An olive branch gets extended, embraced
I had a heck of a time finding a positive news story about Muslims today. How sad... But here's one, Alhamdulillah..
http://tinyurl.com/8cax3
BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI
STAFF WRITER; Staff writer Samuel Bruchey contributed to this story.
October 23, 2005
Seemi Ahmed had never before stood underneath a Sukkah, much less contemplated the centuries of Jewish history the wooden structure has come to represent.
But as the 43-year-old Muslim stepped toward the fragile archway festooned with branches, leaves, and fruit at Temple Beth El in Great Neck yesterday, she could almost imagine herself a woman of another faith.
"I remembered how the Jewish people used to take shelter when they were nomads," said Ahmed, of Searingtown. "I didn't know much about this.I wanted to sit and eat in there. It felt so nice."
For more than 50 Muslims and Jews who attended a unique ceremony at the temple last night, that was precisely the point - to share the traditions and rituals of a different faith.
The ceremony, the first of its kind on Long Island, was intended to honor a rare confluence of holidays: the Jewish fall harvest festival of Sukkot and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"It's a symbolic event to see the two groups here on Long Island, getting along fine, accepting each other, learning from each other, sharing the holidays and sharing ideas," said Dr. Faroque Khan, president of the Islamic Center of Long Island.
That sentiment was shared by about two dozen Jews in attendance.
"It's very important in terms of outreach," said Bobbie Rosenzweig, of Great Neck, one the event's coordinators. "Especially in this day and age when everybody hates everybody."
For practicing Jews, the weeklong Sukkot holiday began at sundown on Oct. 17. It is a time to remember the huts built by Jewish farmers during their yearly harvest and to commemorate the 40 years when their ancestors wandered the desert.
"It's supposed to be open to the elements to remind us how fragile life is," Judi Rosenzweig said. Rosenzweig was one of four speakers who talked about how Jews celebrate Sukkot.
Throughout Ramadan, which began on Oct. 4, Muslims are urged to abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. The fasting is broken with an evening meal called the iftar.
During yesterday's event, more than a dozen Muslims stepped gingerly under the Sukkah and hung fruit from its vines. Representatives from each faith stood behind a microphone and spoke about the practices of their religion. Then, at sundown, the daily fast of Ramadan was broken as the crowd shared a meal of dates and water.
"I feel like I am pretty ignorant when it comes to other religions," Ahmed said. "[But] when you see the commonalities, it really is a special bond that is formed."
Staff writer Samuel Bruchey contributed to this story.
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.
http://tinyurl.com/8cax3
BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI
STAFF WRITER; Staff writer Samuel Bruchey contributed to this story.
October 23, 2005
Seemi Ahmed had never before stood underneath a Sukkah, much less contemplated the centuries of Jewish history the wooden structure has come to represent.
But as the 43-year-old Muslim stepped toward the fragile archway festooned with branches, leaves, and fruit at Temple Beth El in Great Neck yesterday, she could almost imagine herself a woman of another faith.
"I remembered how the Jewish people used to take shelter when they were nomads," said Ahmed, of Searingtown. "I didn't know much about this.I wanted to sit and eat in there. It felt so nice."
For more than 50 Muslims and Jews who attended a unique ceremony at the temple last night, that was precisely the point - to share the traditions and rituals of a different faith.
The ceremony, the first of its kind on Long Island, was intended to honor a rare confluence of holidays: the Jewish fall harvest festival of Sukkot and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"It's a symbolic event to see the two groups here on Long Island, getting along fine, accepting each other, learning from each other, sharing the holidays and sharing ideas," said Dr. Faroque Khan, president of the Islamic Center of Long Island.
That sentiment was shared by about two dozen Jews in attendance.
"It's very important in terms of outreach," said Bobbie Rosenzweig, of Great Neck, one the event's coordinators. "Especially in this day and age when everybody hates everybody."
For practicing Jews, the weeklong Sukkot holiday began at sundown on Oct. 17. It is a time to remember the huts built by Jewish farmers during their yearly harvest and to commemorate the 40 years when their ancestors wandered the desert.
"It's supposed to be open to the elements to remind us how fragile life is," Judi Rosenzweig said. Rosenzweig was one of four speakers who talked about how Jews celebrate Sukkot.
Throughout Ramadan, which began on Oct. 4, Muslims are urged to abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. The fasting is broken with an evening meal called the iftar.
During yesterday's event, more than a dozen Muslims stepped gingerly under the Sukkah and hung fruit from its vines. Representatives from each faith stood behind a microphone and spoke about the practices of their religion. Then, at sundown, the daily fast of Ramadan was broken as the crowd shared a meal of dates and water.
"I feel like I am pretty ignorant when it comes to other religions," Ahmed said. "[But] when you see the commonalities, it really is a special bond that is formed."
Staff writer Samuel Bruchey contributed to this story.
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.
posted by purvis at 3:45 PM
1 Comments:
masha ALLAH!
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