During the annual community event, A Day in Our Village in 2015, an Oak Park resident approached the Community of Congregations booth and asked where a Muslim family could gather to observe Iftar, the evening break-the-fast during Ramadan.
An email went to all member congregations. Responding immediately was Rabbi Max of Oak Park Temple, who offered the social hall for Muslims to observe their break-the-fast.
Out of that sprang the idea for Tzedakah Sadaqah — words in Hebrew and Arabic, respectively, meaning “charity.” The effort is a collaboration between the synagogue’s religious school and the Muslim Leadership Community, a Sunday afternoon academic, social and spiritual-development program for children at the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park.
To the women who spurred this growing bond, this effort is about building bridges, breaking down barriers and finding support in times of uncertainty.
Being able to look at common ground dispels stereotypes and allows people to see each other as human beings, said Amy Kaufman and Nausheen Akhter, two parents who started the effort.
“We’re making a conscious choice to focus on our similarities and common ground said Kaufman,” who lives in Oak Park. “It’s more constructive. The more you sit and talk with people and talk about vacations or their day at work, no matter if you’re wearing a head scarf or a yarmulke, you are all concerned about the same things — that you hope your families are OK.”
“It strengthens the bonds between both communities,” said Akhter, a River Forest resident. “We are … trying to teach our children so they don’t grow up with preconceived notions and make their own judgments about people.”
Soon after the break-the-fast, Kaufman, Akhter, Annika Rothbaum and Ayesha Akhtar met and wondered how they could get their children together. The focus for each gathering, they decided, would be around a theme central to the traditions of both faiths. In December 2015, the first gathering held at the temple focused on helping the poor. The second, in spring 2016 at the Muslim Foundation, addressed “welcoming the stranger.” Just this past December, at Oak Park Temple, the theme was “what God wants from each of us.”
During each gathering, adults and high school students shared and discussed traditional Jewish and Muslim texts. Middle school-age children read similar materials geared toward their age. Children from kindergarten through fifth grade read age-appropriate books.
And everyone took part in a service project. At the first, they made sandwiches for the temple’s monthly social justice effort called Project Sandwich. In the spring, they put together kits of household products for new refugee families. Children made key chains. This past December, they created treasure bags of toiletries, gloves and socks for PADS. Youngsters painted inspirational words, like “peace” and “love,” on rocks and put them in each bag as a keepsake.
Kaufman, who led the kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students, said the youngsters “definitely were having a good time. They were engaged, getting to know each other.”
Akhter said each time they gather, she has a deeper appreciation of the connections between their faiths. Both have Abrahamic traditions; the beliefs are similar, she said.
“Both have a belief in the oneness of God, have similar values and teachings. This is an opportunity to talk openly about faith; it’s integral to who they are as a person and to their values,” she said.
The appreciation for the relationship has grown. Akhter and Rothbaum shared the meaning of these gatherings during a New Year’s Day unity forum at the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park. Just this past Sunday, middle school and high school students gathered at the synagogue on Martin Luther King Day weekend to express the importance of unity and diversity by doing art projects.
The community effort has grown, and Kaufman and Akhter said people are returning and new participants are coming as well. Another is planned for the spring.
These efforts are becoming increasingly important. Although the topic has not come up in discussions, Kaufman and Akhter are concerned about the rise in hate crimes against Jews and Muslims.
In its most recent report on hate crimes released in November, the Federal Bureau of Investigations saw the numbers increase in 2015. Of the 1,402 victims of anti-religious hate crimes, just over 52 percent were committed against Jews; 22 percent against Muslims. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that incidents spiked after this November elections.
With the rhetoric of the last campaign, particularly about banning Muslims from entering the United States and setting up a Muslim registry, Kaufman said that by creating community, there is more strength to stand up for each other.
“If [President Trump] fulfills his promise to create a Muslim registry, I am more inclined to register now than I might have been two years ago,” Kaufman said. “This makes people real. These are people I know. We must build up a sense of trust.”
“I’m excited more than ever about this relationship in the context of the world we’re now living in,” Akhter said, with social media feeding negativity and the uptick in hate crimes. To know we have a broader community of support is just wonderful. The kids need to see that too and feel that they’re not alone. As someone living in this community, I have made some really good friends at the temple. And I really feel blessed with the support here.”