Do You Really Know Anything About Your Neighbor?

While in a book club at our synagogue, we read books with Jewish themes. Most were of a historical nature. As we wrapped up one, we were encouraged to recommend the next one. I recommended The Faith Club, a book I had read and thoroughly enjoyed. This book was about 3 mothers - a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew. Initially, they had come together post-9/11 to write a children's book that celebrates our similarities rather than our differences. Considering I was the only non-Jew in this book club, I thought it would be interesting to hear everyone's perspective on the book.

I was delighted that the group agreed to read the book. I was asked to address the Christian perspective, and we had plenty of folks to look at it from the Jewish perspective. When we were finished reading the book, I asked the group if my Muslim friend could join us at our next meeting to share the Muslim perspective. This was about 12 years ago - not too many years after 9/11, so I was delighted when they said, "Yes."

At that point, I just had to convince my friend, T,  to join us. For him, it would mean coming into a Jewish synagogue, not a typical place to find a Muslim. T surprised me and said yes, right away.

When T arrived that next Sunday morning, everyone in the book club stood to shake his hand - except for one gentleman, D. I didn't think much about it, since this gentleman was seated at the back of the room. The next two hours were filled with questions and answers, as we each got a better understanding of Islam and a new perspective on our fellow man. When T left, the conversation continued and the group was unanimously in favor of asking him if he'd be willing to return to our next meeting to explore the topic more thoroughly. T happily agreed to return.

At the conclusion of our second meeting, D, the gentleman who would not shake T's hand, approached T and asked him if he'd be willing to present at a local service organization he belonged to. Weeks later, when D introduced T to the other members of his organization, he said, "When I first met T, I thought ..." forgive me, but I can't even repeat what he said. However, he concluded with..."but today I call him friend." At that moment, I thought, "My work here is done." I felt like I had really made a difference by connecting a Jewish man and a Muslim man and had high hopes for where that would lead.

When I invited T to speak to my Jewish friends, I knew that I was taking a risk. I knew that relations were strained. However, this nice Catholic girl growing up in a generally Christian town and now raising Jewish children, had not realized how deep the divide still was for so many. For those of us who live in diverse communities, I wonder how often we get opportunities to truly understand each other's culture. For those who live in homogeneous communities, I am sure it is easy to misunderstand cultures that are different from your own.

In light of recent events, I'd like to share this article written by a young man, a Penn State Sophomore. He is much wiser than many of us. It is very easy to make assumptions about other people. Maybe it's time for the T's and the D's to come together for some civil discourse.

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/opinion/columnists/article_c750d330-861f-11e7-b923-c73da6100396.html