Jewish-Muslim Peace Walk Contents Page

• Sharing religious learning and exploration
• Open dialogue among us
• Serving others together

• Religious learning and sharing -- Imam Fode and I will offer three monthly Sunday afternoon opportunites to learn and explore Muslim and Jewish teachings about "Hearing".

  Both of our traditions derive originally from revelation to prophets. Both traditions have needed to transmit as well as interpret and apply those revelations. In addition, both traditions teach that each of us is able in some way to be receivers of the Word. Imam Fode and I will explore how the Jewish and the Muslim traditions have taught about the process of revelation, transmission and interpretation as well as how each of us in our own lives can attune ourselves to receiving, understanding and living the message and mission which are ours.

  Each time, Imam Fode and I will share about an hour of teaching and focused discussion from our own traditions. We'll then have another hour for refreshments and relaxed informal conversation for everyone present.

  We're planning this for January 23, February 20 and March 20, each time from 2 until 4 pm. The February 20 class will be at the Masjid ul-Haqq mosque on Welwyn Street in East Vancouver. The January and March events will be at a synagogue. Because Ahavat Olam's prayer space can comfortably accomodate only about 25 people, we have not decided whether we need a larger space. Please note the dates and times. We'll send a reminder and announce the location well in advance of the events.

  We will open these opportunities to everyone who is interested throughout the entire community. We would like help publicizing these events and with practical details of setup, etc. Please let me know if you'd like to help.

• Open dialogue among us -- We want other opportunities to come together and discuss any topics that we share. Many of us are deeply interested in learning about each others' points of view. Also, many of us want to talk about topics beyond the religious focus of the classes mentioned above. We're going to create a monthly gathering which will be a chance to come together and simply share discussion about any topic that holds our interest. This will be organized and led by Avril Orloff and Shiraz Dindar. Avril works professionally with dialogue. Shiraz has tremendous experience in the whole area of nurturing respect and understanding. Shiraz and Avril will let everyone know when and where these dialogue evenings will take place.

• Serving others together -- We want to come together to serve the needs of people around us. We're thinking about connecting with a homeless shelter or soup kitchen to prepare and serve a meal. Beside providing meals and companionship for others, this will be a way for us to work together and get to know each other in a different context. For several years now, sisters and brothers from Masjid ul-Haqq have prepared and served a meal in a shelter at a United Church in the Downtown Eastside on Eid ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. Hanif Karim and Lorisa Schouela will explore whether we can do that again and whether there are other places where we can help together. If you'd like to help, contact Lorisa at 737-0423 or lorisa@shaw.ca or Hanif at 738-6454 or hanif2@vcn.bc.ca.