Last week I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of Jewish community leaders on a Niagara Foundation sponsored trip to Türkiye (Turkey). Our mission: to provide the group with windows into the Jewish experience in Turkey. One of the trip participants would describe this as, “not a Jewish trip to Turkey but a group of Jewish people traveling to Turkey.”
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Rabbis for Human Rights: “We have to understand that we have common issues in our communities that we can work together to improve our schools, we can work together for immigration reform and that these are issues of shared concern that are things we feel passionately about.” Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster believes that […]
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Rabbis for Human Rights: “We have to understand that we have common issues in our communities that we can work together to improve our schools, we can work together for immigration reform and that these are issues of shared concern that are things we feel passionately about.” Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster believes that […]
Romy Zipken On Tuesday night, in a large, floral wallpapered room on the second floor of Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, about 200 people came together for the Tisha B’Av fast break and the Ramadan iftar. Tired, thirsty, and hungry, they could have just stayed home. But they didn’t. Some brought their families, and some came […]
Interfaith Gathering Breaks the Fast of Ramadan at Westchester Reform Temple, which was co-hosted by the Turkish Cultural Center. Mehmet Ozhabes, president of the Turkish Cultural Council welcomed everyone saying it is tradition to raise the tent and open the flap wide to receive guests. “The tent,” Ozhabes said, “is a place of peace and […]
Interfaith Gathering Breaks the Fast of Ramadan at Westchester Reform Temple, which was co-hosted by the Turkish Cultural Center. Mehmet Ozhabes, president of the Turkish Cultural Council welcomed everyone saying it is tradition to raise the tent and open the flap wide to receive guests. “The tent,” Ozhabes said, “is a place of peace and friendship.” Religious leaders from White Plains and Mayor Tom Roach were present. Roach spoke briefly about the importance of celebrating the diversity in communities.
Francesca Norsen Tate, Religion Editor Brooklyn’s Jewish and Muslim communities have used a common fasting day to build stronger bonds between them. Last Tuesday, July 16, Jews observed Tisha B’Av, the saddest day of the Hebrew calendar which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples and is a strict fast day. Meanwhile, until Aug. […]
Fatih Sahin, Anisha Menezes East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet! The Turkish Cultural Centers in America believe in bridging the chasm between the east and west, seeking peace through community building. The 6th Friendship Dinner hosted by the Turkish Cultural Center of Brooklyn, was themed ‘Hate Crimes and […]
Cross-cultural program between Jewish and Turkish Muslim teens flourishes in south Brooklyn as Israel, Turkey eye calm. The Young Peace Builders, which was launched three years ago by the Kings Bay Y, a Jewish community center, and the Amity School, a private K-12 school that admits students from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, serves a primarily Turkish-Muslim student body.
Christians, Jews and Muslims came together to discuss the significance of pluralism and coexistence at Abrahamic Dinner by Niagara Foundation in Chicago. The annual held dinner took place at the newly-launched building of TASC (Turkish American Society of Chicago). Niagara Foundation President Serif Soydan delivered the opening speech of the night and left the stage to the […]
Robert Wiener, NJJN Staff Writer For years, Phil Kruger of Montville has been interested in interfaith dialogue. He’s led fellow members of Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell in comparative studies of the Koran, the Torah, and the Christian Bible, and led a group of Jews, Christians, and Muslims in regular text study. Now he is […]
East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet! The Turkish Cultural Centers in America believe in bridging the chasm between the east and west, seeking peace through community building. The 6th Friendship Dinner hosted by the Turkish Cultural Center of Brooklyn, was themed ‘Hate Crimes and Young Peacebuilders’. “Unfortunately hate […]
Mustafa Akyol There was an interesting story in the Daily News last week, about the cancelling of a Yuval Ron concert in Istanbul. Mr. Ron, an award-wining Israeli musician, was supposed to play his tunes in a Sultanahmet hall, but the event was cancelled at the last minute due to protests, and, allegedly, some “threats.” […]