Namaste, and a warm welcome to Indian Cultural Society. I am glad you are interested in knowing more about ICS and will gladly guide you through our organization’s vision. I sincerely hope we meet your needs.

To give you a little background, ICS has grown from a relatively small group in 1999 to our current membership of 300 families. It is perfectly sized to retain an intimate, personal approach with each member (yes, we do know most of their names!), and yet large enough to have a positive impact within our social and cultural context.

We are an extremely diverse and welcoming group of families, truly a melting pot just like India’s cultural mix. And that is exactly how we like it. Through our diversity, ICS recognizes the need to instill key aspects of our culture in our youth, while simultaneously creating a safe environment for them to develop leadership skills for their future.

Hence ICS’s mission is multi-pronged:

• Our youth share and understand different cultural perspectives through our varied programs and events (e.g. Talent Show)
• Children contribute to building community relations and develop leadership qualities by participating in volunteer missions (e.g. Relay For Life)
• Mobilize the older children to assist in organizing every ICS event (e.g. NJ Cares)
• Community outreach programs to promote understanding and appreciation of Indian culture (e.g. Indian Dance workshops; Community Day)
• Adults are engaged in events too. We present thought-provoking plays, Ghazal nights, fundraisers, or fun trips (e.g. Fundraising Events; Atlantic City Trip)
• Above all, ICS acts as a fluid and open forum for all Indians to form close ties with each other and our local community (Annual Event)

If you are looking for an organization offering something for every member, you have come to the right place. I say with pride that, through the years, our commitment to being a relevant mission remains as strong as ever, and we consciously combine great entertainment with family and youth participation.

We hope to have you join this family soon and look forward to your participation.

Debjani Banerjee
ICS President