Talk on Muslim/Jewish Relations at Forest Hills Jewish Center

In the wake of September 11, two of the most prominent Muslim and Jewish leaders in NYC forged an unlikely friendship. As the city reeled from the events of the day, many people reacted with anger and bitterness. Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali instead made the courageous decision that they would bring their communities together to work for peace. 

On Sunday, December 15 at 2:00 p.m.., Rabbi Schneier and Imam Ali will discuss their new book, which grew out of their conversations, Sons of Abraham, at the Forest Hills Jewish Center in Queens. 

In their new book, Rabbi Schneier and Imam Ali confront the differences between Muslims and Jews with great honesty, while also looking for the values that unite us.  They challenge both Jews and Muslims to step outside their comfort zones to find common ground. 

Tickets to this event, which also includes kosher desserts, are available through the Central Queens Y, at (718) 268-5011, ext. 151 or online at www.cqy.org/tickets.  Advance tickets are $15, with tickets at the door at $21. 

Rabbi Marc Schneier was born in NYC into a community wary of outsiders.  Son of a distinguished rabbinical dynasty, his passion for Israel made him suspicious of Muslims. Imam Shamsi Ali grew up in a small farming village in Indonesia and attended Muslim schools in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, where he was taught that Jews intended to destroy Islam and its practitioners. Despite such extraordinary differences, these two men become close friends, as well as passionate advocates for mutual understanding between the world’s most bitterly opposed religions. Rabbi Schneier and Imam Ali confront such difficult questions as the legitimacy of both Israel and a Palestinian state, the idea of the chosen people, the meaning of jihad and shari’a. Rabbi Schneier and Imam Ali do not agree on everything, but when they disagree, the manner in which they do so sets an example for this necessary dialogue. 

More information about this event is available at 718 268-5011, ext. 151, or online at www.cqy.org or at  (718) 268-5011 ext. 151, or pkurtz@cqy.org.