“Our Hearts Are in Nepal”: Jersey City Officials, Nepali Community Hold Vigil for Flood Victims
Community members gather for a candlelight vigil for flood victims and people reported missing in Nepal on Saturday at Jersey City Hall Park in Jersey City, N.J. Photo by Rajan Kafle for NepYork
Elected officials from Jersey City, Hudson County, and the New Jersey Legislature joined members of the Nepali community Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil at Jersey City Hall Park, offering prayers for the people missing after catastrophic flooding in Nepal.
The gathering focused on those still unaccounted for and on families awaiting information as search-and-rescue operations continued in the Nepal-Tibet border region.
New Jersey Assemblywoman Katie Brennan, Hudson County Commissioner Yraida Aponte-Lipski, Jersey City Ward C Councilman Tom Zuppa, Ward E Councilwoman Eleana Little, and Councilman-at-Large Rolando R. Lavarro attended the event and addressed participants.
Former Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski opened the program with a prayer for missing individuals, their families, rescue workers, and communities affected by the disaster.
Pradeep Pariyar Thapa, who served as a speaker throughout the program, urged participants to remain hopeful as rescue efforts continue.
Zuppa spoke about Jersey City’s ties to its Nepali community and expressed support for families affected by the flooding. Lavarro described the candles held by participants as symbols of remembrance and hope.
Brennan joined attendees in praying for those who remain missing. Little discussed the vulnerability of countries such as Nepal to major natural disasters and acknowledged the fundraising and relief efforts underway in the community. Aponte-Lipski also offered prayers for missing people and their families.
Dr. Bishnu Maya Pariyar, a member of the Jersey City Women’s Advisory Board, founding president of Women for Cause, and co-founder of the Jersey City Nepali Community, thanked the elected officials and residents who attended.
“Our hearts are in Nepal. Nepal is crying, and we all are crying,” Pariyar said.
For many Nepalis living in New Jersey, the flooding has brought uncertainty as they follow rescue operations and try to contact relatives and friends in Nepal.
Sherry Singh, a member of the Jersey City Women’s Advisory Board, called for continued support for those affected by the flooding. Rajendra Shrestha, founder and CEO of ARC for Nepal, discussed fundraising efforts and the need for long-term aid, particularly for children who lost parents in the disaster.
Krishna Adhikari, president of the NRNA New Jersey Chapter, delivered closing remarks and thanked elected officials and residents for attending.
Nepal has reported 781 deaths and 2,502 people missing as of Sunday, while more than 9,435 people have been rescued, according to figures. Participants prayed that rescue workers would locate additional survivors and that families would receive news about missing relatives.
The vigil was hosted by the Jersey City Nepali Community with support from the City of Jersey City and the Jersey City Women’s Advisory Board.
