On Friday afternoon, just before 1PM, 15 Jews, NYU students and Bronfman Center staff alike, made their way into the basement of St. Joseph’s Church on 6th Avenue (home to they Islamic Center at NYU) to prepare for the Muslim Friday prayer, Jum’ah. The women were taught how to wrap a scarf, around their heads, and both men and women were handed a diagram of the prayer movements and accompanying words. Seated in the back and off to the side for the service, the Jewish observers sat fascinated. During the service, they were given the tremendous treat of hearing Imam Khalid Latif deliver the Khutbah, or the sermon, with the rhythm of a beat poet. Everyone welcomed the Jewish visitors with hugs, invitations to sit, and offered explanations.
At the end of the service, everyone stood around to chat for thirty minutes (some things are the same in every religion), and promises were made to come to the Jewish half of the event later that evening.
Around 6pm that night, 20 Muslim students showed up to the lobby of 19 W 4th Street to attend Shabbat services. Each student was given a siddur (prayer book) and an instructional page, and then was led up toward the back section of the lecture hall-turned synagogue. More questions, a few quiet jokes, and a lot of singing took place. Rabbi Sarna began his D’var Torah (sermon) by stating that while Imam Khalid was a better speaker, he was, in fact, taller. After the D’var, the Muslim students had to leave through the back so that they could perform their own evening prayer.
After the prayers, about 40 Jewish and Muslim students together made their way to the 5th floor of the Bronfman Center for a delicious Shabbat meal. An icebreaker of “what was your first screenname?” was followed by over 2 hours of phenomenal conversation about classes, ambitions, families, and religious practices. The night ended late, but with many new friendships and with promises of a second round of the Jum’ah/Shabbat Experience!
-Chelsea Garbell
photo credit: http://levantine18.blogspot.com/2011/03/kosherhalal-seal-of-approval.html
At the end of the service, everyone stood around to chat for thirty minutes (some things are the same in every religion), and promises were made to come to the Jewish half of the event later that evening.
Around 6pm that night, 20 Muslim students showed up to the lobby of 19 W 4th Street to attend Shabbat services. Each student was given a siddur (prayer book) and an instructional page, and then was led up toward the back section of the lecture hall-turned synagogue. More questions, a few quiet jokes, and a lot of singing took place. Rabbi Sarna began his D’var Torah (sermon) by stating that while Imam Khalid was a better speaker, he was, in fact, taller. After the D’var, the Muslim students had to leave through the back so that they could perform their own evening prayer.
After the prayers, about 40 Jewish and Muslim students together made their way to the 5th floor of the Bronfman Center for a delicious Shabbat meal. An icebreaker of “what was your first screenname?” was followed by over 2 hours of phenomenal conversation about classes, ambitions, families, and religious practices. The night ended late, but with many new friendships and with promises of a second round of the Jum’ah/Shabbat Experience!
-Chelsea Garbell
photo credit: http://levantine18.blogspot.com/2011/03/kosherhalal-seal-of-approval.html