NEW JERSEY — It’s one of the most sacred times of the year for Muslim residents in New Jersey and other parts of the world: Ramadan.

This year, advocates have been reaching out to New Jersey residents and elected officials in an attempt to share some understanding about the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan takes place on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on lunar cycles, so the exact dates change every year. In 2025, Ramadan is expected to begin on Feb. 28 or March 1, and end on March 30 or March 31.

New Jersey has one of the largest percentages of Muslim residents in the nation. The state celebrated its first official “Muslim Heritage Month” last year after Democratic and Republican lawmakers unanimously supported a resolution in 2023.

“Ramadan is one of the most sacred times of the year for Muslims, marked by fasting, prayer and reflection,” explained Nancy Elbassiouny, government affairs manager with the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ).

Unfamiliar with the holiday? The nonprofit has released a guide to “Understanding Ramadan and Eid,” which can be seen online here.

According to CAIR-NJ:

“Fasting from dawn to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, with Muslims refraining from food, drink and other physical needs during daylight hours. The fast is broken each evening with a meal called Iftar, often shared with family, friends and community. Eid ul-Fitr, or the ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast,’ is the celebration immediately after the conclusion of Ramadan. It is a joyous occasion of gratitude, family gatherings and community engagement.”

“As Muslims across New Jersey and the nation prepare for Ramadan, we hope this guide will help elected officials connect with their Muslim constituents in a meaningful and respectful way,” Elbassiouny said. “It’s important for our leaders to foster inclusivity by acknowledging this holy month and the joyous holiday of Eid ul-Fitr.”

Celebrations in New Jersey this year have included a large gathering in Paterson, which is represented by three Muslim city council members, in addition to events in dozens of other towns and cities.

Searching for a local place of worship in New Jersey? CAIR-NJ has created an interactive Masjid map that includes more than 150 mosques. Islamic schools that have a separate Musallah that is attended are included. View it online here.

EID AND NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS

Is Eid an excused absence for New Jersey students? According to CAIR-NJ, all Muslim students attending any New Jersey public school can currently receive an excused absence using a note from a religious leader or masjid to observe Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The group has also pushed for recognition for Eid as a holiday by closing public schools in New Jersey districts with high percentages of Muslim students.

Several districts in the state are already ahead of the curve. Eid has recently been added as a school holiday in districts including Newark, Hillsborough, East Brunswick, Holmdel and Moorestown.

WELL WISHES FOR 2025

Several elected officials and groups in New Jersey have offered greetings of “Ramadan Mubarak” on social media. As seen online:

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New Jersey will be well represented when the National Women’s Soccer League’s 2025 season begins.

Of the 13 players with ties to New Jersey, Utah has three: Paige Monaghan from Roxbury, Emily Gray of Sewell, and Rutgers alumna Madison Pogarch.

Gotham FC, however, whose front office is on the Jersey City waterfront and shares the Red Bulls’ training facility in Hanover, doesn’t have any players who grew up in the Garden State.

Washington defeated Orlando in a shootout in the Challenge Cup on March 7, a rematch of last season’s finale. The regular season kicks off on Friday.

Meet the 13 NWSL players with New Jersey roots:

North Jersey

Paige Monaghan, Roxbury

Utah Royals F

▪ A former All-Daily Record soccer Player of the Year at Roxbury, Monaghan signed a three-year contract extension with Utah on Jan. 7. A six-year NWSL veteran who also played for Gotham FC and Racing Louisville, Monaghan became the 100th NWSL player to notch 100 career NWSL appearances in a 1-0 loss back home against Gotham on Sep. 22.

Paige’s Posse: Morris soccer alumna gets warm welcome in NJ return with Racing Louisville

San Diego Wave M/D

▪ Selected by the Reign in the 2017 draft out of Virginia, McNabb had two goals and two assists in 76 matches. She moved to San Diego in the expansion draft in December 2021. McNabb, 30, has appeared in 69 matches with the Wave over three seasons.

