7th ANNUAL WEEKEND OF TWINNING SHOWS THAT DESPITE GLOOMY HEADLINES, MUSLIMS AND JEWS ARE REACHING OUT TO EACH OTHER TO STRENGTHEN TIES

Contact: Walter Ruby 917-294-1772

In a year during which conflict in the Middle East has cast doubt on co-existence efforts, thousands of Muslims and Jews will be coming together in over 200 events spanning over 30 countries during the 7th Annual Weekend of Twinning to make the point: 'We refuse to be enemies. We will join together to build ties of communication and cooperation for the good of both our communities and the diverse societies around the world in which we live side by side.'

The Weekend of Twinning is an initiative spearheaded every November and December by the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU) with the goal of building ties of communication, reconciliation and cooperation between Muslims and Jews by bringing together synagogues, mosques and Muslim and Jewish student, women's and young leadership groups worldwide. While the official Weekend of Twinning is November 14-16, the season kicked off on Oct. 29 with Spread Hummus Not Hate in Washington DC, a groundbreaking Muslim-Jewish women's conference in Philadelphia on Nov. 2, a presentation on The Centrality of Peace in Islam and Judaism in New Jersey on Nov. 5 and will continue through December.

This year's Weekend of Twinning will have greater geographical range than ever before, especially in within the Muslim world. Not only will there be major twinning events in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, as well as nearby Singapore; but also, in Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria, where the small Jewish community will help to promote peace and understanding between Muslims and Christians. In addition, there will be scores of events in cities across the United States and Europe, Israel and other countries. The theme of this year's Weekend of Twinning is "Giving Back to Our Communities" an expression of the moral imperative in both faith traditions to help those in society who are most in need.

According to FFEU President Rabbi Marc Schneier: "The irony is that even as the grim headlines in recent months have created a picture of endemic conflict between our two faith communities, in reality, more and more Muslims and Jews around the world are reaching out to each other."

Russell Simmons, FFEU Chairman, commented, "I am so proud of the inspiring and critically important work FFEU is doing in building a global movement of Muslims and Jews working together and standing up for the other ."

See below a list of some of the most noteworthy Weekend of Twinning events planned during the next two months. Please contact walterruby@gmail.com or tamar@ffeu.org for details of events: 

