February 2007 Issue

1. Message from the Co-Directors
2. Dialogue of Faiths, Meeting of Minds
3. e-Community Forum
4. Announcements and Resources

1. Message from the Co-Directors

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Center for Jewish-Muslim Relations e-Newsletter.  As a participant of a CJMR sponsored dialogue, we hope this monthly newsletter would provide you insight into the activities of CJMR as well as provide you information about activities and views promoting Jewish-Muslim relations in Massachusetts and beyond.  Our intent in creating this newsletter is to offer a forum where your questions and views can be shared with a larger audience and to tackle complicated issues in an enlightened and respectful manner.  We encourage you to share this e-newsletter with your family and friends and look forward to seeing you in a future dialogue event.

In peace,
David Dolev and Salma Kazmi

2. Dialogue of Faiths, Meeting of Minds

Rabbis and Imams representing ten congregations from metro-Boston are engaged in a series of dialogues sponsored by the Center for Jewish Muslim Relations.  Through the dialogue series the religious leaders share their faiths’ teachings and texts.  Rabbi Moshe Waldoks of Temple Beth Zion in Brookline and Imam Basyouny Nehela of the Islamic Society of Boston in Cambridge shared their experience and vision for these dialogues with CJMR.To initiate a Jewish-Muslim dialogue group in your community, please contact us at ddolev @jewishmuslim.org or skazmi @jewishmuslim.org

CJMR:  Why do you participate in the Rabbi-Imam dialogues? What value do you see in them?
Rabbi Waldoks:  These dialogues do not have an agenda, but instead focus on the commitment to keep talking with each other.  There is hope in these dialogues – we have the advantage of having the unique experience in the US – it has been good to Jews and hopefully will also be good to Muslims.  My hope in the dialogues is that a unified voice of Imams and Rabbis will emerge agreeing on the preciousness of human life and speak out against any voice that demonizes and dehumanizes others. 
Imam Basyouny:  Dialogue is important and necessary to understand and address our differences, while building trust and a foundation for open communication among the different religions and communities.  Muslims believe engaging others in dialogue is a part of our worship.  As community leaders, we aim to build relationships with our neighbors to foster better communication and to improve our service to our congregations.  The dialogues provide us the opportunity to know each other well; and help us understand and fulfill our common and mutual responsibilities in order to contribute together, as religious leaders, to the betterment of our society.

CJMR:  What have been the challenges in these dialogues?
Rabbi Waldoks:  Dialogue is not easy; both communities come with their own baggage and narratives that are, at times, in conflict.  It is not easy, but it is necessary. If Boston’s Jews and Muslims can not speak in open terms, it can not happen elsewhere. Despite the problems both communities face here, we have the best conditions for open dialogue.  Only through dialogue are we able to grow and see a more hopeful future.
Imam Basyouny: Fruitful work requires serious effort and perseverance which can help us surpass the challenges.  CJMR tries to provide a healthy environment and a foundation of mutual respect – respect for the individuals, the teachings and the message of our faiths – and that can enable the participants to meet all kind of challenges successfully.

CJMR:  CJMR encourages religious leaders in other Massachusetts communities to engage in dialogue. What would you share with Imams and Rabbis who are interested in setting up a similar dialogue group?
Rabbi Waldoks:  The power of dialogue is that each participant brings out the best of their tradition.  I learned to love my own tradition and appreciate the jewels of my faith that I share with my brothers and sisters, while also putting a human face to the Islamic faith.
Imam Basyouny:  There are four keys to success of any dialogue group: a sincere intention to be an effective worshiper and believer through such efforts; mutual respect and understanding of our differences; focusing on the common good that serves the society at large; and a commitment to practical and beneficial achievements.

3. Community Forum

This section of the newsletter will be a monthly forum to answer your questions about the Jewish or Muslim community with the goal of opening discussions and shedding light on each other’s communities.  You are encouraged to submit a question to leaders of the other community by emailing newsletter @jewishmuslim.org by the 15th of each month.  One question from each community will be selected for publication with a response from a CJMR-affiliated community leader.  Questions should focus on any issue related to the Jewish and/or Muslim faith, experience, or dialogue.

4. Announcements and Resources

The following resources and opportunities might be of interest to CJMR members, however are not sponsored by CJMR.  All views expressed by other organizations represent their own views and do not necessarily imply agreement or disagreement by CJMR of these views.

The Center for Jewish-Muslim Relations co-sponsors the 4th Annual Peace and Dialogue Iftar Dinner

CJMR joined the Boston Dialogue Foundation in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for an interfaith breaking of the fast.  Dr. Lawrence D. Lowenthal, Executive Director of American Jewish Committee’s  Greater Boston Chapter and Board member of the Center of Jewish-Muslim Relations, presented some guidelines to sustain ongoing dialogue.  For more information, please visit http://www.bostondialogue.org

Daughters of Abraham

The Daughters of Abraham is an interfaith women’s book discussion group for Christian, Jewish and Muslim women.  To join or start a local dialogue group with this organization, please visit www.daughtersofabraham.info

“Building Abrahamic Partnerships: An Interfaith Community of Learning for Jews, Christians and Muslims”

An eight-day intensive training, offered as part of the commitment to interfaith relations at Hartford Seminary.  BAP combines academic and experiential learning, and is offered twice a year, in January and June.

For more information about the program:

Professor Yehezkel Landau
Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations
ylandau @hartsem.edu or (860) 509-9538
www.hartsem.edu

Support the Center for Jewish-Muslim Relations

Would you like to support better Jewish-Muslim relations in your community?  Please consider a donation to promote this important work.  To make a contribution, checks should be made out to: 

“Public Conversations Project” earmarked for “The Center for Jewish-Muslim Relations”

Please send funds to:
Ellen Monroe
Public Conversations Project
46 Kondazian Street
Watertown MA 02472-2832.

Thank you for helping us build a better world!