Submission #311 by Temple Israel Center Brotherhood - White Plains, NY (1810)

I have read the General Guidelines, "Nuts and Bolts" and Program Advanced Planning (Excel Spreadsheet) Documents
Club Name
Temple Israel Center Brotherhood - White Plains, NY (1810)
Jewish Muslim Relations
Club Representative
Person completing form
Richard
Freiberg
Club President at time of Convention
Richard
Freiberg
Club President Now
Richard
Freiberg
FJMC - other

Page 1

The overall goal of the program is to improve Jewish Muslim relations which was motivated by a sermon given by our assistant Rabbi who worked with an Imam when he served as Hillel leader at Duke University. The second goal is to keep our name and activities before the TIC family and in particular the non brotherhood members to increase our membership as well as establishing ourselves as a service arm of our Synagogue.
torch_planning.xlsx
As part of a weekend long Scholar in Residence program we invited the Imam up to speak. The program featured an informal and intimate discussion after Friday evening service at dinner with approximately 30 Synagogue members, clergy and Imam where we discussed Jewish/Muslim relations and Jewish/Turkish relations which served as a springboard for a Shabbat post Kiddush discussion attended by at least 250 Synagogue members (we have approximately 825 member families); Sunday's more formal discussion which took place in our packed sanctuary before a crowd in excess of 600 including at least 100 members of the community of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths some of which were leaders and many Synagogue and advanced students (and moderated by our Senior Rabbi) which featured a keynote speech entitled "Jewish Muslim Relations: Challenges and Opportunities.
jewish_muslim_relations.pdf

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Self Assessment
Two positive impacts that came as a direct result of this program. First, through our educational arm a coalition was formed bringing together our Jewish teens and Muslim teens that are collaborating on a series of joint social programming. The adults in the community are involved through a Brotherhood member and clergy in a new program bringing together on a quarterly basis 30 adults equally divided between Jewish, Christian and Muslims to discuss the similarities in our respective texts and to learn and discuss what we can do to effectuate more tolerance in the world.
One of the impacts was that we were asked to do other programs of this type by non members of our Brotherhood which resulted in the programs referred to in Impact in the previous section.

Jewish life includes being part of the overall community and appreciation of what the various members of the Synagogue do and contribute for our country and community to bring about Tikkum Olam.
A personal outgrowth of this program is felt by me each day as I have learned more about tolerance and forgiveness which culminated in a book which I read and discussed in my annual Brotherhood Shabbat sermon. I received numerous positive comments on both the content, how it impacted their thinking and although the individual discussed is too aged to travel, at least 6 asked for the book.
Original Program
Previous Submission
Yes