Congregation Natan Ya of Netanya, Israel Joins Other Israeli Clergy in Interfaith Prayer Meeting During Gaza Conflict Dan Goldschmidt
Dan Goldschmidt
Daliat El Carmel Interfaith Meeting
Wednesday 30 July 2014
On Wednesday 30 July, I went with my rabbi, Rabbi Dr. Edgar Nof of Congregation Natan Ya, Netanya, Israel, to a meeting of Israeli clergy held under the aegis of the Universal Peace Federation/Jerusalem Interfaith Forum for Cooperation among Religions. Accompanying Rabbi Nof and I were Fran Hutner, President of the Sisterhood of Congregation Natan Ya, Netanya; Vered Ivstan, Cantor of Congregation Or Hadash, Haifa; and Rabbi Annie Lewis of the Germantown Jewish Centre, Philadelphia, PA, USA. The meeting was held in the city of Daliat El Carmel – home to the largest Druze community in Israel – in the home of Sheikh Ali Birani, President of the Jerusalem Interfaith Forum. Several eminent members of the Israeli clergy were present, including Father Yacoubus Abu Aqel and Father Dimitri Mussa, Greek Orthodox Priests from the Galilee area, the Imam of El Jazaar mosque in Acco, Samir Aasi, plus local Druze religious leaders. Daliat El Carmel Mayor Rafik Halabi also joined the group.
The purpose of the meeting was to redirect and elevate the thoughts of those attending regarding the stress and violence of the current situation and of interfaith interaction in Israel in general. Rabbi Nof and Cantor Ivstan began with songs of peace and friendship from the Jewish liturgy and tradition. Our host spoke of his learning as a youth that we were not just Jew, Christian, Muslim and Druze but instead we are humanity. The Imam told of how he took leave of his congregation on this Muslim holy day because of the importance of this meeting. He spoke eloquently about peacefully living together in Eretz Yisrael as Jews and Muslims do in Acco, but he also expressed the pain he felt for the innocent children in Gaza. One of the Druze leaders discussed the limitations of street demonstrations, where everyone has his own “interest”, motive or intended audience – as compared to prayer, where all are only focused on communicating with Elohim. One of the priests attempted to speak but was overcome with emotion when talking about the tragic circumstances of the ancient Christian communities Syria and Iraq. He later told me that he has a son who is an officer in the IDF. We received words of blessing and thanks from Rabbi Lewis, whose status elicited questions from the other clergy with regard to the acceptance of women rabbis in Judaism.
A traditional light but delicious luncheon was served on the terrace of the airy, spacious multi-leveled house, perched on top of a hill. We sat and ate and talked under a trellis shaded with grape leaves and heavy with bunches of grapes: a symbol of peace.
While I was active in interfaith activities in the U.S. before I made aliyah in 2007, this was the first interfaith program for me at which I represented the religion of the majority. It was a moving and thought-provoking experience.
The meeting was conducted in Hebrew. After it was over, I asked Dan, who does not understand a word of Hebrew, what he thought of the meeting. He said he felt peace, love and respect. I told him he had understood perfectly.
Dan Goldschmidt
President
MRJ Israel Congregation Natan Ya
Dan Goldschmidt