• Northern New Jersey Wednesday, November 5, Dr. Ali Chaudry, President of the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge, and Rabbi Deb Smith, Congregation Or Ha Lev in Mt. Arlington, spoke at the Islamic Center of Morris County on "The Centrality of the Concept of Peace in Islam and Judaism." The two will make an appearance at Congregation Or Ha Lev on Friday, November 7, 7:30pm to address the same theme
• Manchester, UK Saturday,November 8, 7:30-10:30 PM A concert extravaganza organized by the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester featuring Rumi's Circle, The Ukrainian Dancers and L'Chaim Kapele. To be held at the Ukrainian Center, 31 Smedley Lane, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 8XB   
• Houston, TX Sunday, November 9, 10 AM-2 PM, Muslim and Jewish doctors, dentists and medical personnel affiliated with the Ibn Sina Foundation and Temple Brith Shalom will come together at the Ibn Sina Community Health Center, 11226 S. Willcrest Dr. Houston, TX 77099 to offer health screenings and consultations to people in without health insurance. The Houston Muslim-Jewish Health Fair will be the model for other such medical collaborative efforts by Muslim and Jewish doctors and dentists across the U.S. in 2015
• Denver, November 9 and 16  On Sunday, November 9, a group of Jewish and Muslim leaders will hold their second meeting to build relationships and work toward the creation of a Muslim-Jewish Leadership Coalition in the Denver Area. On Sunday, November 16, Muslims and Jews will gather under the auspices of the Abrahamic Initiative for a special concert: "Glorious Noise: Interfaith Harmony." For more details contact Rabbi Stephen Booth-Nadav
• Indonesia November 11-November 16, Rabbi Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali will tour Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country with stops in Jakarta, Jogjakarta and Bali to promote their recently published book Sons of Abraham:  A Candid Conversation About the Issues that Divide and Unite Muslims and Jews. For questions on details of the trip contact Tamar, tamar@ffeu.org
• Singapore Monday, November 17, Rabbi Schneier and Imam Ali will be feature speakers at "The Commitment to Peace: A Dialogue on Jews and Muslims", and event co- sponsored by Chabad and the National University of Singapore, Department of Malay Studies. Singapore; a small island nation known for its espousal of religious freedom and diversity.
• Rabat, Morocco November 12-13,  FFEU Director of Operations Tamar Schneck and FFEU European Coordinator Samia Hathroubi will participate in a Jewish-Muslim-Christian women's conference under the patronage of King Mohammed II entitled "Women at the Heart of Monotheism." FFEU's high-level participation in the Rabat conference, together with its co-sponsorship of the first-ever national Muslim-Jewish women's conference in Philadelphia on November 2, demonstrates the priority that FFEU attaches to strengthening ties between Muslim and Jewish women.
• Albany, NY Thursday,November 13, 6:30-8:30 PM FFEU Muslim-Jewish Program Director Walter Ruby will speak at a forum for leaders of the Muslim, Jewish and African American communities in the Capital District at the New School of Business, University of Albany. The Forum will also feature Lawrence Rosenbaum and Reyad Mahmoud of Albany, who recently launched a kosher-halal cheese-making business. 
• Bay Area, CA Saturday, November 15, 10:30 AM-1:30 PM Temple Shir Hadash in Los Gatos (20 Cherry Blossom, Lane, Los Gatos, CA 95032) will be hosting a Muslim-Jewish Women's Twinning event after Shabbat services. Muslim, Jewish and Christian women will hold a public dialogue based on The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, a Jew: Three Women Search for Understanding. With the participation of Shir Hadash Senior Rabbi Melanie Aaron and Maha Elgenaidi of Islamic Networks Group.
• Los Angeles Sunday, November 16, 3-5 PM at Pico Union Project, 1153 Valencia St, Los Angeles, CA 90015, FFEU, Claremont Lincoln University and ReGeneration will co-sponsor "Together in the City of Angels; A Musical Celebration of Muslim-Jewish Unity" in honor of the Southern California Muslim-Jewish Forum, an umbrella body created by FFEU in early 2014 to strengthen Muslim-Jewish relations in Greater Los Angeles. Among the renowned musical performers at the concert are Riad Abu-Gawad, Cantor Mike Stein, Aryell Cohen, Ben Youcef, Hillel Tigay and Judeo and Merima Kljcuo. Other LA events include food packing for the hungry at Wilshire Boulevard Temple with the Islamic Society of Southern California on November 9, and a Muslim-Jewish story telling event organized by NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change on Saturday evening November 15. Contact Rabbi Susan Goldberg and Aziza Hasan respectively.
