This is not a complete list of JIDS events. It does not, for example, include any of the D.C.-area Imam-Rabbi Summits, for which JIDS was instrumental as a leading sponsor. (Videos of portions of each Summit can be found on this website.)  However, the list below does include the vast majority of the JIDS dialogues. We are providing this list not only to allow members of JIDS to stroll down memory lane, but also to serve as a resource for other Jewish-Islamic dialogue societies that are searching for ideas about possible discussion topics and additional activities.
November 24 — Reflecting on the Election, America, and Our Future
This was a salon in which we discussed what caused the outcome of the election, what our political parties can do to improve themselves, and what gives us hope about America’s future.
October 22 — Confronting Poverty
This dialogue focused on the scourge of poverty, what our faith traditions say about poverty, and what we can do to eliminate it. The panelists were Dr. Jamel Coy Hudson, Rabbi Michael Pollack, and Jim Vitarello.
September 1 — Annual JIDS/JAMAAT Picnic
August 18 — Our Love for Our Holy Books
This dialogue, which was hosted by an Episcopalian Church, provided an opportunity for various members of our interfaith community to take a few minutes to present their favorite Scriptural passage and explain why they love it. Mike Gauss provided a brief introduction as to the importance of Scripture to our communities.
June 9 — Israel and Palestine: The Dual Narratives and Beyond
This dialogue was led by Dr. Ira Weiss and Dr. Mai Abdul Rahman. It focused on the “parallel” narratives supported by many Israelis and many Palestinians, explained why we need to get beyond them if the region is to see a lasting peace, and considered how progress can be made.
May 5 — Islamophobic Tropes: What They Are and How to Respond to Them
This dialogue was led by Dr. Daisy Khan, a leading voice on Muslim women’s rights and anti-Muslim bias, who explained various common Islamophobic tropes and ways to address them.
March 17th — Islamophobia and Antisemitism
This dialogue, which was co-sponsored by JAMAAT, was held in a venue that houses a synagogue, a masjid and a church. We heard from panelistsRabbi Abbi Sharofsky, Prof. Todd Green, Fatima Argun, and Mindy Weinstein regarding the twin scourges of Islamophobia and antisemitism.
March 3rd — The Conflict in Israel and Palestine
This dialogue, held in a private residence, examined people’s reactions to the fighting that has taken place since October 7th, their vision of what a lasting peace in the region would look like and how to get there, and their perspectives on what America can do to help the situation. It is the third such dialogue we have held after October 7th.
February 13th
Screening and discussion of the film “Sevap/Mitzvah,” a moving story of Muslims and Jews helping each other survive during wartime, hosted by the Washington Hebrew Congregation.
December 10th and December 17th — The Conflict in Israel and Palestine
These two dialogues, held in a private residence, examined people’s reactions to the fighting that has taken place since October 7th, their vision of what a lasting peace in the region would look like and how to get there, and their perspectives on what America can do to help the situation.
November 12, The Supreme Court and Faith
This dialogue, hosted by Hill Havurah, examined the religious protections of the First Amendment through the lens of the Supreme Court. Mark Sherman, Supreme Court reporter for the Associated Press, provided the introductory lecture.
October 29, Faith and Political Polarization
This dialogue, hosted by Kol Ami Reconstructionist Congregation, confronted the topic of how our faiths can both exacerbate political polarization in our society and provide an antidote to this polarization. We also began to dialogue about the current war in Israel and Gaza. Ibrahim Anli and Sofi Hersher Andorsky were the panelists.
September 3, Annual JIDS-JAMAAT Picnic
July 9, Democracy in Islam and Judaism: A Dialogue
This dialogue, hosted by the Islamic Society of the Washington Area, confronted the topic of democracy. We looked at what Islam and Judaism have to teach us about democracy and discussed contemporary issues regarding democracy and the threats placed upon it. The dialogue was led by Rabbi Melanie Aron and Ismail Royer.
June 4, 9th Annual Greater Washington Area Summit of Imams, Rabbis and Leadership Colleagues
JIDS co-sponsors this event annually with Jews and Muslims and Allies Acting Together (JAMAAT). This year’s event addressed the topic of “Difficult Conversations,” and included breakout sections on the relationship between religion and politics, intrafaith dialogue, and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The ADAMS Center was our host.
April 16, God in Our Hearts and in Our Actions, a Dialogue and an Iftar
This dialogue, hosted by the McLean Islamic Center, examined our feelings about God and how they can be translated into action. Panelists were Rizwan Jaka, Daniel Spiro and Haytham Younis. This dialogue was the focal point of an iftar.
