When Ramadan rolled around, ETA Charlie Cushman felt a little out of place at first. Why did everyone stop eating and drinking during the day? To learn more about this important tradition that his community observes, Charlie hosted an Iftar dinner for over 35 teachers and students from SMAN 1 Kalianda to engage in a night of interreligious dialogue, and, of course, delicious food.

Before the dinner, Charlie joined his community in fasting to understand the tradition better. On the morning of the event, Charlie ate breakfast at 4 a.m. before going with a friend from school to the local market to shop—Charlie was already hungry, but there were still 10 hours until dinner!

Charlie, his teacher friend, and her mom spent all day preparing dinner, and Charlie learned how to fry tempe, tofu, and prepare sambal.

After the guests arrived at Charlie’s house in the evening, the time had almost come to break the fast. Before that happened, though, Charlie shared about ways that Ramadan is celebrated in America. Next, a small panel of students and teachers shared how Ramadan is celebrated in Indonesia and common traditions that accompany it.

Finally, at the sound of the call to prayer at sunset, everyone broke their fast with a refreshing sip of water, followed by fruit punch, fruit, cakes, and the meal. Charlie and his guests learned so much from each other over the course of the night, and they were grateful to share a lovely meal together!

Charles Cushman is currently teaching at SMAN 1 Kalianda, Lampung Selatan.