Exploring Pluralism and Cultural Heritage at SACH Institute in Islamabad (Facebook)
12/2025- Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Update
Rabbi Jeremy Barras- Temple Beth Am
The East-West Foundation Receives $12,300 in Grocery Gift Card Support from Gift Card Bank to Assist Families Impacted by SNAP Disruption
Houston, TX — The East-West Foundation is proud to announce that it has received a generous grant of $12,300 in grocery store gift cards from Gift Card Bank to support community members affected by the November 2025 disruption to SNAP benefits.
Through this partnership, 123 families received $100 grocery gift cards, which were delivered directly via email to households experiencing food insecurity during this critical time. The East-West Foundation worked closely with Gift Card Bank to identify eligible families, ensuring that funds reached those most in need as quickly as possible.
“We are deeply grateful to Gift Card Bank for their timely and compassionate support,” said Iqbal Akhtar, Executive Director of The East-West Foundation. “This assistance has provided immediate relief to families struggling with the sudden interruption of SNAP benefits. Our community partners make it possible for us to respond swiftly in moments of hardship.”
“This partnership has helped put food on the table for families at a time of uncertainty,” Akhtar added. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to Gift Card Bank and the Dollar Tree for making this assistance possible.”
About The East-West Foundation
The East-West Foundation is dedicated to supporting underserved communities through humanitarian relief, educational programs, and social services. The foundation works to strengthen families, enhance well-being, and build resilience through targeted local and international initiatives.
About Gift Card Bank
Gift Card Bank is a nonprofit organization that connects surplus gift cards with individuals and families experiencing financial hardship. By partnering with community organizations across the country, Gift Card Bank ensures essential resources reach the people who need them most.
Miami’s Interfaith Movement Surges as More Than 250 Gather to “Break Bread, Break Bias”
The Miami Herald’s coverage
MIAMI — November 17, 2025
In a powerful show of unity amid rising national polarization, more than 250 Miamians gathered Sunday for the county’s third annual “Breaking Bread, Breaking Bias” interfaith service—an event that has quickly grown into one of South Florida’s most significant faith-based efforts to promote pluralism and religious freedom.
Held at Unity on the Bay, the service brought together an unprecedented coalition of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Unitarian Universalist communities—along with the newest partners from the Hare Krishna / Sacred Vedic Arts center. The event featured music, shared prayer, sacred readings, and dialogue circles aimed at deepening understanding across traditions.
Mayor’s Message: “Division Is America’s Top Fear. Miami Is the Exception.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, invited as the day’s special guest, received a standing ovation before offering a heartfelt reflection on the county’s interfaith spirit.
“Recent surveys show that division is the number one concern of people in this country—higher than the economy,” she said. “But here in Miami-Dade County, we defy the odds. I see us as the most unified place.”
The mayor, speaking in the sanctuary where she once studied Torah, underscored that diversity is Miami’s greatest strength and praised the interfaith coalition for modeling what “higher ground” looks like in practice.
Deepening Jewish–Muslim Partnership
One of the speakers was Professor Iqbal Akhtar, director of FIU’s Indian Ocean Studies program and a leader in Miami’s growing Jewish–Muslim partnership.
Welcoming the crowd with “Assalamu Alaikum” and “Shalom,” Akhtar reflected on the bridges being built locally that he hopes can ripple outward into a fractured world. He shared stories from early Islamic history—Muslims seeking protection from a Christian king in Abyssinia, and the Prophet Muhammad standing in respect for a Jewish funeral procession—to highlight centuries-old precedents of interfaith solidarity.
“It’s very sad that in the Middle East there is so much violence,” Akhtar said, noting his recent visit to Israel and conversations with Israelis and Palestinians bearing deep pain. “My hope is that the bridges we build here in Miami will become models that extend to places of conflict.”
His message resonated strongly with members of Temple Beth Am’s unBIASed Initiative, a Jewish-led effort combating antisemitism that has expanded into broader interfaith allyship after the October 7 attacks.
Beth Am’s unBIASed Initiative Anchors a Growing Coalition
Temple Beth Am’s clergy and leadership—including Rabbi Jamie Aklepi—opened the sacred readings segment with teachings on loving the stranger, a commandment repeated 36 times in the Torah.
