On December 10, 2017, the Cordoba House Sunday School, under the direction of Naz Ahmed Georgas, mounted what was very likely the first celebration of its kind ever: a joint tribute of appreciation for the Prophet’s birthday and the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Partly motivating the event was the warm relation between Cordoba House and the East End Temple, a Jewish synagogue in Union Square, which has opened up its space for Cordoba House to conduct its Sunday School.
Speaking on a stage decorated with an artistic rendition of the Kaba, Ms. Georgas reflected on the relation between the two occasions: both the Prophet’s life and the Hanukkah story involve purifications of holy places—of the Kaba by Muhammad, of the Jewish Temple by the Maccabees. Jewish friends of Cordoba House joined the proud parents to witness on stage a sequence of songs, poems, Quranic recitation, and string duets performed by the children under the kind and watchful eyes of their good teachers, most especially music director Mustafa Ulmer. Children from all the grades in the school, sporting t-shirts that featured either desert camels or Jewish menorahs, contributed to this celebration of interfaith harmony. Many were moved to tears that so profound a message could emerge from the lips of these young children.
The celebration was also an occasion for the son and daughter of Muhammad Arif Zakaullah, a long-time friend of Cordoba House, to present to the staff a poem he had written in appreciation of Ramadan, “Iqra: The Prize of Ramadan Kareem,” which complemented the Sunday School children’s recitation of Sura 96 and commended the theme of learning. An interfaith highlight was the appearance on stage of both Imam Feisal and Rabbi Josh Stanton, spiritual leader of the East End Temple and an honored guest of the afternoon. The Imam and the Rabbi shared the exciting news that as of January the Temple would also open space for Cordoba House to offer weekly Jumu’ah Prayer and Khutbah services.
