This picture is not some random image we copied from the Internet. It is the actual picture of the moon on the night of September 5th, 2009 (Ramadan 15th, 1430) as captured by EAS volunteer photographer, Dr. Sherif Danish.

The stars must have aligned on this evening to make our Ramadan Iftar a perfect event. Turn-out was amazing, food was delicious, and harmony was the name of the game.
 
As previously reported, we were a little shy of 150 participants, some 25 of whom were very excited and exuberant kids. Thanks to the excellent layout of the Beresford Community Center in San Mateo, our little angels were able to spread in the nearby enclosed playground, leaving some time for their parents to break their fast and enjoy some decent adult conversation.
 
Tye the Magic Guy also helped by providing a half hour of magic show that captured the young - as well as some of the not so young - audience as evidenced by the event's pictures.
 
None of this would have been possible without the kindness and generosity of our community members, their astounding cooking skills, and their genuine desire to come together - regardless of their religious affiliation - to celebrate one of the most typical aspects of Egyptian culture. Attendees came all the way from Sacramento, San Rafael, Albany, Danville, Emeryville, Moraga, San Jose, and Monterey to name just a few.

 

Move over Julie & Julia, Make room for Nagiba & Hoda!
 
Hats-off to Nagiba Fouad and Hoda Hassan who spent the better part of the evening in the kitchen, heating food, cleaning pots and pans, and making sure that their own recipe of mouth-watering lentil soup is served to everyone just minutes after the sunset (Maghreb) call for prayer.
 
Hussein Mostafa, Rasha Desouki, Dina & Khaled El-Tawansy, Amany & Adel Ghanem, Azza Sanadidi, Nelly Hassanein, Adam Atito, along with numerous young men and women whose names are too many to list all pitched in to help with every detail from table set up and food serving to tea preparation and assembly room clean-up.
 
Two accomplished software engineers:  Hany Abdel Aty (violinist) and Sameh Michaiel (EAS Vice President and Master Rek player) concluded the evening with popular Middle-Eastern music and a "Name that Tune" contest, along with special prizes and awards. Their performance was so much fun, that the EAS has already added them as most valuable assets on the organization's balance sheet.
 
And the Donors are...
 

A trillion thanks - a million is not enough by today's standards - to the following individuals for their generous donations: