An Interfaith Holiday Celebration

Dear WISDOM Subscribers:

The following article was sent to me by my interfaith soul mate, Sande Hart, founder of SARAH (Spiritual and Religious Alliance for Hope) in Orange County, California, and I thought I would share it with you. This interfaith holiday gathering took place in Israel, and brought Jews, Christians, and Muslims together to educate each other about their holidays. This is a great example of what we should think about for next year’s celebrations.

Gail Katz
WISDOM President

EID AL ADHA MUBARAK!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Happy Chanukah!!

The TRUST WIN CC and the Wasatia CC held a joint celebration for more than 40 Muslims, Christians, and Jews -- Israeli, Palestinians, Americans, Europeans -- of Hanukah, Eid Al Adha, and Christmas in Rafael Marrache's beautiful restored home in the narrow alley-ways of Yemin Moshe -- the first Jewish neighborhood built outside of the Old City almost 200 years ago. They were greeted by candles illuminating the path and the delicious food and classy ambiance. Michelle Katz, the Jewish Coordinator of the TRUST WIN assisted in creating a gracious and welcoming atmosphere -- even inviting the two local young musicians who assisted her to find the home to join us -- and they ended up playing music late into the night with lovely young women who had come with guitar, violin, and drums. Several different people who arrived late related separately that each felt enveloped by light, warmth, and happiness entering the crowded room.

Everyone ate potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts -- traditional Hanukah treats, while listening to Reva Unterman explain the history of the Maccabees vanquishing the Greeks in the Second Century BCE and restoring their Holy Temple in Jerusalem. There was a great miracle when the small amount of oil for rekindling the Eternal Light over the Holy Ark lasted for eight days. She said "This is a time when we have the potential to access something precious, it is a time of miracles, a time of experiencing primordial light created on the first day, on accessing what is deeply rooted in us.. the light we all hope that will bring peace to us all." Rebbitzin Emuna Witte shared words from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach who taught that when you're lighting the Hanukah candles, it's as if you're standing in the Holy Temple. One secular Jewish women who shared that she normally does nothing on holidays -- was glowing with happiness to be celebrating holidays with everyone. An Orthodox rabbi shared about the universality of Hanukah stressing that our Temple one day will be a "house of prayer for all people". Everyone had an opportunity for personal sharing about their holiday -- many of the Jews speaking of the special beauty of all the different generations of the family lighting candles together and the public nature of the holiday -- where menorahs are lit in the shops, restaurants, streets.

Dr Mohamed Dajani, Director of Wasatia, spoke about the background of Eid Al Adha as the holiday commemorating when God asked Abraham/Ibrahim to sacrifice his son and the lamb being sent as a replacement. He spoke personally about his excitement as a young child to wake up very early on the holiday and put on all the new clothes that his parents had bought him for the holiday. Nadia related that even as a mother of teenagers, she still enjoys all of the new clothes. Haj Ibrahim spoke about all the preparations for the holiday -- cleaning and presents -- but that all the food must be cooked fresh on that day and not beforehand. Daniella translated for the young Palestinian friends she had brought and Mohammed, Yassir, and Ashraf spoke about how everyone is giving gifts of money to the children and slaughtering a lamb but only eating one third -- the other two thirds are given to the poor through special charity organizations that are set up to distribute the food. The Christians came from Belgium, Germany, Spain, and France -- and shared about Christmas and their excitement to be joined here by their families to go to Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations in the place where Jesus was born and the holiday originated.

And everyone spoke about the beauty and peace of sitting together as friends in a Jewish home and sharing our holidays together -- everyone mentioned the special and moving feeling of celebrating together, and were grateful for the opportunity to come together and began planning future gatherings in other homes in East and West Jerusalem. One woman said this is how it should be -- and we pointed out this is the way it is now -- we must enjoy and strengthen and increase these precious moments. We were so pleased to welcome our URI brothers and sisters from the Jerusalem Peacemakers CC, Abrahamic Reunion CC, and the Reut/Sedaka CC. One Jewish woman related later that now she was feeling so connected to Muslims after learning that they're celebrating a holiday connected to our Father Abraham. She was asking all the Muslims in her world about their holiday preparations and encouraging her neighbors to wish Arabs an Eid Mubarak. She is an example of being the change we want to see in the world.

I bless us all to have many wonderful holidays and occasions to celebrate together.

Love,
Elana



Elana Rozenman
Executive Director
TRUST - Emun
15 Naomi Street Jerusalem 93552 Israel
elana@trust-emun.org
Office: 972 26749698 Mobile: 972 522861779