January Naturalization Ceremony

Twenty nine area residents representing 18 different countries became American citizens Jan. 3 after the Naturalization Ceremony in U.S. District Court in Toledo. CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE PHOTO, START SLIDESHOW.

Enlarge | Buy This Photo New U.S. citizen Rima Adel Abu-Hamdan, from Lebanon, holds her son Adam Abu-Hamdan ,2, today while her ... THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

Enlarge | Buy This Photo New U.S. citizens Rima Adel Abu-Hamdan, left, from Lebanon, Osama Jawdat Al Souqui, center, from Jordan, and Ragheb ... THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Judge Jeff Helmick speaks to the new citizens. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Martin Ginting, left, from Indonesia, accepts his certificate of citizenship from Judge Jeff Helmick, right. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Edisson Flores holds his son Jeremy Flores, 2, while he tries to take a picture of his wife Lizandra Flores,... THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Liliane Oliveira Pinheiro, from Brazil, has tears in her eyes as she says the Pledge of Allegiance. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Shadi Zahedi, originally from Iran, left, Hesham Moris Ibrahim Youssef, from Epypt, center, and Tia Weber, from Georgia, right, are ... THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Hesham Moris Ibrahim Youssef, from Epypt, center, and Tia Weber, from Georgia, right, are sworn in by Judge Jeff Helmick. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Keynote speaker Misha Jacob-Warren addresses the audience. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT