflections and inspiring messages on the importance of dialogue, compassion, and coexistence.

Special thanks to Sena for doing a fantastic job as the MC and guiding the program throughout the evening.

We are also grateful to Furkan Çakın for his beautiful live music performance, which added a special atmosphere to the gathering.

Our appreciation goes to Siri Karm and Dina Zingaro for their meaningful closing remarks that helped conclude the evening with inspiring reflections.

A big thank you to the Peace Islands Institute Boston volunteers for their dedication and hard work in organizing this event. Your efforts made this evening possible.

We also appreciate the Repair the World members who organized the “Do Soup” jar packing activity during the event to support the Allston Brighton Food Pantry. It was wonderful to see community service and compassion in action alongside dialogue and fellowship.

Finally, thank you to everyone who joined us tonight. Your presence made the evening truly special.

03/11/2026

We were honored to welcome Massachusetts State Senator John F. Keenan to our Home Iftar Dinner this evening, hosted at the home of one of our community members.

Together with friends from our community, we gathered around the iftar table to break our fast and share meaningful conversations inspired by the mission and vision of Peace Islands Institute—building bridges of dialogue, friendship, and mutual understanding.

It was a warm and memorable evening filled with hospitality, thoughtful discussion, and a shared commitment to strengthening our community. We are grateful to Senator Keenan for taking the time to join us and for his support of initiatives that bring people from diverse backgrounds together.

03/09/2026

Interfaith Spring Holiday Celebration

Today we had a wonderful time at the Interfaith Spring Holiday Celebration at the Wayland Community Center. It was inspiring to see families, youth, and community members come together to learn about spring traditions from different faiths and cultures while celebrating the spirit of renewal and unity.

Participants created a beautiful “Spring Symbols Mural,” engaged in meaningful small group discussions, and listened to engaging storytelling from our speakers about how different communities celebrate renewal and new beginnings during the spring season.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our wonderful speakers who shared their traditions and stories:

• Cantor Hollis Schachner – Passover
• Catherine Kamara – Easter
• Emaan Tariq & Nusrah Azeez – Ramadan
• Amy Behrens & Bee Jacobs – Naw Ruz
• Pallavi Nagesha – Holi

One of the most meaningful moments of the evening was gathering together to break the fast for those observing Ramadan, followed by a shared meal and warm conversations around the tables.

As Peace Islands Institute Boston, we are very happy to be a partner of this beautiful community event together with Mosaic: Interfaith Youth Action and WaylandCAN. Events like this remind us how dialogue, friendship, and shared experiences can bring communities closer together.

Thank you to everyone who joined us today. We look forward to many more opportunities to build bridges across our communities.

03/08/2026

We had a beautiful evening at the Community Interfaith Iftar Dinner hosted at North Church in Woburn. It was truly inspiring to see neighbors from different faiths and backgrounds come together around the same table during the holy month of Ramadan.
The program began with warm welcoming remarks from Reverend Dr. Derek White (North Church Woburn), Benjamin Aysan (Peace Islands Institute Boston), and Chris DiMeo (Know Your Neighbor Woburn). Shortly after, we shared the call to prayer and broke our fast together.
During the program, our speakers reflected on the meaning of fasting in their traditions. Reverend Dr. Derek White shared insights about fasting in the Christian tradition, Rabbi Gary Davidson spoke about fasting in Jewish tradition, and Saida Abdalla delivered a thoughtful keynote on Ramadan and fasting in Islam.
Moments like these remind us how meaningful it is to listen to one another, learn from different traditions, and strengthen the bonds of friendship in our community.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the evening so special. We are grateful to our partners North Church of Woburn and Know Your Neighbor Woburn for hosting and supporting this meaningful gathering.
Together, we continue building bridges of understanding, respect, and lasting friendship.

03/02/2026

Tonight, we had an amazing Iftar gathering at Jack Satter House, and our hearts are truly full.

We are sincerely thankful for our partnership with the Jack Satter House community. Together with Rabbi Lior Nevo, we organized this wonderful iftar dinner, creating a meaningful evening of friendship, reflection, and togetherness.

A special thank you to Rabbi Lior Nevo for her inspiring keynote speech and to Jack Satter House Executive Director Caren Silverlieb for helping organize this beautiful event. We were also honored by the presence of City Council President Anthony T. Zambuto, City Council Vice-President Angela Guarino-Sawaya, and City Councilor Ira Novoselsky. Your support and warm words made the evening even more special.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Furkan Cakin for his beautiful live music performance and to the Coral Group JSH for their wonderful musical contributions that added warmth and joy to the evening.

Most importantly, thank you to the residents of Jack Satter House for welcoming us so warmly and for sharing this blessed evening with us. Your kindness and hospitality remind us why gatherings like this matter so much.

May our friendship continue to grow stronger, and may we continue building bridges of peace and dialogue around many more tables.