February 16, Islam and Judaism in America
This dialogue explored how Judaism and Islam have been affecting the United States of America and how the United States has affected Islam and Judaism. We were led by Hamza Khan and Ira Weiss.
November 20th, Our Values: In Theory and in Practice. Session 1: On Judaism.
This dialogue looked at Jewish values as they are supposed to be (i.e., when taught in theory) and how these values are often stressed in the real world to the point where we tend to practice very different values when the rubber meets the road. We were led by Rabbis Gilah Langner and David Shneyer.
November 9th, Special Town Hall Meeting to Consider the Mont. County, MD Anti-Semitism Resolution
This dialogue allowed the JIDS community to comment on Mont. County’s recent anti-Semitism resolution, on the breadth of the anti-Semitism threats our society faces, on the relationship between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, and on what steps could be taken to minimize anti-Semitism in our society.
October 6th, Non-Traditional Movements in Islam and Judaism
This dialogue featured leaders from two non-traditional movements, one from Judaism and one from Islam. The panelists were Ani Zonneveld, President of Muslims for Traditional Values, and Taya Ma Shere, co-founder of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute.
September 4, JIDS/JAMAAT Picnic and Campfire
Summer Coffeehouses, featuring Ibrahim Anli and Yasmeen Abed
July 12, Serving as a Jew or a Muslim for Life: Accepting the Inevitability of the Struggle
This dialogue featured Adam Marker and Haytham Younis, who led us in a candid and compassionate look at the struggles we all have endured at one point or another with our faiths, our faith communities, or ourselves as a result of identifying with a religion.
May 15, 8th Annual Greater Washington Area Summit of Imams, Rabbis and Leadership Colleagues
JIDS has co-sponsored this event for each of the past eight years. It provides an opportunities for local clergy and other leaders from the Muslim and Jewish communities to get to know each other and learn together about topics of mutual interest.
May 1, “Feminism in Islam and Judaism”
This dialogue featured Rabbi Alana Suskin and Dr. Semiha Topal and explored the intersections between feminism and both Islam and Judaism.
March 15, “Muslim and Jewish Peoplehood: Examining the ‘Ummah’ & ‘Klal Yisrael'”
This dialogue featured scholar Safi Kaskas and Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer in exploring how our sense of Jews or Muslims as world communities influences our beliefs, our conduct and our obligations.
February 9th, “Modern Muslim and Jewish Thinkers Who Have Inspired Us”
This dialogue featured four scholars, Dr. Marcia Hermansen, Herb Levy, Dr. Zeki Saritoprak and Rabbi Lee Weissman, presenting the ideas of four modern transformative thinkers — Muhammad Iqbal, Rami Shapiro, Said Nursi, and Menachem Mendel Schneerson, respectively.
January 20th, “We Refuse to be Enemies”
This dialogue featured the co-authors, Sabeeha Rehman and Walter Ruby, of a recently published book that promotes the vital importance of Muslim-Jewish dialogue. The book is entitled “We Refuse to be Enemies: How Muslims and Jews Can Make Peace, One Friendship at a Time.”
December 7th, A Conversation with Amr Awadallah: From Anti-Semite to Philo-Semite
Amr-Awadallah, an Egyptian-American who has served as an executive with several Silicon Valley companies, was interviewed by a fellow Egyptian-American, Prof. Sahar Khamis, about his public confession of having once been anti-Semitic and his current activism for peace and reconciliation.
November 18th, God, the Faiths of Abraham and the Secular Challenge
We discussed the impact of secularization on the way Jews and Muslims approach the subject of faith and the challenge that secularization poses to our two communities. The panelists were Shaista Ahmed and Rabbi Sid Schwarz.
September 26th, Celebrating Sukkot Together
This was our first masked-face to masked-face meeting since the pandemic began. We not only spoke about Sukkot but joined together in small groups in which each participant discussed their favorite religious holiday. Our host was Congregation Kehilat Pardes.
July 15th and August 19th, American Political Polarization Series, Sessions Two and Three (via Zoon)
We completed the American Political Polarization series with an All-Trump-Voter Panel that further explored American political polarization and what we can do to confront it. The panelists were Saba Ahmed, Steven Tanenbaum, Manga Anantatmula and Anna Libkhen.