“Morning is when you can look at another person’s face and see your own,” Rabbi Aklepi told the room. “Only when we reach that level of recognition will the Divine truly dwell among us.”
Organizers from unBIASed noted that in its first year, the event attracted just a handful of partners. Now, more than a dozen groups asked to join—including:
- Temple Beth Am
- AJC Miami
- Jewish Community Relations Council
- Mosaic Miami
- FIU’s Jaffer Institute
- Universal Truth Center
- UU Miami
- Sacred Vedic Arts – Hare Krishna community
“We hoped people would join us,” said co-organizer Joanne Koren. “Instead, they came to us. This room is full of allies.”
Hare Krishna Community Joins for the First Time
One of the most emotional moments came from Syamarani Dasi of Sacred Vedic Arts, who confessed she was “embarrassed” to learn of the event for the first time after four years in Miami.
“I cannot express how touched I am by everyone’s speeches,” she said. “From here on, we want to be deeply involved in this community.”
Her remarks—part scripture, part poetry—were met with applause from a crowd energized by the expanding network.
Unity Movement Hosts and Leads a Call to Higher Ground
As host congregation, Unity on the Bay and Reverend Juan del Hierro shaped the tone of the gathering. Del Hierro—newly elected the first Hispanic president of Unity Movement Worldwide—emphasized that “oneness does not require sameness.”
“Our job,” he said, “is to live the values we pray for—love, peace, justice—and to build bridges not just in word but in action.”
Throughout the service, Unity musicians led communal songs including “Your Soul Is Welcome Here,” “Thank You for This Day,” and the traditional Unity Peace Song.
A Broad Effort to Counter Division and Defend Religious Freedom
This year’s attendance—more than 250 people, each seated at interfaith dialogue tables—marks a significant expansion from the first two years. Organizers say the initiative is intentionally designed to “counter polarization,” “promote pluralism,” and “ensure religious freedom for all.”
The program’s structure—prayer, music, storytelling, and conversation—was drawn from the planning documents and flyers distributed by Unity on the Bay and participating congregations. Themes printed across the materials included “Building Bridges of Understanding, Allyship, and Community” and “Creating a Loving, Supportive Space Rooted in Sacred Sharing.”
A Model for Miami—and Perhaps Beyond
As the event transitioned into a vegetarian potluck, clergy gathered onstage, joined hands, and closed with a collective declaration spoken three times:
“We are one.”
In a moment marked by conflict abroad and tension at home, many attendees described the service as an antidote—a reminder that Miami’s multicultural fabric is not merely a demographic fact but a civic choice.
“This is what the world needs,” Rev. del Hierro said. “And this is what Miami can model.”
The East-West Foundation Delivers Emergency Food Assistance to Rural Louisiana Families Through Gift Card Bank Partnership
$100 Grocery Gift Cards Provide Critical Relief to Families Affected by SNAP Benefit Disruptions
MIAMI, FL – November 12, 2025 – The East-West Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building bridges between communities, successfully distributed emergency grocery assistance to families in rural Louisiana through a partnership with Gift Card Bank and support from Dollar Tree. The program provided $100 digital grocery gift cards to households experiencing food insecurity due to recent disruptions in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The impact of this initiative was immediate and profound. One recipient, whose refrigerator stood empty before receiving assistance, was moved to tears upon receiving the gift card notification. “You have been a lifeline for this community,” the family expressed in their message of gratitude to program administrators.
“This partnership exemplifies how rapid, coordinated response can address urgent community needs,” said Dr. Iqbal Akhtar, Executive Director of The East-West Foundation. “When Gift Card Bank reached out to us about this opportunity, we immediately mobilized to identify families most severely affected by the SNAP disruptions. The ability to provide immediate relief to households facing food insecurity represents the best of what community partnerships can achieve.”
The program, funded through Dollar Tree’s corporate giving initiative, operated on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure rapid distribution of resources. Recipients received digital gift cards via email, allowing them to select from major grocery retailers including Albertsons, Kroger, Walmart, and food delivery services like DoorDash, Instacart, and Uber Eats, providing flexibility to meet diverse family needs.
The East-West Foundation served as a trusted community partner, identifying and verifying eligible recipients who had been directly affected by SNAP benefit interruptions. The organization’s deep roots in rural Louisiana communities enabled efficient outreach to families who might otherwise have been overlooked by traditional assistance programs.
“The tears of relief from families receiving these gift cards underscore the critical nature of this assistance,” noted program coordinators. “For many households, this $100 represented the difference between empty cupboards and the ability to provide nutritious meals for their children.”
This emergency response initiative demonstrates the power of corporate philanthropy, nonprofit collaboration, and community-based organizations working together to address food insecurity. The East-West Foundation’s role as a distribution partner ensured that assistance reached the most vulnerable populations in rural Louisiana, where access to food resources can be particularly challenging.
The program’s streamlined approach—requiring only recipients’ first names and email addresses while protecting privacy—enabled rapid deployment of resources when families needed them most. Within days of program launch, hundreds of Louisiana families received direct assistance, transforming a moment of crisis into one of community support and resilience.
2025 FIU Jewish-Muslim Student Dialogue Cohort
In Miami, a Night of Hope Brings Jewish–Muslim Dialogue Into the Open
Students, faculty, and neighbors model pluralism, chart next steps for research and collaboration
Miami, Oct. 22, 2025 — In a packed interfaith forum that felt equal parts seminar and town hall, South Florida students, professors, clergy, and community leaders gathered this week to wrestle with a word that too often gets written off as naïve: hope.
Organized by partners across Florida International University (FIU), Miami Dade College, and a local interfaith coalition, the evening centered on Jewish–Muslim dialogue at a moment when global headlines often reward outrage over understanding. Participants didn’t shy from the hard edges. Instead, they modeled how a civic community can disagree, listen, and still keep the conversation—and the relationships—intact.
“We live in a time when words like diversity and inclusion feel endangered,” began Prof. Mohammad Homayunvash of Miami Dade College. “Hope is becoming one of those endangered words. In our tradition, despair is not only disempowering—it’s spiritually off-limits. Scripture teaches: ‘Do not despair of God’s mercy.’ So our work tonight is prayer, plan, practice.”
From the Jewish side, a longtime Miami rabbi linked hope to a forward-leaning religious rhythm: “Every year on Simchat Torah, we complete the scroll and immediately begin again. That never-ending circle of learning—continuing even when it would be easier to stop—is a practice of hope.” He traced the theme through weekly readings, from Noah’s imperfect restart to Abraham’s leap into an unknown future, and then grounded it in a contemporary ethic: “We are partners with God in perfecting the world. Hope isn’t a feeling we wait to receive; it’s a responsibility we take up.”
Students move the center of gravity
If the evening had a heartbeat, it was the student voices. Honors and International Relations undergraduates from FIU, Miami Dade College, and other campuses spoke candidly about algorithmic outrage, misinformation, and the fatigue of “crisis-to-crisis” adolescence. Yet their testimonies kept bending toward agency.
“Hope is acting,” one student said plainly. “It’s organizing in our clubs, planning together across differences, and refusing to normalize violence.” Another reflected on the recent Jewish holiday cycle—Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, then Simchat Torah—as a ritual engine that “turns the page” together every fall: repentance, reconciliation, and a recommitment to study and community.
Several students pressed the adults for specifics: What comes next? Where are the on-ramps? The room answered with invitations—dialogue cohorts already meeting at FIU, an upcoming interfaith “Breaking Bread, Breaking Bias” gathering at a local church, and new small-group salons to keep the hard conversations going in living rooms and sanctuaries, not just classrooms.
Knowledge that disarms: “Hope is knowing”
A visiting Palestinian–Israeli professor of education from Jerusalem, Prof. Samira Alayan of Hebrew University in Jerusalem said,—“I have two eyes; I can see two sides”—offered perhaps the night’s defining line: “Hope is knowledge.” Teaching mixed classes of Jewish and Arab students, she said, has taught her that proximity and learning are not luxuries; they are survival skills for plural societies. “When we really know the other, the human being behind the narrative, we begin to heal.”
That refrain—move closer, learn more—echoed across the evening. A community mediator reminded attendees that even entrenched conflicts can pivot when adversaries are willing to spend real time together. “It’s much harder to hate someone up close,” she said, describing couples who arrive ready to fight and leave hugging after a day of facilitated listening. “If that can happen in families, it can happen in communities.”
From dialogue to doing: a civic to-do list
The gathering didn’t end with abstractions. Participants sketched a short list of actions aimed at strengthening South Florida’s civic fabric:
- Scale student-led dialogue. Support the FIU Jewish–Muslim dialogue cohort now in motion and replicate it at additional campuses. Build mixed, multigenerational teams so younger voices lead alongside clergy and faculty.
- Open homes and sanctuaries. Keep rotating dialogue into houses of worship and private homes—breaking bread across difference to “look each other in the eye” and de-other the other.
- Co-produce research. Launch joint faculty–student projects on misinformation, social media outrage, and comparative religious ethics of hope; create open data and teaching modules local schools can adopt.
- Measure what matters. Track participation, trust-building, and attitude shifts over time through low-lift surveys and reflective assignments so the work can improve—and be funded—year to year.
- Train facilitators. Offer mediation and dialogue facilitation workshops for student leaders, clergy, and neighborhood organizers to expand the bench of people who can convene difficult discussions well.
A laboratory for pluralism
What distinguished the evening wasn’t unanimity; it was disagreement without dehumanization. Speakers named pain and politics directly—including the Israeli–Palestinian conflict—while refusing to collapse one another into caricatures. Elders spoke of learning to trust younger voices; younger participants asked for concrete steps and shared leadership. The tone was neither performative niceness nor performative rage. It was civic.
Leader of Temple Beth Am’s unbiased initiative, Dr. Joanne Koren, quoted Sen. Cory Booker—“Hope is the absolute belief that despair will not get the last word”—and then challenged the room: “Great words. Now what will we do with them?” The answer, by night’s end, felt clearer: keep meeting, keep learning, keep acting, together.
What’s next
Organizers announced continued campus dialogues, a December recognition for the FIU cohort, and open invitations to community events designed to move conversation into fellowship and service. They also laid markers for collaborative scholarship: faculty–student teams will propose studies on digital outrage and interfaith resilience; a shared repository of lesson plans and case studies will make the work portable for schools and congregations.
“Friction is real,” one professor concluded. “But friction also makes movement possible. Tonight we chose to move—toward each other, not away. That’s what hope looks like in a city like ours.”
In a polarized era, Miami offered a different headline: pluralism practiced. And if hope truly requires prayer, planning, and practice, South Florida’s students, scholars, and neighbors seem determined to keep doing all three—publicly, imperfectly, and together.
Building Bridges Across Faiths: FIU Launches
Groundbreaking Jewish–Muslim Dialogue
An FIU initiative builds bridges between two faith communities through storytelling, empathy, and shared humanity
At a time when headlines around the world often amplify division, students at Florida International University are taking a different path — one defined by listening, empathy, and relationship-building. FIU recently hosted its first-ever Jewish–Muslim student dialogue, a collaborative effort aimed at strengthening understanding and solidarity between two historically intertwined communities.
The event, which drew students from diverse cultural and national backgrounds, marked the launch of a six-part interfaith dialogue series that will unfold over the semester. Rather than beginning with heated political debates, organizers structured the series around storytelling, personal reflection, and shared experience — a deliberate choice meant to lay a foundation of trust before exploring more contentious issues.
A Space for Stories, Not Stereotypes
The opening session was built around a deceptively simple exercise: students were asked to introduce one another by retelling someone else’s story. This approach, facilitators explained, was designed to cultivate deep listening — a crucial skill for any dialogue that seeks to bridge divides.
The stories shared spanned continents and contexts. One participant reflected on growing up in Israel and the challenges of navigating Jewish identity amid the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Another described experiences of prejudice and misunderstanding as a Muslim immigrant from Tanzania. A third spoke about life as a German-Turkish student raised between cultures.
Despite their differences, a recurring thread emerged: each speaker had encountered moments where external perceptions shaped their identity more than their own choices. These stories highlighted a core truth the dialogue sought to explore — that identity is rarely static and often defined by how others see us.
Identity and Belonging in a Multicultural World
The evening’s central conversation focused on the complexities of identity. Jewish students spoke candidly about how historical trauma continues to shape their self-understanding. “Everywhere Jewish people have been,” one participant shared, “someone eventually decided we didn’t belong. That history shapes how we see ourselves here in America.” The weight of antisemitism — from medieval expulsions to the Holocaust and more recent attacks — remains a powerful force in Jewish consciousness.
Muslim students echoed those sentiments, describing how they often must “perform” their Americanness to counter stereotypes that paint Muslims as violent or incompatible with Western society. One participant noted the disorienting experience of being seen as a foreigner both in the United States and abroad: “When I go to Pakistan, I’m the American. But here, I’m the Muslim.”
Many agreed that identity is dynamic and context-dependent, shaped not only by faith and family but also by external labeling and social expectations. At a deeper level, several participants described seeking a transcendent anchor — a connection to God that grounds them amid shifting cultural landscapes.
Shared Challenges, Shared Hopes
One striking realization of the evening was the discovery of common ground. Jews and Muslims each comprise roughly 2% of the U.S. population, a shared minority status that presents similar challenges — from combating prejudice and misinformation to advocating for representation in public spaces.
The conversation touched on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, but rather than devolving into debate, participants reflected on how the conflict influences perceptions and relationships in the United States. A Jewish student expressed hope for a future in which a two-state solution could allow both peoples to coexist peacefully. Another acknowledged the toll that Middle East tensions have taken on Jewish–Muslim relationships globally but emphasized the importance of dialogue in overcoming “historical hatred.”
Students also discussed the importance of creating safe, welcoming spaces on campus where all identities are affirmed. “No one should feel uncomfortable,” one participant said, underscoring a shared desire for a community where differences are respected rather than feared.
From Dialogue to Action
The event concluded with a sense of momentum and a roadmap for the future. Organizers invited participants to “bring a friend” to subsequent sessions, hoping to expand the circle of conversation. Plans were made to create a shared contact list and blog to continue the discussion beyond in-person meetings.
Students also brainstormed more ambitious initiatives, including the possibility of interfaith study trips to Haifa and Jerusalem and joint service projects in Miami. Future sessions will delve deeper into participants’ spiritual lives — how they connect with God and practice their faith in a secular society — before moving toward more complex topics like politics and international relations.
Beyond the Campus Walls
While the FIU dialogue series is rooted on campus, its organizers and participants see it as part of a larger global movement. Across the world, interfaith initiatives are increasingly recognized as vital tools for peacebuilding, especially at a time of rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and political polarization.
The FIU model — prioritizing relationships over rhetoric, empathy over argument — offers a promising approach. By building trust through personal connection first, students believe they can tackle even the most divisive issues with honesty and compassion.
“This is how change starts,” one facilitator concluded. “Not with debates or press releases, but with conversations — by getting to know one another, sharing our stories, and building something together.”
Looking Ahead
The next session in the series will take place over lunch, continuing the conversation about identity and spirituality. Later meetings will explore how faith informs civic engagement and how young Jews and Muslims can collaborate on campus and beyond.
For many who attended the first dialogue, the experience was transformative. “I came here expecting to talk about politics,” one student said. “But instead, I learned about people — their families, their struggles, their faith. And that changed everything.”
As the series unfolds, one thing is clear: FIU’s Jewish and Muslim students are not just talking — they are building a new narrative of partnership, rooted in shared humanity and mutual respect.
Distinguished Religious Leaders Explored Peace Through Faith-Based Collaboration
MIAMI, FL – Miami Dade College’s Padron Campus hosted “Interfaith Dialogue and Peace,” a special panel discussion that brought together prominent religious and academic leaders to examine how interfaith engagement can serve as a powerful tool for peacebuilding in today’s diverse and often divided world.
The event, held on Thursday, September 18, 2025, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM, was part of MDC’s annual Changemaker Week 2025 and featured Rabbi Aklepi of Temple Beth Am, Iqbal Akhtar from The East West Foundation, and Reverend Audrey Warren, D.Min., Senior Pastor of firstchurchmiami as distinguished panelists. The discussion was moderated by Mohammad Homayounvash of the Jaffer Center at MDC.
Strong Community Engagement
Over 150 students, faculty, staff, and community members attended the event, which was ultimately moved from its originally planned venue in Room #201 to accommodate the large crowd. The strong turnout reflected growing recognition of the importance of interfaith cooperation in addressing contemporary social challenges.
“This important conversation explored the power and potential of interfaith engagement as a tool for peacebuilding in an increasingly polarized and pluralistic world,” said Mohammad Homayounvash, the event moderator from the Jaffer Center at MDC.
Rich Discussion on Faith and Peacebuilding
The panelists addressed several critical topics that resonated deeply with the diverse Miami community. A significant portion of the discussion focused on learning about other faiths through digital resources, with the panelists emphasizing the importance of seeking accurate, scholarly information online rather than relying on biased or misleading sources when exploring unfamiliar religious traditions.
The conversation also examined religion’s role in peacebuilding within conflict zones, highlighting successful examples where interfaith cooperation has helped bridge divides in war-torn regions and offering practical models for religious leaders working in areas of tension.
A particularly poignant discussion centered on the complex relationship between indigenous Cuban religions and Catholicism. The panelists explored how indigenous spiritual practices have often been viewed through a Catholic lens, creating both challenges and opportunities for religious understanding and preservation of cultural heritage.
The panel also celebrated Miami’s remarkable religious diversity, acknowledging the city as a unique crossroads where multiple faith traditions intersect and interact daily, creating both opportunities for dialogue and occasional tensions that require careful navigation.
Perhaps most importantly, the discussion emphasized the crucial importance of personal relationships across faith lines, with all three panelists stressing that meaningful interfaith dialogue requires moving beyond academic understanding to genuine human connections, particularly essential in our current age of increasing polarization.
Timely Focus on Unity and Understanding
The panel came at a crucial time when communities worldwide are grappling with increasing polarization and the need for greater understanding across religious and cultural divides. The discussion examined successful models of interfaith peacebuilding while addressing current opportunities and challenges in fostering religious cooperation in Miami’s uniquely diverse religious landscape.
Key topics included historical lessons from successful interfaith initiatives, the role of educational institutions and media in promoting understanding, and practical approaches to scaling interfaith engagement in local communities.
Part of Broader Initiative
The interfaith panel represented MDC’s commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue on critical social issues during Changemaker Week, an annual event that brings together students, faculty, and community leaders to explore solutions to pressing societal challenges.
Attendees left with practical insights on navigating religious differences, resources for continued learning, and a renewed appreciation for the role personal relationships play in building bridges across faith communities.
The success of this event demonstrates the strong appetite within Miami’s educational and religious communities for continued interfaith dialogue and collaboration.
“Living Our Faith”
FIU Brings Faith Communities Together for Groundbreaking Interfaith Dialogue
Students explore “Living Our Faith in a Modern World” through Catholic-Muslim-Jewish conversation
September 16, 2025
In an era where understanding across religious lines has never been more crucial, Florida International University is taking a leading role in fostering meaningful interfaith dialogue on campus. Today, the Graham Center buzzed with energy as students, faculty, and community members gathered for “Living Our Faith in a Modern World,” a groundbreaking conversation bringing together Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish voices.
The two-hour event, running from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, represents more than just an academic exercise—it’s a practical exploration of how young people navigate their spiritual lives in contemporary society.
Building Bridges Through Conversation
“We’re not here to debate theology or try to convert anyone,” explained Dr. Iqbal Akhtar, Muslim Chaplain and director at the East West Foundation, as he opened the afternoon’s proceedings. “We’re here to understand each other’s journeys and discover the common humanity that connects us all.”
Joining Dr. Akhtar in leading the dialogue were Father Luis Pavon, who serves FIU’s Catholic student community, and Steven Resnick from Hillel, representing Jewish students on campus. Together, the three religious leaders created an atmosphere of genuine curiosity and mutual respect that set the tone for the entire afternoon.
The event’s format deliberately emphasized personal connection over formal presentations. After brief opening reflections, participants shared a meal featuring carefully prepared kosher and halal options while engaging in small group discussions at mixed-faith tables.
Real Questions, Real Conversations
Rather than avoiding potentially sensitive topics, the organizers embraced them head-on. Discussion prompts ranged from practical questions about daily prayer routines to deeper explorations of how each tradition understands the divine and approaches concepts like salvation and the afterlife.
Maria Rodriguez, a junior studying international business, found herself at a table with classmates from different faith backgrounds. “I’ve never really talked to anyone about how they pray,” she reflected during the synthesis portion of the event. “Learning about the Muslim call to prayer and Jewish Shabbat traditions made me think differently about my own relationship with Sunday Mass.”
