Muslim & Jews Share Stories at NewGound 'Relationships' Event

November 14, 2011


There was one clear message of the evening: people of other faiths can help make you stronger in your own.

Speaking about their interfaith experiences and lives, eight young Muslims and Jews took the stage Sunday night at Busby's in Los Angeles to speak free-form about growing up and feeling like "the other" in a predominantly Christian world. More than 150 young professionals attended "Relationships: True Stories from LA's Muslims & Jews," an evening of storytelling and faith-building, hosted by NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change

Sarah Bassin, the executive director of NewGround, and Najeeba Syed Miller, assistant professor for interreligious education at Claremont School of Theology, set the relaxed tone for the evening which was convened by the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding's 4th annual Weekend of Twinnings, an international program with the goal of bringing Muslims and Jews together. 

First on the stage was Sarah Sabet, an Egyptian Muslim American, who grew up in a multi-faith home: her dad is Muslim, her mom is Jewish and her two sisters are Mormon and Agnostic. 

"The one thing that grounded me is my diverse experience, especially my mother," Sabet said. "We practice different faiths and she has helped me be a better Muslim even though she is not a Muslim." 

Dusty Class, who is Jewish, followed Sabet and expressed the same sentiments.

"I'm a better Jew because of my Catholic mom," Class said. "We can be strangers in our traditions through our interactions with others."

The speakers, who all had dynamic resumes and diverse backgrounds of interfaith experiences, conveyed the same overall message which was was eloquently summed up by MPAC intern Mustafa Eck, a film studies major at the University of Southern California, "It's important to become friends with those you think are so different than you so you can really know how similar you are."

Along with MPAC, the event was co-sponsored by Young MALAC, East Side Jews, MECA-SoCal, JQ International, Islamic Law Society, Hebrew Union College, American Muslim Professionals-LA, Birthright Israel NEXT,  LimmudLA, College and Young Professional Muslims, Jumpstart, LA Mostlems, IKAR and PJA-JFSJ, and the event raised more than $1,200 for the LA-based gang rehabilitation project Homeboy Industries.

-- Marium F. Mohiuddin
(marium@mpac.org)
Communications Coordinator 

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