June 13th, Singing for Peace, Shalom/Salaam (via Zoom)
This session was a concert featuring the music of Sonia disappear fear and Ertugrul Erkisi.
May 2, American Political Polarization Series, Session One (via Zoom)
This is the first of a three part series entitled “American Political Polarization: Its Nature and Causes and What to do about It.” Panelists were Rahmah Abdulaleem and Dan Spiro.
March 14, Muslim and Jewish Humor (via Zoom)
This session showcased the work of four Washington DC area comics: Gabriel Abasi, Carmiya, Anna Tirat-Gefen and Sufran Zhemukhov.
February 21, Busting Myths about Jews and Muslims (via Zoom)
This session identified and deflated various myths about Jews, Muslims and their faiths. The chief “myth busters” were Fatima Argun, Dr. Margaret Johnson, Kay Halpern and Herb Levy.
January 17, Resisting Injustice Peacefully (via Zoom)
During this session, which was led by a social activist (Rabbi Michael Pollack) and an academic (Professor Sophia Pandya), the JIDS community discussed injustice and how it can be effectively resisted.
November 22, OK Boomer: A Discussion of Generational Differences and Their Impact on Contemporary Jewish and Muslim Communities (via Zoom)
This session was led by four representatives of either the Millennial Generation or Generation Z — Nate Allen, Selim Kandil, Hamza Khan, and Veronica Slootsky. They spoke about how their generations might take a different approach than their elders in such domains as religious congregational life, theology and politics.
September 15, Jews, Muslims & American Politics (via Zoom)
This session, led by Wajahat Ali and Joel Segal, examined the way the American Jewish and Muslim communities, respectively, have tackled political issues and institutions.
August 6, Faith in a Time of Crisis, Part Two (via Zoom)
This session, which was led by Rabbi Hazzan Rachel Anne Hersh and Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, addressed the topic of how the various crises that we are facing today affect people’s religious faith.
July 19, The Proposed West Bank Annexation (via Zoom)
This session was a lively discussion led by a highly ideologically diverse panel — Dr. Mordecai Kedar, Dr. Mai Abdul-Rahman and Amos Gill — regarding the wisdom and propriety of the proposed Annexation by Israel of portions of the West Bank.
June 30, Faith in a Time of Crisis, Part One (via Zoom)
This session, which was led by Rabbi Gilah Langner and Muslim scholar Safi Kaskas, addressed the topic of how the various crises that we are facing today affect people’s religious faith.
June 7, Joe Jencks in Concert (via Zoom)
This session introduced the JIDS community to a spiritual community that has been very generous to us in the past, Unitarian-Universalism (UU). We learned about UU with the help of world-class folk musician and songwriter Joe Jencks, who sang his songs and explained how they were influenced by his UU faith.
April 19, “Between Passover and Ramadan (via Zoom)
“Between Passover and Ramadan — A JIDS Special.” In this dialogue, we reflected on why Passover (if you are Jewish) or Ramadan (if you are Muslim) is so meaningful to each of us and how we would relate the importance of this holiday to the Covid-19 crisis that is engulfing human beings around the world.
January 19, Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, VA
“Finding Flexibility in our Religious Traditions — How Much is Too Much?”
Some people view progressive/liberal religion as an oxymoron, others as an antidote, and still others as a little bit of both. In this session, four diverse panelists shared their perspectives on this issue.
January 19th, Islamic Society of the Washington Area, Silver Spring
“Getting Closer to God: Jewish and Muslim Perspectives on Mysticism”
February 24th, the IMAAM Center, Silver Spring, MD
A screening and discussion of the film, “the Judge,” a documentary about a Palestinian who has the distinction of being the first woman judge in the Middle East’s Shari’a (family law) courts.
March 17th, at a home in McLean, VA
“The Essence of the Qur’an and Its Relationship to the Hebrew and Christian Bibles.” The featured speaker, Safi Kaskas, spoke about his work as a bridge-builder and as a translator of the Qur’an into English.
April 28th, Adas Israel Congregation, Washington, DC
Empowered Women – Two Faiths, Common Challenges (this involved talks from highly successful Muslim and Jewish women)
June 23rd, Meadowbrook Park, Chevy Chase, MD
Summer picnic sponsored both by JIDS and JAMAAT, which stands for Jews and Muslims and Allies Acting Together.
August 25th, the Museum of the Palestinian People, Washington, DC
Members of JIDS tour this museum, which recently opened, and discuss what they saw there.
