The Interfaith Encounter Association, joint again by the Praying Together In Jerusalem group, held its annual Iftar at the Felm Center, with dozens of Jews, Muslims and Christians who came despite the heavy rain.
We started with a Praying Together session of prayers by the three religions and music by the IEA's band Wast El Tarik Band that played beautifully and wonderfully. We listened to religious teachings from Islam, Judaism, and Christianity - who celebrate Holidays at the same time: Muslims celebrate Ramadan, Jews have the feast of Pesach, and then Easter for the Christians. The rise of a Muslim woman and her reading of Surat Al-Fatihah drew special attention.
When the session ended, it was time for Iftar and the Adhan. Dinner included salad and two Makluba pots, one with meat and the other for vegetarians. People shared tables and conversations and had a great time and special opportunity to get to know each other.
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On 15 September, we celebrated the 2022 Interfaith Encounter Day at the Felm Center, in Jerusalem, with dozens of active groups' participants and IEA supporters.
We started with mingling and free conversation, between old and new friends. Then we moved to organized conversation circles where participants met people from other groups, and shared and listened to each other’s experiences in IEA encounters.
We then shared a light dinner and listened to Wast El Tarik, IEA’s interfaith band. The atmosphere was very joyful, and several people even held hands and danced together to the sound of traditional songs in Hebrew, Arabic and English.
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We are thrilled to share with you some photos and the video of the most exciting ceremony in which the Interfaith Encounter Association received Israel's Presidential Award for Volunteerism, together with other amazing organizations and individuals.
Dr. Yehuda Stolov, our Executive Director, and Ms. Nahid Sakis, Coordinator of the Jaffa Interfaith Encounter group, received the award in the name of IEA, together with 30 of IEA's coordinators and activists.
You can watch the whole ceremony in the President's Facebook page: https://fb.watch/dFW4yfUweE/ (if you don't understand Hebrew and want to still be excited with us – you can watch the actual awarding of IEA from minute 34:40).
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Our community members and guests got together at FELM Center in Jerusalem to celebrate our annual interfaith Iftar (the breaking of the fast during Ramadan month), as we are used to at the Interfaith Encounter Association for nearly twenty years.
The event started with a special edition of “Praying Together in Jerusalem” program, in which speakers shared how their holidays of Pesach, Easter and Ramadan teach them to be more compassionate people.
Afterwards, participants gathered in the yard to listen to some blessings by a Sheikh, and enjoyed a festive dinner together with Maklube, stuffed vegetables and more. The event also included a special performance of IEA’s band, Wast El Tarik.
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The Interfaith Encounter Association participated as one of the organizers in a conference on the topic of Share society in diverse communities and organizations in an era of local and global crises at Jezreel Valley College. The conference was led by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Center for the Study of Social Diversity and Conflicts between Groups, in collaboration with the IEA and other organizations.
We heard about successes and challenges from the deputy head of the Jezreel Valley Regional Council, the director of the Abraham Initiatives and the director of the Interfaith Encounter Association. We held a panel with activities and activists who initiate and lead activities in the field, at the public level and behind the scenes.
In the last part of the meeting, we gathered - academic staff, students and guests - at three tables where we gathered the insights from the previous two sessions and discussed further directions for promoting a shared life.
We will continue with internal and external collaborations that involve not only dialogue but joint work to open and foster sustainable coexistence in communities and organizations.
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