Community Building for 1000 Jews & Muslims 2023-25

The group began as the initiative of a couple of yeshiva alumni and Muslim girls, all students at the Tel Aviv University, after we realized that both groups were interested in learning more about the other religion. From March-May 2015 (spring semester) we met weekly, for some ten times, for 60-90 minutes in a group of 3-4 students. Everyone involved really enjoyed the experience, and this year we decided to expand it to accommodate the interest of friends. This semester (October-January) we have two different groups that meet on Mondays, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, each for 60-90 minutes, with 4 students in each group. Since the beginning of the semester we met for three times.

The encounters are text-based, and primarily involve studying Maimonides's Mishneh Torah and ahadith from the Sahih Bukhari collection, on similar subjects. Last year we studied principles of faith. This year the two groups are studying laws of prayer and laws of idolatry. The group is geared towards religious students who are comfortable with religious texts and concepts. We are happy to expand, but are only actively seeking students who would fit the group dynamic (usually having a religious background or familiarity--we are mostly yeshiva students or Muslim students from religious families). In addition to the regular curriculum, the meetings offer the opportunity for us to share and compare religious traditions and stories (for example about the creation of the world, or how prayer is carried out).

Links:

• IEA general website
• Annual reports page
• Recent updates page

• Report in Hebrew, Arabic and English (PDF)