University of Southern California
Center for Jewish-Muslim Engagement
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Projects and Programs

The Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement seeks to:

  • enhance the understanding of Muslims about Jews and Judaism
  • enhance the understanding of Jews about Muslims and Islam
  • increase the ability of Jews and Muslims to engage with each on issues of mutual importance

Our aim is to accomplish these goals focusing primarily in the following four areas:

  1. Developing resources, both scholarly and community-based, to address critical issues in Muslim-Jewish Engagement
  2. Creating programs and fostering partnerships here in the United States to strengthen and enhance activities between Jews and Muslims
  3. Creating programs and fostering partnerships abroad to strengthen and enhance activities between Jews and Muslims worldwide
  4. Providing technical assistance to programs, institutions and collaborative efforts between other groups seeking to make an impact in Jewish-Muslim relations.

Domestic Initiatives

Currently, CMJE is building a more public presence to raise community awareness about our programs and resources.

Areas for inter-institutional cooperation through CMJE include, but are not limited to:

  • Scholarship — CMJE will promote the scholarly study of Muslim-Jewish interrelations at a variety of levels based on proven models of academic institutes world-wide.
  • Education — CMJE will develop curricular materials for all educational levels and conduct educational programs for religious leaders, primarily Jewish and Muslim, that will educate through the study of Islamic and Jewish religious texts, religious cultures, history, and contemporary affairs.
  • Publications — CMJE will endeavor to commission original studies and research, and publish high-quality scholarly studies in volumes and periodicals representing the best and most current research and thinking on the multiple facets of Muslim-Jewish relations.

International Initiative

In response to recent appeals from abroad, CMJE is strengthening its international connections and reach. In 2007, the Center worked on various requests from four universities in Muslim nations hoping to improve relations between Jews and Muslims:

  • The University of Dhaka in Bangladesh is developing a program in Jewish Studies.
  • Ein Shams University in Cairo is exploring partnerships in order to develop educational programs in Judaism at its Center for the Study of World Civilizations.
  • An Indonesian consortium in Jog Jakarta is developing a new Ph.D. program in Inter-religious Studies.
  • Dar Al Hadith Al Hassania in Rabat, Morocco, the main center for the higher study of Islam in Morocco, is interested in developing a new course for its Muslim seminary students in Judaic Studies.

CMJE is concentrating its international efforts in two areas:

  • Building and enhancing library holdings in Jewish Studies and Islamic Studies
  • Developing partnerships between academic institutions seeking to create programs in Jewish Studies or Islamic Studies

Technical Assistance and Consulting

CMJE staff and affiliated scholars provide a network of experience and expertise on issues related to Jewish-Muslim dialogue, collaboration and engagement. We work with organizations on both a formal and informal basis to highlight best-practices, create programming and deepen collaborations. Please contact CMJE if your group is in need of consultation in this area.