The conversations weren’t limited to ritual practices. Students grappled with modern challenges like balancing faith commitments with academic pressures, addressing misconceptions about their religious traditions, and finding ways to maintain spiritual practices in a digital age.
Discovering Common Ground
As each table shared their insights during the afternoon’s synthesis session, common themes emerged that surprised many participants. Across traditions, students spoke about the comfort they find in prayer during stressful times, the importance of community support, and the challenge of explaining their faith to friends who may not share their beliefs.
“What struck me most was how similar our struggles are,” said Ahmed Hassan, a graduate student in engineering. “Whether you’re Muslim, Catholic, or Jewish, figuring out how to live your values in college isn’t always easy. But hearing how others navigate these challenges was incredibly encouraging.”
Father Pavon noted the organic nature of these discoveries. “When people share their authentic experiences rather than just talking about doctrine, you realize how much we have in common. These students are all trying to figure out how to be good people, how to serve others, and how to find meaning in their lives.”
Addressing Misconceptions
One of the most powerful aspects of the dialogue was the opportunity to directly address stereotypes and misconceptions. Steven Resnick observed how students were able to ask questions they might never voice in other settings.
“There’s something magical that happens when you create a safe space for people to admit what they don’t know,” Resnick explained. “Students asked about everything from dietary restrictions to holiday traditions, and the responses helped break down walls that often exist simply due to lack of information.”
The event also tackled more serious misconceptions, with participants discussing how media portrayals and political rhetoric can distort understanding of different faith communities.
Looking Forward
As the formal program concluded, many participants lingered, continuing conversations that had begun at their lunch tables. The success of today’s event has already sparked discussions about making interfaith programming a regular feature of campus life at FIU.
Dr. Akhtar emphasized that this dialogue represents just the beginning. “Today we planted seeds,” he said. “The real work happens when these students take what they’ve learned back to their dorms, their student organizations, and eventually their careers and communities.”
The afternoon concluded with a moment that perfectly captured the event’s spirit: representatives from all three faiths offered a joint blessing, each speaking in their own tradition while emphasizing shared hopes for peace, understanding, and wisdom.
A Model for Universities Everywhere
FIU’s interfaith dialogue arrives at a time when many universities are grappling with how to address religious diversity on campus. The event’s success suggests that students are hungry for opportunities to engage across faith lines when given the proper framework and leadership.
The program’s emphasis on personal experience over theological debate, its integration of shared meals with conversation, and its focus on contemporary challenges rather than historical differences offers a replicable model for other institutions.
As participants filed out of the Graham Center, many exchanged contact information and made plans to attend each other’s religious services or cultural events. For Father Pavon, these organic connections represent the dialogue’s greatest success.
“We didn’t just talk about interfaith understanding today,” he reflected. “We actually practiced it. And that’s how real change happens—one conversation, one relationship, one shared meal at a time.”
The Office of Campus Life is planning additional interfaith programming throughout the academic year. Students interested in participating in future events or joining interfaith student organizations can contact campus ministry offices for more information.
Jewish-Muslim Student Dialogue
Museum Exhibition- History Miami- Folklife (Muslim)
East West Foundation Brings Islamic Ritual Artifacts to HistoryMiami Museum
August 21, 2025 – HistoryMiami Museum opened a new permanent exhibition today featuring Islamic artifacts for daily rituals, donated by the East West Foundation. The display, located in the museum’s Folklore section, aims to educate the public about the aesthetics and lived experiences of Miami’s Muslim community.
Sacred Objects Tell Stories of Faith and Beauty
The centerpiece of the exhibition features three interconnected objects that illustrate the profound connection between beauty and worship in Islamic tradition: a handmade prayer rug, a beautifully illuminated Quran, and an ornate wooden stand called a rehal.
The Prayer Rug: A Gateway to Meditation
The handmade prayer rug, circa 2022, was purchased by Zafreen Jaffery during a trip to India. Its intricate design reflects a fundamental principle in Islamic art – that beauty serves as a pathway to the divine. Muslims use such rugs during salah, the mandatory ritual prayer that forms one of the five pillars of Islam. The elaborate patterns are intended to inspire practitioners to meditate on Allah during their five daily prayers.
“The family owns multiple prayer mats used during ritual mandatory prayer,” the exhibition notes, highlighting how these beautiful objects are integral to daily Muslim life rather than merely decorative pieces.
