SEPTEMBER, 2022
Sheikh Khalil joined AR Executive Administrator Chris Miller in Sarasota for a week of refuge, staying with Rising Tide community members Raymond & Cheryl Kaiser, and then went to Ft. Lauderdale to stay with long-time AR supporters, Iain and Yona MacWilliam.
Khalil was busy! We brought him to the Mosque in Sarasota, he filmed interviews with Chris (translated by Sheikh Ghassan’s son, Ali), enjoyed meals at the Manasra home, and even offered a public evening (recording on YouTube here) at Rising Tide International in Sarasota.
Here are some photos from his time in Florida:
On the East Coast of Florida, Khalil traveled with Iain and Yona to meet baby gators, Kamruz Hossein from JAM & All Interfaith Association in Ft. Lauderdale, who was able to introduce Khalil to many contacts in the Ft. Lauderdale area, jumped onto a TAO Shabbat Services Zoom Call with Rabbi Marc Labowitz (Iain & Yona are Temple Members), and then flew back to NYC for Rosh Hashanah with Annie Borofsky (AR Supporter). He flew back to Israel from NYC at the beginning of October.
Deep thanks to all those who helped to host and make Sheikh Khalil’s time in the US so wonderful, especially Cheryl & Raymond Kaiser, Iain & Yona MacWilliam, Annie Borofsky, Patricia Finstad, the Manasra Family, Ali Manasra, Kamruz of JAM & All Interfaith, Rabbi Marc from Temple Adath Or, and the indefatigable Annie Borofsky.
AUGUST, 2022
Khalil Albaz, one of the Abrahamic Reunion’s original Co-Founders in 2003, longtime Muezzein and Bedouin Leader of Tel Sheva, Israel, has taken a respite from the pressure and antagonism of radicals, by visiting the US and staying in New York with longtime Abrahamic Reunion Supporter Annie Borofsky.
Last year, many AR supporters sent support in the difficult time when Khalil was stabbed seven times by radicals as he was closing up his mosque in Tel Sheva for the night. This year, he was again threatened, his house was shot, and his wife, fellow AR Co-Founder Sana Albaz, sadly passed away.
We were able to put that support we received to good use, and bring Khalil to the US for a few months to rest, recuperate, and heal from the recent painful years and constant pressure from radicals.
Sheikh Ghassan Manasra and his wife, Sheikha Laila Manasra, flew to welcome Khalil and acclimate him to the US, and they all drove to Rochester, Buffalo, and Toronto to visit former Board Member Linda Hall, AR supporters John & Ardvisura Stith, John & Cinde Lloyd, and in Toronto to see Ghassan & Laila’s daughter and her new baby, along with AR Board Member Neil Rothenberg and many others.
“Khalil is good – I love him!” said Sheikh Ghassan.
“Laila and I went to meet Khalil in NY, it was a very special time for us to see him, a strong person with a broken heart, sad a little bit, but his belief in this great life and belief in the connection between peoples from all sect and all religion everywhere – the days we spent traveling together, meeting friends together, helped him to be more quiet and relaxed and be able to feel safe here.”
“Our support to him, to be with him, is very great, but we need more support for Khalil to make him stronger and a happy person. Because he is one of our greatest leaders in the Holy Land, in peacemaking, connecting, and doing lots of things. We love him, we will be with him always, and we will support him as we can.”
Khalil expresses his gratitude to all who supported him in this difficult time, and stood by him and the AR’s work to build community bridges using dialogue, nonviolence, and human connection.
A few more photos from his time, at the Mosque in NY, the Beach with Annie.