October 6th, Bethesda Jewish Congregation, Bethesda, MD
“If You Could Make a Plea, What Would It Be?” Pleas are made regarding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict from both the Zionist and Non-Zionist perspectives. Additional pleas are made from both the Muslim and Hindu perspectives on the current conflict in Kashmir.
January 21st, Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, VA
“Challenges of Survival: Religious Minority Communities in a Secular Melting Pot Nation.” We looked at the experiences of Jews, Muslims and Sikhs in America.
February 25th, Hill Havurah, Washington, DC
“Abraham/Ibrahim: Our Common Father”
May 6th, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
Picnic – no organized activities. Just socializing.
July 22nd, Unitarian-Universalist Church of Arlington, Arlington, VA
“Envisioning Peace/Salaam/Shalom between Israelis and Palestinians.” In this program, panelists and members of the audience presented their visions for peace.
October 26, 2018, Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, Washington, DC
“God Wrestling: Jews and Muslims Reflect on the Christian Bible” (the moderator of this event was the pastor of the host church)
January 15th, McLean Islamic Center, Vienna VA
“Who Speaks for Islam/Who Speaks for Judaism.” We addressed such topics as: What defines Judaism or Islam? Its text? Its history? Its spokespeople? And which ones? Is it defined instead by the majority of those who currently self-identify with it, even if they are not clergy or recognized lay leaders? And how can we tell which imams, rabbis, or other “experts” quoted in media are legitimate spokespersons and which are not?
March 19th, Muslim Community Center, Silver Spring, MD
“Muslim/Jewish Engagement in Germany: A Refusal to be Enemies.” This program featured Armin Langer, a young activist who since 2013 had coordinated the Berlin-based Jewish-Muslim Initiative called “Salaam-Shalom.” We explored Jewish and Muslim life in Germany and the state of Muslim/Jewish engagement in that country.
June 4th, Masjid Muhammad, Washington, DC
“God Wrestling Among the Family of Abraham.” We heard presentations from JIDS members as well as high school students in the Operation Understanding DC program focusing on how each speaker conceives of God and how s/he came to have that understanding. Presenters included Jews, Muslims and Christians.
August 13th, the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation, Reston, VA
“Converts and Conversion in Judaism and Islam.”
October 3rd, American University School of International Service
“Finding Hope in a Time of Cynicism: Successes and Challenges in Jewish-Muslim Engagement in the Local Communities”
November 18th, Unitarian-Universalist Church of Arlington, Arlington, VA
“Peace, Salaam, Shalom” – a concert of brilliant contemporary Jewish and Muslim museums. All the net proceeds of the event went to benefit JIDS.
December 10th, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD
“The Refugee Experience as Told through the Story of a Holocaust Survivor in Words and Music.” This presented the poignant tale of a man who lost his wife and son in the Holocaust, escaped and then returned to Poland as a soldier, and finally faced the situation of being a survivor after the war. His tale was told in words by his daughter, and expert in Yiddish language and culture, and in music by a renowned guitar virtuoso.
February 7th, Temple Shalom, Chevy Chase, MD
“The Future of Judaism, the Future of Islam.” (A nice way to spend the few hours immediately before the Super Bowl.)
May 15th, International Cultural Center, Montgomery Village, MD
“Enough with Preaching to the Choir: How to Get Out the Message of the Interfaith Movement to a Wider Audience”
September 18th, Muslim Community Center, Silver Spring, MD
“Non-Belief and Non-Believers”
January 25th, North Chevy Chase Christian Church, home of the Shirat HaNefesh Congregation, Chevy Chase, MD
“How Judaism and Islam Have Informed Our Views on Contemporary Issues.” The issues discussed included such controversial topics as homosexuality and the right to abortion.
March 22nd, Ashburn location of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS Center), Ashburn, VA
This session involved a Cultural Exchange, which is an opportunity for JIDS members to share with each delicious food, family heirlooms, and stories, among other things.
May 31st, Islamic Society of the Washington Area, Silver Spring, MD
A screening and discussion of the film, “Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story” (this is the tragic, yet heroic story of a Muslim woman who, as a British Agent, helped to fight the Nazis during World War II)
October 19th, the All Dulles Area Moslem Society (ADAMS Center), Sterling, VA
“Pilgrimages” – Muslims reflect on their pilgrimages to Mecca during the Hajj and American–Jews reflect on their pilgrimages to Jerusalem
February 2nd, Bethesda Jewish Congregation, Bethesda, MD
“Trinitarian Monotheism” (we heard from representatives of the Eastern Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim traditions, and the moderate was a Presbyterian pastor)
April 27th, Islamic Center of Maryland, Gaithersburg, MD
“The Role of Religion in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict: Is it Exacerbating the Problem? Or Can it be Part of the Solution?”