The Illuminated Quran: Sacred Text as Art
The second artifact is a Quran from Pakistan, circa 2003, that belonged to Iqbal Akhtar’s family. This sacred text exemplifies the Islamic tradition of calligraphy as a high art form, featuring gold designs around the manuscript’s edges that illuminate the beauty of what Muslims believe to be the literal word of Allah.
The artistic treatment of Islamic texts reflects a deep reverence for the written word and demonstrates how aesthetic beauty is woven into religious practice. The gold embellishments are not merely decorative but serve to honor the sacred nature of the text itself.
The Rehal: Respecting the Sacred Word
Completing the trio is a wooden stand called a rehal, circa 2020, purchased by Iqbal’s mother in Zanzibar. This seemingly simple object plays a crucial role in Islamic practice – because the Quran is considered sacred, it must never touch the ground. The rehal ensures the holy book is properly elevated and treated with the respect Islamic tradition demands.
Miami’s Rich Islamic Heritage
The exhibition contextualizes these artifacts within Miami’s broader Islamic history. Florida’s first mosque, Masjid al-Ansar, was established in Miami in the 1960s, marking the beginning of formal Muslim worship in the region. Today, South Florida is home to approximately 20 mosques representing different branches of Islam and serving ethnically diverse Muslim communities.
The Akhtar-Jaffery family represents one of many Muslim families who have made Miami their home while maintaining their connection to this historic mosque. Their donated artifacts provide visitors with an intimate glimpse into how Islamic faith is practiced in contemporary American life.
Educational Mission
Located in the museum’s Folklore section, the exhibition serves an important educational purpose in a city where understanding between different communities continues to evolve. By showcasing the aesthetic dimensions of Islamic practice, the display helps visitors appreciate how beauty, art, and spirituality intersect in Muslim daily life.
The artifacts demonstrate that Islamic religious practice is not merely about obligation but also about creating beauty and finding the divine through artistic expression. From the meditative patterns of prayer rugs to the golden illumination of sacred texts, each piece reveals how Muslims integrate aesthetic appreciation into their spiritual lives.
A Bridge Between Cultures
The East West Foundation’s donation represents more than just a museum acquisition – it’s a bridge between communities, offering non-Muslim visitors insight into the lived experiences of their Muslim neighbors. In an increasingly diverse Miami, such exhibitions play a vital role in fostering understanding and appreciation across cultural and religious lines.
The permanent nature of the exhibition ensures that future generations of Miami residents and visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the rich Islamic heritage that has been part of South Florida’s story for more than six decades.
As Miami continues to evolve as a cosmopolitan city, exhibitions like this one remind us that the beauty of diversity lies not just in coexistence, but in the sharing of the profound traditions that make each community unique.
MOSAIC Miami Interfaith Clergy Dialogue at FIU
20 August 2025– The Department of Religious Studies at Florida International University and The East-West Foundation recently hosted a MOSAIC Miami interfaith clergy dialogue, bringing together religious leaders from diverse faith traditions to advance the organization’s core mission of advocacy, education, and moral leadership on pressing contemporary issues.
The gathering centered on MOSAIC’s commitment to providing visibility and voice to critical moral challenges facing our community, with particular emphasis on immigration as a defining issue of our time. Through thoughtful dialogue and collaborative discussion, participating clergy members explored how their various faith traditions can unite in addressing these complex social justice concerns.
The event exemplified MOSAIC’s educational mandate by creating a space for meaningful interfaith exchange, where religious leaders could share perspectives, learn from one another, and develop strategies for community advocacy. This type of cross-denominational dialogue strengthens the organization’s ability to speak with moral authority on issues that affect vulnerable populations and marginalized communities.
The program concluded with a vegetarian potluck meal, reinforcing the spirit of hospitality and community that underlies interfaith cooperation. This shared meal provided an informal setting for continued conversation and relationship-building among the participating clergy, fostering the personal connections essential to effective collaborative advocacy.
Through events like this dialogue, the Department of Religious Studies and MOSAIC Miami demonstrate their commitment to translating academic religious study into practical community engagement, ensuring that scholarly understanding serves the broader mission of social justice and moral leadership in addressing the challenges facing Miami’s diverse population.