August 2008 Meeting

Instead of listening to a speaker, the members held an open discussion of the importance of dialogue and honest, if sometimes difficult, exchange between groups.

			July 2008 Meeting

Y. spoke about his service in the Israeli army in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He described being sentenced to a short stay in a military jail for refusing to serve in the occupied areas, where he felt Arabs were being treated unfairly. His case became a cause célèbre and he has long been active in peace groups.

			May 2008 Meeting

The group discussed the 60th anniversary of Israeli Independence/Nakba.

			April 2008 Meeting

The dialogue group held an interfaith Passover Seder.

			February 2008 Meeting

S., who was born and raised in Malaysia, spoke of her experiences growing up Muslim in a country that had relatively few ties to the Arab world. During her studies at Malaysia's International Islamic University, she met people of different nationalities, including Arabs, and developed a better understanding of Middle East and world issues. She and her husband, who is of Jewish and Christian descent but converted to Islam, are raising their children to respect people of all religions and nationalities.

			January 2008 Meeting

D., an American woman raised in a Reform-Jewish family, grew up with little understanding of or appreciation for the meaning and practices of Judaism. She studied Jewish history and language in college, and worked for Jewish organizations after graduation. (Her family did not understand her burgeoning interest in Judaism, sometimes referring to her as “the family Jew.”) As D’s job duties brought her into contact with Muslim and Arab groups and individuals, she developed friendships with Muslim women and men, visited Egypt, and lived for a time with a Muslim family in Morocco. She had previously worked to defend the Jewish/Israeli point of view: now she hopes to help bring Jews and Muslim, Arabs and Israelis together.

			December 2007 Meeting

For our special Hanukah meeting, we discussed the value of gaining U.S. citizenship - and ate more food than usual!

			November 2007 Meeting

F., who is Muslim, was born in Bahrain. He came to the United States to study hotel management. As he lived and studied in the U.S., met and wed an American woman, worked with peoples of various backgrounds and studied the American media, his attitudes toward Jews evolved. His opinions continued to evolve as he joined the dialogue group, met numerous Jews face to face, and listened to their stories.

			October 2007 Meeting

V., an American woman, described what it was like growing up in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s. (Her father’s work took the family, which was absolutely nonreligious, to that country.) Learning of the Holocaust while attending a German public school, V. developed sympathy for the Jewish people and the state of Israel. She majored in Islamic Studies in college, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man from Morocco. V. emphasized that Muslims do not hate Jews, and that the problems in the Middle East are solvable if the bitterness of the past half century can be overcome.

			September 2007 Meeting

In addition to the regular meeting, we said "goodbye" to Ehab, Irit and Adam, who are moving to Monterey, California.

			August 2007 Meeting

The topic of discussion for the August meeting was "How have people reacted when you explain what we try to accomplish at the Jewish-Muslim Dialogue group?" Members of group reported a range of reactions, from funny to frustrating.

			June 2007 Meeting

The group held an open discussion of the 1967 Six-Day War. Members - Muslim, Jewish, Israeli, Arab and American - frankly discussed their reactions to the war and its aftermath.  

			May 2007 Meeting

F. who was born in Syria in 1947, described how he was encouraged by a Sheik to join an interfaith group as a teenager. In that group, he learned how to communicate with Christians and other non-Muslims in Syria. He moved to the United States in 1970 and studied engineering, remaining in the US to work and raise his family. Since his college years, F. has worked with interfaith groups to encourage communication and understanding between faiths.

			April 2007 Meeting

The dialogue group held an interfaith Passover Seder.

			March 2007 Meeting

Instead of listening to a speaker, the group discussed this question: What is the role of women in your religion/culture? How has this influenced you? Have you deviated from this role, and if so, how?

			February 2007 Meeting

J. who was born before World War II, grew up feeling like "the other," for she was one of a very small number of Jews living in Canada. She recalled being chased home from school many times by children who called her a "kike." These and other acts of anti-Semitism forced her family to emigrate to the United States when she was 13. When she began studying at UCLA she met students from around the world through the International Student Union, and throughout  her adult life has participated in Black/White and interfaith groups.

			January 2007 Meeting

At this special meeting, Chaplin Omeira discussed the meaning, history and customs of the Muslim holiday Eid Al-adha. He talked about the Koranic and historic background for this holiday of pilgrimage, and described the various rituals that pilgrims to Mecca follow to this day.

			December 2006 Meeting

P., who was born in Germany during the Nazi era, spoke about the troubles his Jewish family endured. P's father was released from a concentration camp shortly before World War II began and, thanks to a kindly relative in the United States, P's family escaped from Germany and started a new life in California. Despite this horrifying experience, P. grew up with a love of all mankind, and has participated in Black-White and Jewish-Muslim dialogue groups for many years. 

			November 2006 Meeting

D. spoke about his experiences growing up Jewish in the United States. He described his early life and how he became a psychotherapist practicing in Beverly Hills. He described his role in helping to build the Jewish-Muslim village called "Oasis of Peace" in Israel.

			October 2006 Meeting

This was a special meeting celebrating both Ramadan and our group's first anniversary. An Imam explained the meaning and significance of Ramadan, while a Rabbi discussed the importance of Yom Kippur. Then, Jews and Muslims together, we shared in breaking of the Ramadan fast (and enjoyed quite a feast).

			September 2006 Meeting

R. described what it was like to be a Syrian-born Muslim raised in Lebanon. She lived through the troubles caused by invasion and civil war in Lebanon, later moving to the United States, where she married and raised her family.  

			August 2006 Meeting

M. spoke about her experiences growing up Jewish in the United States.

			July 2006 Meeting

R., who was born and raised in Israel, spoke about living on kibbutzim near the Gaza border. Her father was a liaison officer with the local Arab leaders, giving R. an early and positive impression of Arabs.

			June 2006 Meeting

Open discussion of compassionate listening.

			May 2006 Meeting

Abdul was born in Syria. His Imam held interfaith meetings, which helped shape Abdul's view of "the other." 

			April 2006 Meeting

L, an American Catholic, spoke about her marriage to an Israeli Palestinian and their struggle during the Lebanon war of the 1980s.

			March 2006 Meeting

Irit, who was born in Israel to Polish holocaust survivors, described her relationship with the Arabs and how she married an Egyptian Muslim.

			February 2006 Meeting

Ehab was born in Egypt. Although he was taught to hate Israelis, he ended up marrying one.

			January 2006 Meeting

We visited with our Muslim friends in Acton.