Interfaith Shabbat draws Jewish, Muslim students
Participants in the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue filled up at least two tables at the Shabbat. The discussion was relaxed, with conversations about what people had been doing the last week and what plans they might make for the weekend.
After Cara Singer ’09, president of the CJL Board, made the weekly announcements, the floor was given to Cale Salih ’10, a member of the MSA. Salih explained that the wine normally served at the tables had been replaced with grape juice because in the Muslim faith it is forbidden to drink alcohol.Esther Breger ’10, a fellow on the Religious Life Council and a senior writer for The Daily Princetonian, then welcomed the guests, introduced the song Shalom Aleichem, the Kiddish prayer and the tradition of ritualistic hand washing.
The idea of Muslim and Jewish students dining together is not unusual at the University, though the event facilitated and coordinated this interaction. “A lot of [Muslim] students come individually [to the CJL], so we decided to get everyone together,” Salih said.
Salih, who helped organize the event and is also a member of the Religious Life Council, explained, “The Muslim and Jewish communities here are already very integrated, so it works.”She said that some muslim students frequent the CJL because kosher meat served there also meets some Halal standards and “because their friends are there, it’s a comfortable environment.”
“That’s the great thing about the integration of the communities,” she said. “[The CJL] is an enviroment where Muslims, Jews and people of any faith can come, not just Jewish students.Salih said that the idea for the Muslim-Jewish Shabbat came from a trip with the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue to Spain during spring break last year. Twenty-one students and the Jewish and Muslim chaplains traveled to Spain, where they not only toured country but also interacted with fellow students of the other faith.
“When you think about it, [the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue] is a revolutionary group; it was just new last year,” Jewish student Marina Olevsky ’09 said. “It’s the kind of interaction you don’t get in a classroom; you’re not just listening to a panel.”
“We are really proud of the connection we have with the Muslim Student[s] Association, and we want to continue to have events that foster friendship and understanding between Jewish and Muslim students on campus,” Singer said in an e-mail.
Salih said the dinner was supposed to be an informal, fun event, explaining that advertising, beginning with a simple facebook.com group, let people know about the dinner. “It’s really just a regular Shabbat. It’s just a fun event.”
Olevsky said she hoped that the dinner would be a step toward greater forbearance. “The [Dialogue] is very important because the participants of this program will take their carry this message of tolerance and interfaith coordination to their community,” she said.Such goals can be reached through personal interactions such as those fostered by the dinner, Olevsky said. “It has to be a very grassroots, work of mouth, friendship based, like personally sharing a meal with someone. You have to make it a person to person sort of thing,” she added.
Singer said she was glad that so many people came to the event. “There was a very energetic, positive vibe at the event,” she said.
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View all 5 comments on "Interfaith Shabbat draws Jewish, Muslim students".
Dear All,I want to share you peoms of famous Sindhi Muslim Sufi scholar Sachal Sarmast Sacho. The kalma did not, make me a Muslim Nor did the prophet send faith from Arabia Sachoo*, is himself divine, if humans think him human. (*Sachal Sarmast called himself as Sachoo, which in Sindhi, means the "Truthful One") It is high time, banish the differences, Rid your heart of religions, let a new day dawn, The Hindu and the Muslim together join hands in love, Hope not becomes too late, in the West sun does not rise!" I believe human being ismore important than to any belief or idealogy;We all are same,equal and have to learn to live toghther with Peace and harmony.Essense of every religion is brotherhood,peace,tolerance,justice and forgiveness.pls open up ur mind and hearts and feel the immense joy when u preach Humanity.Pls see beyond narrow prison of beliefs.We all are ONE,We all are HUMAN beings. Long live to world Peace and Tolerance!! Khalil Laghari Paris France
That quoted verse by Allyson isn't the word of Allah, but a deformation of a verse from one hadith; in my point of view, taking these words apart without quoting the entire text, and deforming them, is, malicious and, as correctly stated Msa Member, hateful and inciting. That verse comes from a narration about Last Day's battle between Dajjan (the Antichrist) and Isa (Jesus), and, according to that hadith, Dajjan will come with a large number of Ispahan Jews, who will hide behind trees and stones; but these will say to believers "Behind me there is a jew, come and kill him". As you can see, the verse, in its original form and context is somewhat different from the verse posted by Allyson; but,if we carry in mind that hadith trustfulness is variable (they are classificated according their reliance, and, in any case they can't substitute the Holy Qur'an), and, particularly, this hadith is not from the mor reliable (in fact, many muslims ignore its existence), to take it as an "example" is absolutely malicious.