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We feasted on hearty bowls of soup, silky hummus topped with falafel, a shawarma wrap and a medley of delicious olives.

“Many were not here in 2015. You have falafel, shawarma - many shops for Syrian food. It was a comfortable, safe place for Syrians…” But now the mood is darkening.

Sitting nearby is Mahmoud Al Khozondr, who before the war had run his family’s renowned hummus and falafel shop in Gaza.

Hidden in the rubble were the falafel restaurant whose owner learned his trade over the border in Acre, Israel; the sweets shop; the stationary store that was a one-stop shop for kids returning to school.

In the last five years, the nonprofit found, California school districts have added 41 new vegan dishes to their menus, including chana masala bowls, vegan tamales, and falafel wraps.