On a Tuesday night at J.R. Tucker High School in Richmond, Virginia, parents and faculty guided students as they put final touches on simple tablescapes and two buffet tables. Last-minute stragglers carrying trays of food were directed to one of two tables: dates and other snacks to break the day’s Ramadan fast over here, bigger plates for dinner over there.
I walked in with a large tray of keema thahari, a rice and spiced ground beef dish, but minus my own son, a junior at a different school, who had chosen to stay home because he was feeling under the weather and wanted to conserve energy to finish his fast. Minutes later a student called the “adhan” (call to prayer) in the far side of the commons area, and students lined up to grab a date and some snacks and break their fast.
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