Jews, Muslims, Christians join
to
celebrate relationships and Season of Light
Sunday, 17 December
2006
ABOUT CROSSING
OVER TO EACH OTHER
Our new author-friend in
Banks' 1995 book BROKEN BRIDGE wove an intricate
tapestry of events and emotions of both Jews and Arabs in the
In the very beginning, Lynne remembers Brian Keenan, a
Protestant from
In Spring, 1986, this young
teacher at
Keenan was finally released into Syrian custody in
1991 after long stretches of solitary confinement, punctuated by brutality and
deprivation.
These five years gave Keenan every reason to forever
reject Arabs and Muslims.
Seeking wisdom about people and conflicts, Lynne
Reid Banks, in BROKEN BRIDGE, draws from unexpected conclusions of Brian Keenan
in the five-year captive's own 1991 best-seller, EVIL CRADLING:
"There
are those who 'cross the Jordan' and seek out truth through a different
experience from the one they are born to, and theirs is the greatest
struggle...For here is the real conflict by which we move to manhood (and woman
hood) and maturity.
"...Unless we know how to embrace 'the other', we are not men (and women),
and our nationhood is willful and adolescent. Those who struggle through
the turbulent
"The rest remain standing on either bank, firing guns at one
another."
Let us determine, person by person,
to "cross the
May these stories -- http://traubman.igc.org/story.htm
-- from different people and places remind us that we are not alone.
In our courage.
In our increasing understanding of One.
In each soul's oldest memory --
union.
In each soul's deepest longing --
reunion.
The Third Bay Area Palestinian-Jewish Dialogue
Season of Light Gathering was Sunday, December 3rd, 2006.
A hundred Muslims, Jews and Christians gathered
in
They celebrated sustained relationship building over
14 years, with the oldest group preparing for its 176th meeting.
There were 10 round tables of ten youth and adults
in noisy conversation -- Palestinian citizens of
A 40-foot table was full of everyone's most delicious
recipes.
The Jews and Arabs left $3,333 to assist three
Everyone sneak-previewed short segments of two soon-to-be-released
documentary films by the Dialogue, meant to inspire citizens -- youth and
adults -- to continue crossing divides and building bridges that are needed, if
change is to happen.
DIALOGUE AT
Fifty 10th grade
students become more human and grow closer in the classroom. In pairs,
they tell their personal stories uninterrupted, being heard with a new quality
of listening. In the beginning, a Palestinian and a Jew from a local
Dialogue serve as exemplars to share their own stirring personal
narratives. The students reveal their hopeful amazement at having
experienced a new way of communication for life. (about
45 minutes)
PEACEMAKERS: Palestinians and
Jews Together at Camp
In September, 2005, 140 Jews and Palestinians of all ages from North American
and the Middle East lived together in a resident camp in California -- Oseh Shalom ~ Sanea al-Salam Palestinian-Jewish Family Peacemakers Camp.
They met cautiously and learned to communicate and live life together in new
ways. With community and staff support, they ate, shared life stories and
values, confronted difficult issues, studied, sang, danced, recreated in
nature, and experienced ceremony together. Most participants changed and
grew closer. (90 minutes)
The Arabs and Jews lighted candles
around a globe of Earth in a partially lighted room.
Women and men expressed wishes and blessings to usher
in the Season of Light and new year of unprecedented
compassion and creativity.
This is about three congregations meeting each other
in
The motto of the Islamic Society of Frederick -- http://isfmd.org/ -- is:
The Jewish community of Beth Sholom
Congregation -- http://bethsholomfrederick.org/
-- have their own theme:
Congregation Kol Ami -- http://kolamifrederick.org/
-- is inspired by a student rabbi and shares the sanctuary of a neighbor
Unitarian Universalist Church.
Together, with courage and vision, these three
congregations brought together about 100 Jews and Muslims to share holidays.
"I thought it's a dream coming true,"
said Palestinian Imam Yahya Hendi
( YMH@Georgetown.edu ) who has publicly called for
dialogue among Muslims and Jews locally, nationally, and internationally.
"You have to start somewhere. You have to
start small. You can't start big," said student rabbi Dan Sikowitz ( Rabbi@KolAmiFrederick.org
).
"Hopefully this will provide a model for
the Middle East," added Imam Hendi, who says much more at:
Here is their full story.
Published in the Frederick (MD) News-Post -- Saturday, 16 December 2006
On the Web at http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=54909
Jews, Muslims join for winter
celebration
Hanukkah-Hajj event brings together members of both faiths
By Geoffrey D. Brown
News-Post Staff
FREDERICK -- A dialogue between Muslims and Jews
reached its first major milestone as members of Frederick County's two Jewish
congregations and the Islamic Society of Frederick broke bread together and
shared their cultures at a joint holiday celebration last week.
"It was wonderful," said Andy Carpel, president of Beth Sholom Congregation. "All my members said they had a
great time."
About 100 people attended the joint Hanukkah-Hajj
celebration Thursday at the Lynfield Event Complex on
"I thought it's a dream coming true," said
the Islamic Society of Frederick's imam, Yahya Hendi, who has publicly called for dialogue among Muslims
and Jews locally, nationally, and internationally.
Student rabbi Dan Sikowitz
of Congregation Kol Ami said he was delighted with
the turnout, and he looks forward to joint outreach programs among the three
congregations.
"You have to start somewhere. You have to start
small. You can't start big."
"I was surprised at how laid-back it was,"
said Jamie Hendi, president of Congregation Kol Ami. "Everybody was very friendly and very warm.
There was a good vibe in the room." Ms. Hendi is
no relation to Imam Hendi.
Especially touching was the way children of members of
the congregations immediately warmed to each other and made friends,
participants said. Children of all ages played together, sat and drew pictures
together, and, in a few cases, ran cheerfully amok.
"The kids looked like they were enjoying each
other," Mr. Carpel said. "The parents, too, they were just as kind as
they could be."
The get-together was the result of months of talks
among members of the three congregations and others. Imam Hendi
and members of the Islamic Society of Frederick have been eager to engage
Christian and Jewish congregations, and have held a number of joint
celebrations, dinners, and holiday observances, both at their masjid, or mosque, on
Imam Hendi has been on a
public mission to educate Americans about Islam, and he repeatedly stresses the
ties of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, the world's major monotheistic
religions that each trace their roots to Abraham.
Thursday's celebration was especially poignant because
it not only brought together Jews and Muslims in celebration, but also
established stronger ties between
Congregation Kol Ami is a
much newer, Reform Jewish congregation, led by Mr. Sikowitz,
who looks forward to his ordination in
Members of both congregations have had contact with
members of the Islamic Society of Frederick, and participants from all
congregations stressed that the beginning of a dialogue at the
Still, participants said they hoped the development of
bonds here can touch the world beyond
"The Arab-Israeli conflict should not jeopardize
the relationship of Jews and Muslims in the