Rabbi Peter Knobel
Opening Statement

One of the most poignant scenes in the Torah is found in Genesis 25:8-9: “Then Abraham expired, and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre.” I remember that in 1967 I was standing in the Cave of Machpelah, filled with a sense of awe. This was a place venerated by Jews and Muslims as a holy site. I have never returned to Machpelah, but I have a dream that one day I will stand in that holy place with a Muslim friend. At that moment, the sons of Abraham would be reunited in harmony. One wonders what allowed Ishmael and Isaac to reconcile. There is no talk of dialogue in the Torah, only the description of this moment as they mourn the loss of their father together.

The separation between Jews and Muslim in the United States has been sharp. Some of it is rooted in the Middle East conflict, but some of it is merely attributable to the fact that in the United States, Jews enjoyed a special status as part of the trio of Protestant, Catholic and Jew. In the post-Shoah period, Jews and Christians became linked in coming to grips with the destruction of European Jewry and its implications for their relationships and their theologies.

Jewish-Christian dialogue has matured through a long, complex and sometimes painful process, with Jewish religious and secular organizations devoting much time and resources to creating dialogue on both the leadership and grassroots levels, with often equal responses from Christian groups. When I studied at the Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion in the late 1960s, a working knowledge of Christianity was considered essential for every Reform rabbi. Islam was not part of our curriculum and was not really on the communal radar screen.

Today, however, it is clear to all that Islam is a significant and complex force on the world stage, and that here in the United States, there is a growing Muslim community. Much of that community is well educated and professional, but is mostly first or second generation American. The Muslim community is diverse and is only now recognizing the need to enter into serious dialogue with Jews. There is much suspicion on both sides and also a lack of knowledge. Islam is simply not well known to Jews in the same way as Christianity. The Christian overlay of United States culture creates an almost instant familiarity with at least some of the basic stories, holidays and practices.

The challenge for Jewish-Muslim dialogue will be to find knowledgeable leaders who can lead conversations to create trust on both sides. The image of the Muslim as terrorist and the conflict in the Middle East, as well as the feeling that Islam does not treat women as equals and the identification of Islam with its most extreme and conservative practitioners, are barriers to real dialogue. American Jews also expect that dialogue with Muslims can start at the point where Jewish-Christian dialogue stands today. We need to remember that we had to begin with baby steps and building trust before we could reach the stage where we are now.

The Jewish community feels secure in the United States. While there have been reports of rising anti-Semitism worldwide, anti-Semitism is not the daily experience of most United States Jews. Unfortunately anti-Muslim prejudice is rampant, and from my own conversation with Muslims I know that many feel very insecure. Both Jews and Muslims are minorities in the United States, and both communities are trying to maintain unique identities in an overwhelmingly Christian environment. We have much to share and much to gain from developing a serious relationship. Islam is also playing an increasingly important role in world politics; it behooves us to get know each other because we will find our lives intimately intertwined in the future.

Getting to know our Muslim neighbor is the first step in seeing our neighbor as being created in the image of God and treating him and her according to the mitzvah, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Dr. Sayyid M. Sayeed
Opening Statement

Jewish-Muslim dialogue has become a priority for the twenty-first century. The only country where it can be initiated and promoted effectively is the United States. The mountains of mis-understandings and misrepresentations about these two religions are reinforced every day by horrific images from the Middle East and widely disseminated throughout the world.

This is all the more tragic because these two religions share the same legacy and belong to the same family of Abrahamic faiths. The two communities not only share their belief in one God and a common line of prophets, but also share many practices—from birth to death, circumcision, koshur/halal dietary restrictions, burial and funeral requirements. Already we have seen the benefits of cooperation between the two communities on many issues.

The Quran commands Muslims to invite the Jews to “a common word” identifying common ground between them to build an alliance with them (3:64). About the Jews, the Quran tells us, “We gave Moses the Book, so be not in doubt about his having received it. And we made it guidance for the children of Israel. We raised among them religious leaders who instructed them with divine commands and showed greatest patience and fortitude” (32: 23-24). It is interesting that the name of Muhammad our Prophet occurs only 4 times in the Quran, while the name of Moses occurs 136 times.

Our Hopes, Aspirations and Benefits of the Dialogue

We believe that if we are able to build bridges of understanding between the Jewish and Muslim communities in America, we should be able to contribute tremendously to the enrichment of American society. Jointly, our work will not only contribute towards peace building in the Middle East, but we will be able to strive to bring justice, peace and prosperity to the human family at large. The trust and confidence that we will build will help us to contribute towards peace building and conflict resolution around the world. Our mutual respect will reinforce American commitment towards a just and peaceful pluralist democracy at home and make it a model for rest of mankind.

Do You Envision Challenges which may Hamper Open, Frank Discussion?

There will be serious challenges posed by those who do not want to see this kind of dialogue and direct interaction between our two faith communities. They not only want to subvert our efforts and spoil our present, they also want to make sure that the future is far more chaotic. The most tragic situation is being created by extremists on both sides who are trying to rob us of our past as well. The brilliant examples of our joint achievements in different parts of the world, from Spain to Istanbul, are either being physically destroyed or denied the historical recognition as evidence of our successes.

I believe the achievements of minorities in America—by Blacks, Catholics and Jews—have made it possible to further widen the scope for accommodating new minorities and creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and dignity. The civil rights movement has shown us how different faiths and different ethnicities fought together against racism. We have a similar battle waiting for us to fight against religious bigotry. The Jews and Muslims are destined to play a major role in fighting this battle.