June 1st, International Cultural Center, Montgomery Village, MD
“The Prophet Moses in the Torah and the Qur’an”
August 10th, at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, MD
“The Gaza War between the Israelis and the Palestinians” (this dialogue occur while the conflict was continuing)
September 28th,
“The Concepts of Social Justice and Human Dignity in Judaism, Christianity and Islam”
October 19th, Congregation Har-Tzeon Agudath Achim, Silver Spring, MD
“Obstacles to Peace (mistrust, fear, trauma, ignorance, etc.) and What We Can Do to Break the Logjam in the Israeli/Palestinian Peace Process.”
November 16th, Black Hill Regional Park, Boyds, MD
Twinning Weekend program bringing together Muslim and Jewish youth for both social action and dialogue activities.
December 14th, Islamic Center of Maryland, Gaithersburg, MD
“God: Mystery and Manifestation.” This involves four thinkers with very different theologies — an Imam, a Traditional Christian, a Progressive Jew and an Atheist — who came together as a panel on different occasions because they’re all passionate about religious issues and share the desire to have a civil dialogue.
February 17th, Muslim Community Center, Silver Spring, MD
First installment of our multi-part series entitled “What Unifies Us, What Divides Us”
The group decided on the following unifiers: the experience of being a member of a minority group (at least here in America, our common ultimate values (e.g., charity, justice, peace, truth, humility and gratitude), the fact that we are both products of the Middle East in culture, history and language, and our strict monotheism. The group decided on the following dividers: the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, our ignorance about our cousin faith (meaning that Jews are ignorant about Islam and Muslims are ignorant about Judaism), the differences in the extent to which we accept or reject the literal meaning of our sacred texts and in the extent to which have “branched vertically” (i.e., embraced and institutionalized liberal/radical expressions of our faiths), and our beliefs with respect to the Prophet Muhammad.
March 15th, the International Cultural Center, Montgomery Village, MD
The next installment of JIDS’ “What Unifies Us, What Divides Us” series.
June 30th, Islamic Center of Maryland, Gaithersburg, MD
“Violence and Fanaticism”
September 22nd, the International Cultural Center, Montgomery Village, MD
The “What Unifies Us, What Divides Us” series continues.
October 20th, Bethesda Jewish Congregation, Bethesda, MD
“Capturing the Complexity of Judaism/Islam: Theology, Cultural, Institutions and Other.” The discussion focused on the richness and plurality of Judaism and Islam, and how these civilizations evolved through a myriad of cultural, historical, linguistic and geographical developments over the centuries.
November 17th, Muslim Community Center, Silver Spring, MD
Rabia Chaudry addresses the group regarding her recent trip to Israel
December 8th, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD
A screening and discussion of the film, “Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet.”
January 22nd, the Moishe House of Montgomery County, Rockville, MD
“Are Muslims and Jews Doing Enough to Combat Extremism?”
February 12th, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC
We took a tour of the Holocaust Museum.
March 18th, Islamic Center of Maryland, Gaithersburg, MD
The topic was the Holocaust. It was moderated by Dr. Sayyid Syeed, National Director of the Islamic Society of North America’s Office of Interfaith & Community Services.
July 1st, ISKCON of DC, Potomac, MD
“Non-Abrahamic Faith Teach-In – The Journey of the Soul in Hare Krishna, Buddhism and Sikhism.”
September 23th, Baitur-Rahman Mosque, Silver Spring, MD
“The Concept of the Brotherhood of Mankind in Judaism and Islam”
October 21st, Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Bethesda, MD
A talk by Beyhan Cagri Trock, the author of the Memoir, “The Ottoman Turk and the Jewish Girl” (Ms. Trock is the daughter of a Turkish-Muslim father and a Jewish mother)
November 18th, Meadowbrook Park, Chevy Chase, MD
Jewish and Islamic youth work together to clean up Rock Creek Park
December 9th, International Cultural Center, Montgomery Village, MD
Screen and discuss the movie “Arranged,” a lovely drama about two Brooklyn-based teachers, a Muslim woman and an Orthodox-Jewish woman, who become friends.
