Bay Ridge’s Fifth Avenue aglow to celebrate
Ramadan, marking new nabe tradition
BY JESSICA PARKS
Bay Ridge’s Fifth Avenue is aglow
in lights to celebrate Ramadan for the
fi rst time, which the display’s organizers
hope will honor the large Muslim
population in the diverse southern
Brooklyn nabe.
“We have the largest Arabic-speaking
population in New York City,” said
Amanda Zenteno, executive director of
the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business
Improvement District, who coordinated
the Ramadan lighting. “It’s a huge part
of who we are here on Fifth Avenue.”
Ramadan began earlier this week,
and the extravagant light display will
light the 20-block span from 65th street
to 85th street through the holy month.
Lights have become a staple of the
neighborhood, and glow in the area
each December — including when locals
fundraised to continue the tradition
as the pandemic threatened to
turn the lights out.
Now, the lights make their return
during warmer months to honor Brooklyn’s
signifi cant Muslim population.
“You see a lot of holiday lights
across New York City for Christmas,”
Zenteno said. “Making sure our community
was represented And feeling
COURIER L 8 IFE, APRIL 23-29, 2021
like they can celebrate together, to me
it was an absolute necessity.”
A cadre of elected offi cials and organizations
— including City Councilmember
Justin Brannan, Borough
President Eric Adams, Investors Bank,
Balady Market, and the Bay Ridge
Fifth Avenue BID — banded together
to mark the holiday and make the light
show possible.
“I am thankful to celebrate the Holy
Month of Ramadan representing one of
the largest and longest-standing Muslim
communities in the United States
right here in Brooklyn! Our neighborhood
is all about traditions new and old
and I was lucky to be a part of making
this one a reality,” said Brannan, who
represents Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights
and Bensonhurst. “This year, I join
with all Muslim Americans across our
city to focus on refl ection, forgiveness,
patience, compassion for those less fortunate,
and resilience during these
challenging times.”
The Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue BID
organized the effort to put up Ramadan
lights throughout the month last
year, but the effort was halted when
shutdowns due to the pandemic forbid
most out-of-home activity — including
hanging lights for Ramadan.
“We had tried last year to do it, and
because it happened right in the middle
of the pandemic closure,” Zenteno
said, “we had everything ready to go
for the lighting setup but they weren’t
able to come out because they weren’t
essential services.”
Zenteno hopes the Ramadan lights
will also lead into the celebration of a variety
of holidays on the avenue to represent
the diversity of their neighborhood.
“We really want to continue this
pattern of celebrating more culturally
signifi cant events in our community,”
said Zenteno, “and this is where we
had to start, it had to be Ramadan.”
Residents and patrons also commemorated
the holiday by shopping
at a range of Fifth Avenue businesses
owned by Islamic Brooklynites — such
as Urban Modesty, Yemeni Cafe, Belady
Supermarket, Le’Jemalik Salon
and Boutique, and many more.
“I really encourage people to come
out and be part of our community,”
Zenteno said. “People who want to support
the community, Fifth Avenue is
a great place to come do it. There is
a huge variety of food and retail and
things, and it really would make you
feel like you are a part of it all.”
Lights are strung from 65th to 85th Streets to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan.
Councilmember Justin Brannan’s offi ce