Hundreds of residents of Islamic faith gathered at the North Bergen Public Library on Bergenline Avenue on Saturday to celebrate the cultures of Middle Eastern and North African nations. There were dance performances, a fashion show and food native to the various nations for people to enjoy.
The North Hudson Islamic Education Center partnered with the library for Saturday’s event. Among the performances were Freedom Dabka out of Brooklyn, a high energy group showing the culture of Palestine. The male group got the crowd going with several numbers, including one featuring a bagpipe.
Several colorful dance numbers from the all-female group representing the I Dance Studio of Brooklyn showed the cultures of numerous nations. Both groups were outstanding. North Bergen Library Director Sai Rao told Hudson TV that she likes to present these cultural performances at least twice a year to give Hudson County a taste of the many nationalities, in what is obviously, the biggest melting pot county in the nation.
The Islamic Center, for the first time, partnered with the library to bring Saturday’s event to the people. The also provided foods of the Middle East and Northern Africa for the celebration…enough food to feed approximately 500 attendees.
Mayor Nicholas Sacco also announced he was fulfilling a commitment to the Arabic cultures of North Bergen, announcing that a vacancy on the township’s Board of Education will be filled at the next meeting by Hamadi Bemgabsia, the Director of Cultural Outreach at the North Hudson Islamic Cultural Center, giving the Board of Trustees an Islamic member.
He also praised Director Rao for bringing so many different types of programs and events to the library’s three branches in her more than three decades on the job.
A Taste of India will be featured at the library’s downtown Kennedy Boulevard branch on May 6th.