In Kalamazoo, Michigan:
Sunday, January 30, 2005 over 500
Muslims, Christians and Jews -- youth and elders, women and men -- packed
the auditorium at Western Michigan University, with the intention of the
diverse community organizers to begin citywide Sustained Dialogue in Kalamazoo
in the weeks following the day's performance.
The tone was set by "The Children of Abraham
Project," one of America's stunning theatrical presentations created
and performed by Muslim, Jewish and Christian youth of Detroit, Michigan.
"This is a reality that says that we are one,
that we are not separated by fear, that we can be deeply related and we can be
drawn together by love," said Thomas Beech, president and CEO of the
Fetzer Institute, which helped bring the performance to Kalamazoo.
Microphones were opened for spontaneous audience
responses, in a spirit of goodwill and speaking from personal experience.
"It planted the seeds of peace," said Rabbi
Stephen Forstein of the Temple B'nai Israel in Kalamazoo.
"So much love, so much caring," he said.
"So much bringing together of adult resources to enable these young
people to open up, to free up these young people to tell their stories first to
one another and then to us."
A fellow panelist, a Palestinian with roots in
the West Bank, said, "Until today I had never sat next to a rabbi. I
have never shaken a rabbi's hand."
The two then leaned toward one another and they
shook hands, as the audience clapped and cheered.
The day was the result of unprecedented, new
cooperation between previously separated communities.
The audience included several dozen counselors from
12 North American camps that welcome Jewish and Palestinian youth --
Muslims, Christians and Jews -- to learn to relate in new ways. The teen
and older leaders were in Kalamazoo for their first-even meeting, traveling
from Ramallah, Jenin, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and the U.S. and Canada, described
at:
"Children of Abraham Project stresses shared
heritage among Jews, Christians, Muslims" was the banner in The
Kalamazoo Gazette, where you can read the full article at:
In Kansas City, Kansas:
The same Sunday in Kansas City, KS, large numbers of the
children of Abraham also wanted to come together.
The photo inscription with Monday's newspaper
report read: "Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff (left) and Ahmed el-Sherif embraced
Sunday at the Salaam Shalom Celebration, an interfaith dinner in Leawood for
Christians, Muslims and Jews. About 500 people attended"
Published in the Kansas City (Kansas) Star -- Mon,
Jan. 31, 2005
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/10775308.htm?1c
Interfaith dinner shows a path to peace
By KARA COWIE The Kansas City Star
When Susan Bamford walked into Sunday night's Salaam
Shalom Celebration in Leawood, she expected to receive a lesson in
diversity. What she walked away with was far more powerful.
It dawned on me; we're all more alike than
different, Bamford said.
Over heaping plates of hummus, a mix of Muslims, Jews
and Christians discovered the same thing.
About 500 attended the first-time event that
organizers called a gathering of peace-loving individuals who believe quite
simply that the long-lasting road to peace is built by developing
relationships and understanding between people of different cultures.
The sold-out celebration, led by Gayle Krigel (
GKrigel@kc.rr.com ), Mahnaz Shabbir ( Mahnaz@shabbiradvisors.com ) and Nick
Awad ( Awad@earthlink.com ), was modeled after a hafla, or party, that takes
place every year in Israel to blend different faiths while breaking bread.
Individuals, not organizations, planned the event. They hope to hold many more.
The name comes from the word peace in Arabic, Salaam,
and Hebrew, Shalom. Organizers chose those words to show this is a celebration
of peace not speeches, politics or fund raising, said Eric Morgenstern.
U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore of Kansas said the
celebration gives him hope for the future.
If we can focus on the fact we're all human beings
and we're all in it together, we can do it better, Moore said. Let's all
remember, let there be peace on earth and let it start with us.
Ken Sonnenschein ( KSonshine@earthlink.net ), a Jew
from Overland Park, also has high hopes for peace.
You make incredible changes in bringing people
together, he said. From a small spark you can produce a large flame. This
is the flame that leads to freedom.
Mohammad Hussain, a Muslim from Overland Park, agreed.
It's a great gathering, he said. I think we need
more of these to make a difference in the world.
To reach Kara Cowie, call (816) 234-7737 or e-mail KCowie@kcstar.com .