Children of Abraham Have an Interfaith Iftar by the Dead Sea

 By Nate Feldman

There was an interesting article in the Jerusalem Post online website about an interfaith iftar that took place at the Dead Sea towards the end of March.  The story is called: An Iftar for all: Israelis, Palestinians come together in shared hope for peace by Mohamad M. Jamous.  Although this event by no means represent the mainstream of the two communities, it once again reaffirms what is possible when given an opportunity.  

You can also see a video of the event at the following link: https://www.threads.net/@mohamad.jamous/post/DHuOY16NrEz

Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler's Guide to World Peace, Chapter on Inter-religious Travel

 By Nate Feldman

In his book, Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler's Guide to World Peace, writer Aziz Abu Sarah includes a chapter on visiting other people's religious places during while in other countries, or even within our own communities.

The chapter begins with an anecdote about his father, a devout Muslim, who while visiting him in the USA wanted to attend a Friday Jummah prayer at a local mosque.  The writer connected his father with the uncle of a local friend, and they went to the mosque together.  When they returned, the father said that the mosque was full, so they did the prayer inside a nearby synagogue that grants space for Muslims to pray when space is unavailable.  It was his father's first time in a synagogue, and it was a real eye-opening experience for him as he had lived his entire life in Jerusalem, where Jews, Christians, and Muslims all live, but he hadn't been inside a Jewish house of worship.

The writer also recounted the time he and his friends, all Muslims, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, said to be the location of Jesus' crucifixion.  It was their first time being in a Christian holy place, and it gave him the realization that he knew less about other people's faiths than he thought he did.  

From there, Aziz Abu Sarah talks about how he likes visiting places of worship while in other countries, and he also encourages people to take part in different religious festivities or events.  He recounts visiting Buddhist temples in Vietnam and being guided by a local female monk.   

I found this chapter to be very enlightening, and I agree with the advice that we should try and open our minds to other's traditions while not necessarily believing in them.  A lot of misunderstandings between people of different faiths often revolve around ignorance and lack of awareness rather than real understanding of these traditions.

Book Summary, Crossing Boundaries

 By Nate Feldman

In 2020, Aziz Abu Sarah wrote a book, Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler’s Guide to World Peace, that teaches people to explore the world in a responsible way and encourages people to get to know others of different backgrounds, be it from other ethnicities, religions, or point of view. 

A Palestinian, he mentioned having to take a Hebrew class, 20 minutes from where he lives in Jerusalem, and what an eye-opening experience it was.  He eventually became a leader with the Bereaved Parent’s Forum, a group of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones in the ongoing conflict between the two people.  The organization rejects violence and encourages mutual understanding between the two sides.  They have organized tours for people from both backgrounds to visit each other’s neighborhoods and homes and hear their narratives.

The lesson from these experiences was he realized how little Israelis and Palestinians know about each other, even if they live in the same city, as they do in many cases.  He goes onto advocate for people to explore unknown parts of their own cities or towns to know people with different perspectives and life experiences.  He mentions how people often associate with others from a similar neighborhood or background, but that we should make an effort to become more aware of all the people around us.  He believes the type of travel we do in our own communities great affects the types of travel we do when we go abroad. 

In addition to his own personal experiences, he describes those of Scott Cooper, a Jewish American who is his business partner.  He mentions how Scott, like him, learned about others perspectives while in Israel.  Scott went to Israel to visit his brother who was spending time there, but from there chose also to visit Bethlehem, a Palestinian city.  He went on to become involved with groups that were joint Israeli-Palestinian organizations dedicated to dialogue and building relationships between the two sides.

As for foreign travel, Aziz Abu Sarah strongly encourages travelers to visit destinations off the beaten track, such as small villages, where visitors can interact with locals more easily while supporting their economies.  These positive interactions play a big role in building relationships between people of different cultures.  He also strongly recommends visiting marginalized communities, such as those of minorities, to promote social justice.

Other issues tackled in the book include using tour groups that pay its workers and participants a fair wage as well as being environmentally responsible while traveling.