More: NWSL vet Kristen McNabb back home in New Jersey as Gotham hosts San Diego

Central Jersey

Danielle Colaprico, Freehold Township

Houston Dash M

▪ Selected ninth by Chicago in 2015, Colaprico was voted the NWSL Rookie of the Year. She was loaned to Adelaide United and Sydney FC in Australia for three total seasons. After five goals and 11 assists in over a decade with Chicago and San Diego, Colaprico signed a two-year deal with Houston on Jan. 21.

▪ A Red Bank Catholic and Virginia alumna, Colaprico graduated as the Cavaliers’ all-time leader in assists (44) and appearances (100).

Alana Cook, Far Hills

Kansas City Current D

▪ Cook signed with Paris-St. Germain out of college, transferring to OL Reign in June 2021. She played 65 matches in Seattle, and was traded to Kansas City in mid-July. Cook, 27, started all 12 matches in KC.

▪ Cook has a goal and two assists in 29 caps with the United States women’s national team since her debut in November 2019.

▪ The 2015 NSCAA High School Scholar Player of the Year at Pennington, Cook was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year at Stanford. A first team All-America as a senior, Cook had five goals and seven assists in 93 starts.

Jylissa Harris, Hazlet

Houston Dash D

▪ Selected by Houston with the 22nd overall pick in January 2023, she appeared in 21 matches over two seasons. Harris signed a new, two-year deal.

▪ A center back at South Carolina, Harris set the NCAA Division-I record for all-time minutes (9,395). She is No. 1 at South Carolina and third all-time with 107 games played. Harris led Red Bank Catholic in goals as a freshman, sophomore and junior, totaling 40 goals and 26 assists.

Emily Mason, Flemington/Rutgers

Seattle Reign D

▪ Mason was the Reign’s first collegiate signing after the NWSL eliminated its draft, inking a one-year deal. She had six goals and seven assists in 82 appearances at Rutgers, helping win the program’s first Big Ten title in 2021. She was a Big Ten first-team honoree in 2022 and 2024.

▪ Mason was named the 2019-20 Gatorade National Player of the Year at Hunterdon Central and won the New Jersey award in 2020 and 2021. She helped Hunterdon Central win the 2019 Group IV title.

▪ Mason was named to the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship Best XI as the United States earned seven straight shutouts en route to gold.

Casey Murphy, Bridgewater/Rutgers

North Carolina Courage G

▪ This will be Murphy’s fifth season with the Courage. She has 44 shutouts in 118 appearances, and is the team’s all-time wins leader.

▪ The tallest female goalkeeper in USWNT history at 6-foot-1, Murphy was undefeated with seven shutouts in her first nine starts, and now has 15 clean sheets in 20 appearances. She was the backup on the USWNT’s gold-medal Olympic team, but did not play.

▪ Rutgers’ career shutout leader, Murphy was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and first team All-Big Ten in 2017. She was the 13th overall pick after that season, but signed with Montpellier in France instead of Sky Blue. Named the league’s top goalkeeper, Murphy returned home and signed with Reign in May 2019.

Madison Pogarch, Rutgers

Utah Royals D

▪ Pogarch, 27, spent four seasons in Portland and two in San Diego (93 appearances) before signing with Utah prior to the 2024 season. She played 1,884 minutes in 24 regular-season matches.

▪ Pogarch was born and raised in Michigan, transferring to Rutgers for her senior season in 2018 after three years at Central Michigan. She started all 19 matches and was named third team All Big Ten.

Casey Phair, Warren Township

Angel City F

▪ Phair, 17, signed with Angel City in January 2024, and played 24 minutes as a sub in a Summer Cup match against Bay FC.

▪ Born in South Korea, her family relocated to the United States when she was a month old and settled in New Jersey in 2020. Phair had 25 goals and seven assists in 18 matches as a Pingry freshman.