• Detroit Sunday,November 16, 9 AM-12 PM, Muslim and Jewish activists from around the Detroit area will take part in a cleanup of an empty lot at 2266 Andres Ave. in Hamtramck as part of an ongoing Muslim-Jewish effort to revitalize Detroit. Afterwards, they will enjoy a festive lunch at ICMD Mosque No 3 at 12605 Mc Dougal Ave, Hamtramck.
• Manhattan, NY, Sunday, November 16  A wide spectrum of Muslim and Jewish activists brought together by FFEU and Muslims Against Hunger will gather at Lerner Hall, Room 569 at Columbia University (2920 Broadway) from 2:30-5 PM to prepare food for hungry and homeless people and then move to  the JCC in Manhattan from 6-8 PM for the grassroots and young leadership launch of the New York Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee (NYC-MJSC), a new umbrella body for Muslim-Jewish relations in New York. The NYC-MJSC launch will also include dialogue and kosher and halal cheeses provided by Lawrence Rosenbaum and Reyad Mansour.
• Jerusalem  Sunday, November 16  The Circle of Light and Hope, an Israeli-Palestinian discussion group including Jews from Jerusalem, Christians from Beit Jala and Muslims from Hebron to discuss the interface between religion and politics in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Circle of Light and Hope is one of 29 interfaith groups across Israel and the West Bank under the aegis of the Interfaith Encounter Association. For more details, contact Rabbi Bob Carroll
• Toronto Sunday, November 16  Reception at Hart House at the University of Toronto for launch of Beyond Calligraphy: Jewish and Muslim Artists Explore Texts and Contexts.  The exhibit explores how texts and contexts inform the relationship that Toronto-based Muslim and Jewish artists have with their work.  The event is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims together with the University of Toronto and Dr. Shari Golberg. For details, contact Shahid Akhtar
• London Thursday,November 20, 7 PM Rabbi Maurice Michaels and Dr. Dorab Mistry will participate in a panel discussion on the efficacy of Interfaith Dialogue sponsored by the Barnet Borough Multi-Faith Forum at the Hendon Town Hall
• Washington DC, Sunday,November 23, 1-5:30 PM The Greater Washington Muslim-Jewish Forum, created by FFEU earlier this year to act as an umbrella body for Muslim-Jewish relations in Greater Washington, will sponsor a Summit of Washington Area Imams and Rabbis at the Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb Street, NW 20016-3741 to convince clergy and congregants at Washington area mosques and synagogues to give a higher priority to strengthening Muslim-Jewish relations
• Queens, NY Sunday, November 23, 9:30-11:30 AM Queens Jewish Community Council, 11945 Union Turnpike, Queens, NY 11375 Volunteers from the Muslim community will join Jewish volunteers in packing food for distribution to homeless and hungry Queens residents on Thanksgiving
• Abuja, Nigeria, December 5-7 Rabbi Israel Uzan of Chabad-Lubavtich, together with FFEU, will convene the first Weekend of Twinning in Nigeria with the aim of bringing together top leaders  of Nigeria's frequently antagonistic Muslim and Christian communities for a summit with the aim of showing the larger Nigerian population that peaceful interfaith relations are possible.
• Tunis Sunday, December 7 Award-winning film director Karim Miske will screen his new documentary film "Jews and Muslims Through History" and lead a discussion of present-day Muslim-Jewish relations in North Africa. FFEU's co-partners are the French Embassy and the Association for the Protection of Minorities. For details, contact Samia Hathroubi
• Chicago Sunday,December 5-7 A series of Muslim-Jewish events, including a twinning event between Temple Am Shalom in Glencoe and the Islamic Cultural Center of Greater Chicago in Northbrook; and a Feeding the Hungry effort featuring Congregation Beth Shalom of Naperville and Muslims Against Hunger, Chicago branch.
• Paris Sunday December 14 Weekend of Twinning celebration featuring Rabbi Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali in conversation with French imams and rabbis. FFEU's co-sponsor is the U.S. Embassy in Paris. For details, contact Samia Hathroubi
• Bronx, NY December 17 and 19 On Wednesday, December 17, at 6 PM, Congregation Tehillah, 4450 Fieldston Road, Bronx, NY, Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn and the Tehillah Youth Group will host Sheikh Moussa Drammeh and a youth group from the Islamic Cultural Center of North America (ICCNA) in Parkchester, The Bronx. On Friday December 19 , Sheikh Drammeh and his youth group will host Rabbi Shriner Cahn and a youth delegation from Kehilla at ICCNA, together with Muslim and Jewish leaders from around New York at a reception following the Jum'aa (Midday) prayers about 1:30 PM. The visitors will tour the ICCNA, which includes both the Masjid Al-Imam and Beis Menachem of Parkchester, making it the only joint mosque-synagogue complex in North America.