It’s a Monday evening in Crown Heights. After a humid heat wave for the past couple of weeks, it’s one of the cooler, more pleasant nights of the month. I enter an apartment complex to take the elevator up to the rooftop, having no idea about the beautiful, breathtaking views of Brooklyn and Manhattan that I am about to have dinner with.

This is the setting for The Gathering Table, an intimate, community focused supper club hosted by the talented Zainab Saeed. I refuse to define Zainab by her current day job, but will do so by what fuels her passion - she is a loving friend and daughter who shows that love through cooking and feeding others. On top of that, all of the profits from the supper club will be going towards funding the education of a Palestinian student from Gaza.

Zainab’s goal for this supper club was not only to finesse her creative cooking prowess, but to make good, artisanal food accessible to all walks of life. She made it clear she would never charge more than $50 for a seat at her very welcoming table. In a city like New York City, where income inequality and the cost of living are paramount, it is heartwarming to know such ventures are being pursued.

The Gathering Table guest list consisted of incredibly accomplished women of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent. The night was filled with conversations stemming from people’s careers, passions, childhood memories (the dinner menu was designed after the mysterious foods from cartoons - I ate a Krabby Patty that was absolutely delicious!) and more. It was so nice to experience and witness a group of strangers, especially women, who were connected in a multitude of ways.

However one of the things that set some guests apart was visa status - even the chef. As a first generation American, it was eye opening to see up close, the effects of immigration status in the US and how hard it can be for those vying to stay in the states. Zainab’s passion might be cooking but she really cannot pursue the culinary arts professionally in America, as she is sponsored by her corporate job. With her visa status, she is unable to be paid for any kind of work she would want to do at a restaurant or bakery. I strongly admire anyone who comes to this country with goals, little support and deals with the stressors of living in uncertainty. As a woman of color, I want to see all of us win and this just highlights not only the discrepancy of privilege, but also how much strength we can truly possess.

At the end of the night, it felt like a quintessential New York City experience - so much diversity amongst a group of women, who were still all connected in just as many ways as we were different. I hope everyone gets to have an experience like this - to feel such a strong sense of belonging, while also gaining new perspectives, which fosters even more connection. Community is truly key in this life and it is always heartwarming to see efforts to create community in spaces that aren’t always so easy to thrive in.