September 20th, 2019
Organized by Abed Elsalam Manasra, AR Israel Coordinator, & Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, AR International Director. Written by Chris Miller with contributed material from Abed Manasra.
At Kibbutz Gvat, a Jewish village of just under 1000 persons to the west of Nazareth in the Jezreel Valley, more than 50 families (over 110 participants) came together for an interfaith evening of prayer, discussion, dialogue, song, and dinner.
This month’s program was conducted in the Gvat Synagogue and centered around Kabbalat Shabbat – “a series of hymns, Psalms, and blessings collectively known as Kabbalat Shabbat” * (lit.: receiving the Sabbath) which are recited, sung, and said before the Friday Ma’ariv services.
Not only did participants have the opportunity to meet people of other faiths and backgrounds, but they came this meeting also especially to pray together, and to observe and share religious practice. This type of meeting represented a deepening of community and peacebuilding, as earlier programs included introduction to and discussion of common themes in the various religious texts, but didn’t foray into experiencing and practicing each others’ faiths.
Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, welcomed the participants – Christian, Muslim, and Jewish families sitting together in the Gvat Synagogue – to this event understanding and bridge-building. He discussed harmony amongst all religions and human beings, the importance of meeting one another in person to know one another, and how to be open to someone of a different faith or ethnicity. He also emphasized the importance for religious leaders to create peace with each other and within themselves before attempting to create peace in the world.
Rabbi Leora Ezrachi Vered of Nigun Halev guided the evening Kabbalat Shabbat services of songs, prayers, and teachings about the upcoming High Holy Days, and helped participants connect with one another in dialogue.
“This meeting helped us to find common points between religions, and helped to understand the other in greater depth, by getting close to the other and knowing their prayers and rituals,” says Abdelsalam, who plans to organize future events similarly, praying together in each other’s houses of worship in order to gain deeper and more intimate insight into the different beliefs of the many peoples living in the Holy Land.
After the services, all joined together for dinner, the traditional celebration of Oneg Shabbat.
Thanks to Rabbi Leora and Nigun Halev for partnering in this event.
* https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/kabbalat-shabbat/, Accessed Saturday, October 12th).
