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The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) adopted a resolution on March 2, asking local and national Jewish groups to stifle the rifts between Muslims and Jews by building coalitions with Muslim Americans.
In the midst of an intense struggle between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East, JCPA believes it is vital for American Jews and Muslims to come together at this difficult time.
"Jewish and Muslim Americans…Should work in coalition to advance our common commitment to civil liberties, the struggle against all forms of terrorism, racism, anti-Semitism (and) anti-Muslim prejudice," the resolution declared.
Some Jewish activists like Rabbi Michael Paley of New York have received backlash for their efforts to bridge the gap between Jews and Muslims. In August 2008, Paley spoke out in defense of the principal of a planned Arabic-language middle school in Brooklyn who had being wrongly denied of being a "9/11 denier."
Paley, a scholar-in-residence and director of UJA-Federation of New York's Jewish resource center, was ordered not to speak on the issue anymore.
Yet, the Union for Reform Judaism, America's largest Jewish religious denomination, has been engaged in dialogue for more than a year with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the largest Muslim organization in the United States.
While harsh criticism has come from both sides, Jewish and Muslim activists currently involved in dialogue with Muslim groups agree that talks should focus on issues with potential for common ground – not on the Israeli-Arab conflict.
To see the original article: http://forward.com/articles/103606/
Posted on March 6, 2009
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