Category: Interfaith
Interfaith Youth Core’s first ever Alumni Gathering
At the end of January I attended the Interfaith Youth Core’s first ever Alumni Gathering. It was an incredible experience. Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) is an organization that anyone interested in t... Read More
On Red Lipstick in a Mosque
Several years ago, I was working with a group of Muslim teenagers in Atlanta, GA. While visiting their mosque on the north side of town one Friday I met the girls in the ladies powder room to ensure t... Read More
In Another Gilgul: Forgiveness, the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, and Bedtime
Every night before we go to sleep, Jewish liturgy offers us the opportunity to forgive. The Bedtime Shema begins: “Master of the universe, I hereby forgive anyone who angered or antagonized me or wh... Read More
‘A Voice Calling in the Desert’: Personal Reflections on the Concept of Vocation in the Jewish Clergy
This week we begin a new book in our annual cycle of public Torah reading in the synagogue. We turn to Leviticus, which begins with words that are at once evocate and ambiguous: “And He called unto ... Read More
On reviving the legacy of Islamic religious tolerance and coexistence
Sometimes people take things for granted. Muslims, for example, have been heedless about their historical heritage of religious tolerance and interfaith dialog until they were hit by the backlashes of... Read More
Living into human peace
In a recent application, I was asked to reflect on my thoughts about nonviolence and whether I consider myself a pacifist. This turned out to be a much more difficult question than you might assume,... Read More
On Pride Within a Pluralistic Identity
As a Shia Imami Muslim, I belong to a community that is a minority not only within the Ummah, but also within the Shia sect. As a religious education teacher for the Ismaili Tariqah Religious and Educ... Read More
Do You Accept the Seder Orange?
Many artists will tell you: limits foster creativity. Staring at a blank canvas or a blinking cursor on a white screen can be agonizing, but throw some boundaries around your space (mental or otherwis... Read More