CMJE in the News
November 2009
"New Ground Kicks Off Muslim-Jewish Film Series" www.mpac.org 19 November 2009
Over 40 people attended a screening of the French film "Bad Faith," the premiere event of the Muslim-Jewish Film series at the University of Southern California (USC). The series, co-sponsored by NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change, the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement and USC's Office of Religious Life, seeks to use film to provoke productive discussions around sensitive and relevant issues in both the Muslim and Jewish communities.
"Windmueller to step down as HUC dean" JTA, November 16 2009.
"Jewish-Muslim Relations" by Dan Rickman Y-Net News, 8 November 2009.
August 2009
"Where Tzedakah Meets Sadaqa," by Tamar Snyder, The Jewish Week, 5 August 2009.
In recent years, there has been a groundswell in Muslim-Jewish encounter programs. Two weeks ago, the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding organized a four-day mission for rabbis and imams. In February, The Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement (CMJE) and NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change launched a pilot text-study program where Muslims and Jews studied and discussed Islamic and Judaic religious sources together.
July 2009
"Embracing the Challenge: Reuven Firestone on Jewish-Muslim Dialogue, An Interview by Joshua Stanton," Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, 5 July 2009.
June 2009
"Jews, Muslims Share Sacred Texts" By Laura Stampler, Jewish Journal, 24 June 2009.
On Wednesday night, June 17, a mélange of Angelinos gathered in the downstairs cafeteria of the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation mosque. Some wore kippot, others kufis, some women wore their hair in long curls and others covered themselves in headscarves, but all united for a shared evening of conversation, dinner and Islamic and Judaic text study.
"Studying Religious Texts Fosters New Connections between Muslim and Jewish Peers," HUC-JIR News Center, 15 June 2009.
Can religious texts be used to unite? The pilot cohort of the Muslim-Jewish Text Study program believes that the answer is “yes.” More than twenty Muslim and Jewish peers and professionals have spent the last four months meeting together to discuss themes from their respective traditions.
April 2009
"Parliamentarians Encourage Jewish Muslim Dialogue in Britain," by Tom Tugend, Jewish Journal.com, 29 April 2009.
" Dr. Mohamed Fathi Osman to Receive Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Graduation Ceremonies", HUC Press Room, April 2009.
"Peace Talks: Muslim-Jewish Engagement," By Marwa Katbi, The Seventy Faces, 24 April 2009
USC is the first academic institution to launch a Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement. Cool ... and that means what?
March 2009
"Candor and Conflict," by Rob Asghar, USC Public Diplomacy Blog, 16 March 2009.
"An Appreciation of Islam: Q&A with Rabbi Reuven Firestone", by Brad A. Greenberg, Jewish Journal Los Angeles, 11 March 2009
November 2008
"Southern California Jews and Muslims share a Faith in each other's Goodwill" by Duke Helfand and Raja Abdulrahim, Los Angeles Times, 24 November 2008.
Some synagogue and mosque congregants embrace a campaign designed to foster mutual understanding.
"Bridging the Muslim-Jewish divide" by Tom Tugend, JTA, 18 November 2008.
"Mosques and synagogues reach across divide" by Tom Tugend, Jewish Journal, 12 November 2008.
The transcontinental "Weekend of Twinning," under the theme, "Confronting Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism Together," will be held nationally Nov. 21-23, but Los Angeles will get a jump on the rest of the country.
August 2008
HUC-JIR Joins the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation and USC to Form Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement
HUC-JIR News Center, 8 August 2008
Leaders from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) and the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation joined USC College Dean Howard Gillman to pledge their institutions' support to a unique partnership housed in the College's Center for Religion and Civic Culture.
Celebrating Old Friendships, Forging New Ones, by Wayne Lewis, August 2008.
Omar Foundation luncheon honors USC College Dean Howard Gillman, spotlights new joint center.
March 2008
Islamic Shura Council of Southern California Congratulates CMJE as a 'historic milestone'
On March 26th, 2008, the Shura Council of Southern California made the following statement in its community update:
A historical milestone toward Muslim-Jewish relationship was reached with the formation of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement, a collaborative between USC Center for Religion & Civic Culture (CRCC) with Hebrew Union College (HUC) and the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Foundation (Omar). This project represents an unprecedented institutional initiative promoted by three proven and successful educational structures. Applauding Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Foundation, a major Islamic institution of Southern California, Dr. Siddiqi, Chairman of the Shura Council said, "this is historic, most meaningful and a need of the day.
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