Nazareth Interfaith Tour and Ramadan Iftar Meal
We came on two buses from Jerusalem- religious Jews and over 40 Palestinians from the East Jerusalem neighborhoods- Ras al-Amud, Sur Baher, Beit Haninah…for a peace tour of the Old City of Nazareth.We met up with Gaby Meyer, and were led on a tour by Zev Ben Aryeh of the holy places to Christianity and Islam- the Church of Annunciation, Franciscan church, the White Mosque and Mary’s Well.
Throughout the old market, residents were pleasantly shocked to see religious Jews and Muslims, lots of women w/ hijab and kids too, touring together as new friends, on a day after a reported riot in Nazareth, not to mention the then current war in Gaza.
PHOTOS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jerusalem_peacemakers/sets/72157646121613722/
We then drove up to the home of Sheikh’s Ghassan and Abdel Salaam Manasra, the Lights of Peace/ Sufi center for an Abrahamic Reunion iftar gathering. We were about 140 people… we opened with a prayer circle– joined on phone by teacher Shahabuddin David Less from the Sufi camp in Switzerland– to bless the food for the Muslim iftar, and remember those who have lost their lives in the events leading up to and in the Gaza war, Palestinians and Israelis.
We shared the iftar meal together, the Muslim hosts made sure the Jews had kosher ‘l’mehadrin’ portions. After the meal while the Muslims stood in row for evening prayers facing Mecca, the religious Jews stood in a row right behind them saying their evening prayers, called’maariv’, in a powerful symbol of coming together in prayer, separate but in respect and unity at the same time.
Rabbi Yaakov Nagen of Otniel yeshiva, Anglican father Abuna Nael Abu Rahmoun, Sheikh Ghassan Manasra and Hadassah Froman gave teachings and prayers, while Gaby Meyer led a chant, zikr in Arabic and Hebrew- ein k’elohenu, la illaha ill’Allah, with men in the outer circle, women in the inner circle.
We then had a listening circle where everyone shared from the heart- how empowering it was- to be in such a circle of Jews, Christians and Muslims, to fulfill a deep desire to be together in this circle of unity at that challenging moment in time.
Father Nael, Sheikh Ghassan and Eliyahu McLean led a powerful closing prayer and teaching. Eliyahu invoked the memory of Leah Lublin, an interfaith activist who died the morning of this event, just moments before leaving work to join us on the bus to Nazareth. Eliyahu shared that after he and his family were attacked on a bus recently, with rocks and molotov cocktails… some friends urged him take revenge on the Arabs, he stated “my revenge was… to plan THIS gathering! When Eliyahu called for, in the name of the late Rabbi Menachem Froman, of blessed memory, a ‘jihad for peace’, Abuna Nael exclaimed: “a Jihad for Love!!” to applause from all…
Host Sheikh Ghassan Manasra closed, imploring each of us to be examples, leaders, in our religions… to stand together for peace, as we are standing together now, and that our work together for peace and justice must continue.
Rodef Shalom Eliyahu McLean, with Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, coordinators, the Abrahamic Reunion