February 20th, Tikvat Israel Congregation, Rockville, MD
“Assimilation: Opportunities and Challenges” (this session examined the experiences of the Jewish and Muslim communities in striving to assimilate to American life without losing what makes our respective communities unique and beautiful)
March 13th, Muslim Community Center, Silver Spring, MD
“The Concept of the Messiah in Judaism and Islam”
March 28th, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation
“An Evening with a Sufi Shaykh”
April 10th, Congregation Beth El, Bethesda, MD
“Even the Devil Can Quote Scripture: Taking Scripture Out of Context” (we confronted the various ways in which the Qur’an and the Torah are being taken out of context by Islamophobes and Anti-Semites to discredit our respective religions)
May 15th, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD
This session featured Tom Block, who spoke about his book, “Shalom, Salaam: A Story of a Mystical Fraternity,” in which he explores the profound historical influence that Sufi Islam has had on Judaism and addresses the influence that Judaism has had in return.
September 18th, Islamic Society of the Washington Area, Silver Spring, MD
“In the Spirit of Abraham and Muhammad: A Look at Our Most Influential Idol Smashers from the More Recent Past.” We look at the ideas of such individuals as Baruch Spinoza and Muhammad Ibn Abd-al Wahhab.
October 30th, Medina Center, Potomac, MD
“Exploring Jewish and Islamic Mysticism”
November 20th, CCNV Homeless Shelter, Washington, DC
Jewish and Muslim teenagers and young adults come together to help the homeless.
January 10th, Islamic Center of Maryland, Gaithersburg, MD
A screening and discussion of the film, “The Woman from Sarajevo,” a documentary about two families, one Jewish and one Muslim. The Muslim faith rescued the Jewish family from the Nazis during World War II, and then the Jewish family rescued the Muslim family from the inferno of Sarajevo 50 years later.
February 14th, Tifereth Israel Congregation, Washington DC
Brainstorming social, charitable and/or political activities that the JIDS community can embrace together.
March 7th, Idara-e-Jaferia Islamic Center, Burtonsville, MD
This session was devoted to the stories of Muslim and Jewish teenagers and young adults in our communities and how their religions have shaped their outlooks on life. The teenagers and young adults were the primary speakers.
April 18th, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD
This session was devoted exclusively to the Environment and what we can do to save it.
April 24th, City Place Theatre One in the City Place Mall, Silver Spring, MD
A screening and discussion of the film, “Out of Cordoba: Averroes and Maimonides in Their Time and Ours”
June 13th, Idara-e-Jafaria Islamic Center, Burtonsville, MD
“God: Names, Attributes, Conceptions.”
September 19th
“Why am I a Jew? Why am I a Muslim.”
The goal is for each panelist to speak from his or her heart about what makes them care so deeply about Judaism/Islam.
October 17th, Congregation Har Shalom, Potomac, MD
“Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism.”
November 14th, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation
Our topic for this section is the notion of “land,” and the claims that have been made by Jews and Muslims over certain disputed land. The presenters discussed the claim that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jews, as well as the claim that once land has been conquered by Muslims, it must forever be under Muslim control.
December 12th, Islamic Center of Maryland, Gaithersburg, MD
JIDS “Free for All.” In this session, we divided into small groups at the very outset of the session and gave each person in attendance the opportunity to set the agenda in that group for up to 15 minutes at a time. The attendees were told either to ask a question to the group, speak about a topic of one’s choice and then solicit questions/comments, or simply pass and let the next person hold the floor.
February, at a home in Silver Spring, MD
This was our initial meeting. The discussion focused entirely on God. We continued to meet on a monthly basis for the next few months.
July 26th, Muslim Community Center, Silver Spring, MD
A Muslim member presented on “War and Peace in Islam.” A Jewish member presented on “The Importance of Israel.”
August 16th, Congregation Or Chadash, Damascus, MD
“Schools of Thought in Islam, Schools of Thought in Judaism
September 13th, the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg, MD
Two topics – “What Does it Mean to be Jewish?” and “Gender in Islam.”
October 19th, Islamic Center of Maryland, Gaithersburg, MD
“Common Barriers Faced by Jews and Muslims in America”
November 8, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD
“How We’ve Been Inspired by Our Cousins’ Faith – The Stories of a Jew and a Muslim”
December 13th, the Islamic Society of the Washington Area, Silver Spring, MD
“Zionism: Principles and Methods.” The meeting was coordinated by a Muslim member of JIDS, Sabir Rahman.