By Dr. Yehuda Stolov | Executive Director
This encounter of the Rabbis and Sheikhs group took place after a long wave of violence and the fact that we managed to maintain it raised great excitement.
Some 22 participants came to this encounter. Participants introduced themselves and the group coordinators – Rabbi Nagen and Sheikh Abu Khalil - welcomed everyone. One of the guests was Dr. Omer Salem, who finished not long ago a doctorate at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Sheikh Abu Khalil honored Dr. Salem to present the Muslim view of the theme. Dr. Salem detailed the religious significance of the place, and emphasized that we are neighbors. Another participant described how he got up early in the morning and passed four checkpoints just to participate with us in building peace between the two peoples.
Rabbi Nagen stressed that from Jewish point of view, the temple should be sacred to all. Solomon built the First Temple in collaboration with Hiram, King of Tyre and prayed that God listens to the prayers of everyone through this place. Isaiah's prophecy also emphasized that the Temple will be an open house of prayer of all nations. Hence, the fact that the place is holy for both Jews and Muslims is not only a problem but also a challenge to all of us to connect together.
Hadassah Froman quoted from her late husband Rabbi Menahem that the place does not belong to either Jews or Muslims, it belongs to God. The solution is that the leaderships of the two religions Jews and Muslims will together care for it.
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