Emma Sears, New Brunswick

Racing Louisville F

▪ A three-time All-Big Ten honoree, Sears had 25 goals and 15 assists in 83 matches over five seasons at Ohio State. Drafted 28th overall by Louisville in 2024, she set the club record with five goals in 26 appearances (12 starts) as a rookie.

▪ Born in New Brunswick, Sears moved to England and California before the family settled in Dublin, Ohio, before her freshman year in high school.

South Jersey

Emily Gray, Sewell

Utah Royals M

▪ Drafted by North Carolina third overall in 2022, she had two assists in three matches. Her 2023 season was cut short by an ACL injury. Traded to Utah in November 2023, Gray made two appearances before being loaned to Odense Boldklub Q in the Danish Kvindeliga for the remainder of the 2024 season.

▪ Gray had 34 goals and 43 assists in three seasons for Washington Township. Second all-time in points, Gray helped Virginia Tech earn three NCAA Tournament berths.

Brittany Ratcliffe, Williamstown

Washington Spirit F

▪ Known for wearing a bright orange hair bow, Ratcliffe has 11 goals in 107 appearances with Boston, Kansas City, Utah, Carolina and Washington. The 31-year-old appeared in her 100th career NWSL match on Nov. 2 against Carolina

▪ Ratcliffe played at Paul VI, then the University of Virginia.

Riley Tiernan, Voorhees/Rutgers

Angel City F

▪ Tiernan signed a two-year contract with Angel City on March 3, after spending preseason on trial. Her older sister, Madison, had five goals in 42 appearances for Gotham from 2017-20.

▪ Tiernan is Rutgers’ all-time record holder with 34 career assists, and also scored 19 goals. She is a four-time All Big Ten honoree. Tiernan also ranks first at Eastern Regional with 85 assists and third with 85 goals. She helped Eastern win the 2018 Group IV title.

As the 2025 campaign season starts to heat up, a Republican in the New Jersey governor’s race says he could take the fight against New York City congestion pricing to another level. 

Republican Jack Ciattarelli, the former assemblyman who narrowly lost the 2021 race to Gov. Phil Murphy, says New Yorkers should pay to enter the Garden State while congestion pricing is in effect. 

“Why should New Jerseyans pay for the MTA?”

“If President Trump is not successful in getting rid of congestion pricing, I’m sorry but every New York plate that comes through the tunnels or over the bridges in the morning to New Jersey, we’re going to hit them with a congestion pricing fee,” he said. “Why should New Jerseyans pay for the MTA? I’ll get New Yorkers to pay for New Jersey Transit.”   

Ciattarelli, appearing Sunday on CBS News New York’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer,” said another one of his priorities would be overhauling the state’s transportation agencies.

“I do want to form the Garden State Transportation Authority. Put every one of our mass transit systems under one roof, with one overseeing board,” he said. “That means the Turnpike, the Parkway, New Jersey Transit, the Atlantic City Expressway, gas tax revenues. Let’s put it all under one roof. Let’s get a new management structure there and let’s see what we can do.”

Click here to watch Ciattarelli’s full interview.

Mamdani running for NYC mayor

Democratic New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, from Queens, surged into second place in some New York City mayor’s race polls before former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams entered the race. 

Mamdani told CBS News New York he does not believe Cuomo’s entry was a major shake-up on the Democratic side. 

“I think Andrew Cuomo’s arrival has long been rumored and I’m frankly happy that he’s in the race, because it’s an opportunity to say that New Yorkers already have one person in power who has cut Medicaid and stolen money from the MTA, who has hounded women that have credibly accused them of sexual harassment, who has claimed to be fighting for working class New Yorkers, while showering rich donors with tax breaks. And that’s Donald Trump. But Andrew Cuomo has the same record as the disgraced former governor of this state, and him being in the race means he has to finally answer as to why that’s his record and why we should believe anything would be different this time around,” Mamdani said.

Other candidates include Curtis Sliwa, City Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer and, presumably, Mayor Eric Adams.

Click here to watch Mamdani’s full interview.

Mark Prussin

contributed to this report.