New Project: Documenting the founding of the major Islamic Institutions in Northern NJ

Al-Ghazaly school in 1989

From Islamic schools, marriages and funerals, to communal Eid prayers and Ramadan Iftars, the Islamic institutions of northern New Jersey play a major role in the daily lives of thousands of Muslims. But who founded these institutions? And what were the challenges that they faced in establishing them? 

This project will tell the fascinating stories of the founders of a few of the most impactful and influential Islamic centers. These people worked behind the scenes to ensure that the Muslim communities needs are met, rarely accepting credit and putting themselves in the spotlight. As I’ve dug a little deeper into some of the stories, a few themes have emerged. The first of which is the formation of the state of Israel.  Almost all of the founders have immigrated to the United States and were deeply impacted by either the creation of Israel in 1948 or the Six Day War in 1967. The second theme is survival. While some of them were doctors and imported their degrees from overseas, others were barely struggling to make ends meet. Many of them worked multiple jobs and were juggling work, family, community work, all while feeling home sick. They were from different countries, and despite their cultural differences worked together towards a common goal to establish a Muslim presence in this country.

This project is an effort to document not just institutions themselves, but the people behind them. It will weave together around 10 different people’s stories to show us what determination, perseverance, and long term vision can accomplish. What were their values and priorities? What were the challenges they faced? Who were they? The young Muslim generation of today is in the process of obtaining the reins to these institutions, and we would like this project to document the original intention of these institutions by their founders.  These founders are reaching their old age, and their stories must be documented.  We would also love for this project to inspire other communities across the country to document the stories of their respective founders.