Guests at Iftar dinner discuss Ramadan and Jewish Sabbath.

Northern Virginia Muslims and Jews Celebrate Iftar

By Jenny Chen

Falls Church, Va. – The sun is setting over the Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Va. Inside, over a hundred Muslims and Jews from the Northern Virginia community are seated around round tables, listening to the Muslim call to prayer, led by high schooler Mohammed Aarif Abdul Kareem.

It is Iftar, the breaking of the fast ritual that happens every night for the 30 nights of Ramadan. For the 30 days of Ramadan, Muslims who are healthy and able fast from sunset until sundown in an effort to purify the body and the mind and to give thanks for what they have.

Tonight, some Muslims are breaking their fast alongside Jews – or as Minha Kauser, Co-founder of Jews and Muslims DC (JAM DC) puts it, “fellow children of Abraham.”

JAM DC was founded in 2009 as a non profit organization that seeks to bring Muslim and Jewish young professionals in the Washington DC area together through social, educational, cultural, and service activities. In March 2013 Kauser approached the Temple Rodef Shalom about doing a joint Iftar dinner. The temple readily agreed and offered to pay the costs of the event. They had been working closely with the McLean Islamic Center (MIC) down the road to conduct interfaith activities and events for the last year, said Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe.

“It seemed like a great opportunity to learn about Ramadan,” Saxe said. The temple worked together with MIC to make sure the Muslims would feel comfortable in the temple. A prayer room with mats was set aside in the downstairs school lobby and all the catered food was halal.

When the program began, guests were encouraged to mix and mingle and learn about each other’s religious practices. At one table, the conversation turned to topics of heaven and hell, and how the Torah is said to be a written document whereas the Koran is said to be revealed orally to the Prophet Mohammed.

At another table, Palestinian Elyaa Hammad talked to her dinner companions about the current animosity between Israel and Palestine. At yet another table, the conversation turned to heads scarfs, and the different varieties and rules for wearing them.

“As humans we have different opinions…but we’re all the same species in the end,”said Jasmine Kareem, an Indian-American from McLean. “If you get hurt here,” Kareem points to her arm, “It would hurt me the same way,” she said.

Guests were treated to both a Muslim call to prayer (Maghrib) and Jewish prayer to end Sabbath (Havdalah). Children 12 and under were treated to pizza and two films, one about Ramadan, and another about Shabaat. The Iftar dinner itself was provided by Moby Dick of Falls Church.

Kauser said this was the first time she had organized a joint Iftar dinner at a Jewish temple and she was very pleased with the result.

“I was working with some very fantastic people and I just knew it was going to all work out,” Kauser said. Kauser hopes that these light hearted gatherings will facilitate more difficult conversations later on.

“My ‘second mother’…is Hindu and she always told me that the worst thing in Hinduism is ignorance,” Kauser said.

Above: A child watches over the railing at the Muslim prayer.

Above: Jewish prayer to end Sabbath.

Above: Muslim call to prayer led by Mohamed Aarif Abdul Kareem

Above: Muslim evening prayer

Above: Learning about each others’ religions over soup and dates. 

For more information about JAM DC and photos from the event, visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JAM-DC-Jews-and-Muslims-DC/155866977803084

For more information about the McLean Islamic Center visit www.mcleanmuslims.org

For more information about the Temple Rodef Shalom visit www.templerodefshalom.org

For more information about Minha Kauser’s Teach Learn Think visit: www.teachlearnthink.com

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