Arabic Poetry from Al-Andalus Lives on in Hebrew
For hundreds of years, a culture of openness, learning, and creativity thrived in Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain). Today, 1,000 year old Arab poetry from the period lives on in Hebrew, testament to the cross-cultural and interfaith exchange that defined this period in history. Cordoba House takes its name from this remarkable period and seeks to promote a spirit of interfaith cultural exchange and harmony in the contemporary world similar to that which characterized Al-Andalus in the medieval period.
Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday and Hanukkah
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.
Schools Participate in Pilot Interfaith Program in Philadelphia
An interesting new project in Philadelphia will bring students from three religious schools together for interfaith dialogue. The project, called “Faith in Humanity,” aims to introduce Muslim, Christian, and Jewish students to one another, helping them learn about each other’s faiths, lives, and experiences, and build friendships. As one teacher noted, we live at a time when many forces are at work seeking to divide people, and “That’s why programs like this are so important… is very important that my students know about these other students, and the other students know about my students. So maybe, I hope, we can close the gap that divide us, and in that sense, we can become a better, stronger community, and maybe face the challenges that time has posed.”
Interfaith Groups Help Resettle Refugee Family
In a wonderful act of compassion and charity, the interfaith community of Wilmington, Delaware came together to help a refugee family from Afghanistan settle in their city, providing the family with support, including furnishings for their new home, food, help navigating their new hometown, and employment assistance. As one organizer says, “Whether it’s a single congregation or multiple congregations, when you can say ‘this is my family now, and I will do everything I would do as if I was helping my own family member,’ that level of responsibility lasts over time.”
