Turmoil in the Middle East reaches into Los Angeles and can build a wall between the Jewish and Muslim communities, says Edina Lekovic. She works for a Muslim advocacy group and co-founded NewGround, which she says brings the two communities together.
“They know how to engage one another. They have authentic relationships, and at the same time, they are not trapped by what is going on overseas, but instead they are invested more so in what is happening here in Los Angeles," she said.
A presentation on the history of Islam sparked discussion in the latest group of NewGround fellows, who join the program on some evenings and weekends through the year.
NewGround's executive director, Rabbi Sarah Bassin, says many organizations bring Jews and Christians together, but few are building bridges between Jews and Muslims.
“That conversation largely has not begun. We do not have the vocabulary to sit down at the same table in the same way that the Jewish-Christian communities have worked out over the last 50 or 60 years, especially in a post-Holocaust era," he said.
New Jewish participant Abbie Barash says she is making good friends through the exchanges.
“And we have already become so close and I have just known them for like a month now. So it has become extremely valuable for me," she said.
Actor Amir Abdullah, a Muslim, says differences will remain between the groups.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25