[IEA updates] South Jerusalem Interfaith Encounter group (EN/HE/AR)
yeh...@interfaith-encounter.org
(Hebrew & Arabic follow English- עברית וערבית אחרי אנגלית- العربيه والعبريه تتبع الانجليزيه)
South Jerusalem Interfaith Encounter group- September 8th 2025
The group met in a cafe in the Southern part of the city. It is great to see that, in time, participants start to get to know each other better, and there is a sense of familiarity.
The topic this time was the following question: what aspects of your religions are supposed to be public and shared by the community, and what aspects are supposed to be private and up to the individual? We discussed different elements such as clothing or rituals of passage (weddings, funerals), which are community events. Prayer can be something done in a house of prayer with the community, but can also be something very personal. We discussed how some communities may enforce religious rules in public. We dived deeper into the topic of charity- how it is a religious commandment, and something that has to do with the wellbeing of the community, but both in Judaism and in Islam it is advised to give charity in secret and anonymously. In both cultures, there is an idea that making charitable acts cancels the bad heavenly decrees against a person, and from there the conversation turned to a very interesting discussion about the lunar eclipse that was expected to happen that night- and if it was considered a bad or a good omen in each religion. It was a fascinating conversation about popular beliefs in the power of zodiac signs and the significance of austral phenomena, and how it relates to mystic religious symbolism in Judaism and Islam.
Reported: Carolina
קבוצת המפגש הבין דתי בדרום ירושלים - 8 בספטמבר 2025
הקבוצה נפגשה בבית קפה בדרום העיר. היה נהדר לראות שעם הזמן, המשתתפים מתחילים להכיר זה את זה טוב יותר, ויש תחושה של היכרות.
הנושא הפעם היה השאלה הבאה: אילו היבטים של הדתות שלכם אמורים להיות ציבוריים ומשותפים לקהילה, ואילו היבטים אמורים להיות פרטיים ותלויים בידי הפרט. דנו באלמנטים שונים כמו לבוש או טקסי מעבר (חתונות, הלוויות), שהם אירועים קהילתיים. תפילה יכולה להיות משהו שנעשה בבית תפילה עם הקהילה, אבל יכולה להיות גם משהו אישי מאוד. דנו כיצד קהילות מסוימות עשויות לאכוף כללים דתיים בפומבי. צללנו עמוק יותר בנושא הצדקה - כיצד זוהי מצווה דתית, ומשהו שקשור לרווחת הקהילה, אך גם ביהדות וגם באסלאם מומלץ לתת צדקה בסתר ובאנונימיות. בשתי התרבויות, קיימת תפיסה לפיה מעשי צדקה מבטלים את הגזירות הרעות נגד אדם, ומשם השיחה התגלגלה לדיון מעניין מאוד על ליקוי הירח שהיה צפוי להתרחש באותו לילה - והאם הוא נחשב לסימן רע או טוב בכל דת. זו הייתה שיחה מרתקת על אמונות פופולריות בכוחם של המזלות ובמשמעותן של תופעות אסטראליות, וכיצד הן קשורות לסמליות דתית מיסטית ביהדות ובאסלאם.
דיווחה: קרוליינה
مجموعة اللقاء بين الديانات في جنوب القدس - 8 أيلول 2025
التقت المجموعة في مقهى في جنوب المدينة. كان من الرائع ملاحظة أنه مع مرور الوقت بدأ المشاركون يتعرّفون أكثر إلى بعضهم البعض، وبدأ يتكوّن شعور بالألفة بينهم. كان موضوع هذا اللقاء هو السؤال التالي: ما الجوانب في دياناتكم التي ينبغي أن تكون علنية ومشتركة مع المجتمع، وما الجوانب التي يجب أن تبقى شخصية وخاصة بالفرد؟
ناقشنا عناصر مختلفة مثل اللباس أو الطقوس الانتقالية (كالزواج والجنائز) التي تُعد أحداثًا اجتماعية مجتمعـيّة. كما تحدّثنا عن الصلاة، التي يمكن أن تكون في بيت العبادة مع الجماعة، ولكن يمكن أيضًا أن تكون أمرًا شخصيًا جدًا.
تطرقنا كذلك إلى كيفية قيام بعض المجتمعات بفرض قواعد دينية في الفضاء العام. ثم تعمّقنا في موضوع الصدقة ، كيف أنها فريضة دينية مرتبطة برفاه المجتمع، ولكن في كل من اليهودية والإسلام يُستحسن أن تُقدّم الصدقة سرًا وبشكل مجهول. وفي كلتا الثقافتين هناك اعتقاد بأن أعمال الخير يمكن أن ترفع البلاء والقدر السيئ عن الإنسان.
من هنا، انطلقت المحادثة إلى نقاش شيّق حول خسوف القمر الذي كان متوقعًا حدوثه في تلك الليلة، وهل يُعدّ في كل دين إشارة خير أم شر. كان حوارًا ممتعًا حول المعتقدات الشعبية المتعلقة بقوة الأبراج ومعاني الظواهر الفلكية، وكيف ترتبط بالرموز الدينية الصوفية في اليهودية والإسلام.
تقرير: كارولينا
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Please help us keep this group active!
$100 will pay for transportation and food costs for one encounter,
$1500 will sponsor the group for a year,
$3000 will cover the costs of an intensive weekend retreat.
Please go to: Donate now (securely through Pay Pal or other options)
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The Interfaith Encounter Association
P.O. Box 3814, Jerusalem 91037, Israel
Phone: +972-2-6510520
Fax: +972-2-6510557
Website: www.interfaith-encounter.org
Board:
Rabbi Bob Carroll
Ibrahim Mustafa
Moatasem Hassuneh
Jared Goldfarb
Dr. Yehuda Stolov, Executive Director
E-mail: yeh...@interfaith-encounter.org
PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO THE INTERFAITH ENCOUNTER ASSOCIATION. SUPPORT ONE OR MORE OF OUR PROGRAMS AND JOIN US AS A MEMBER IN WORKING FOR INTERFAITH UNDERSTANDING AND PEACE.
All contributions are welcome, small and large!
Donate securely on-line (tax deductible in the US) at: DONATE
Contributions made from Israel, the U.S., Switzerland and the U.K. are tax deductible.
You and others are welcome to join our e-mailing lists by sending a blank message to:
- In Israel (gets also invitations):
- Abroad (gets reports only): IEA-storie...@groups.io
Please note that the reports we send out do not necessarily represent the views of the Interfaith Encounter Association or even of the people who wrote them. The reports represent the views of the people who attended an encounter and their primary purpose is to give you a glimpse of what happened in the encounter.
Our Partners: Alpert Music Center; Al-Qasemi School; Amit Bar Ilan School; Austrian Hospice; Bar Ilan University; Beit Hagefen; Big Shopping Centers; Church of Sweden; Ecome; FELM Center; Foundation For Ethnic Understanding; Hartman Boys School; Hebrew University; International Association for religious Freedom; Roots; Sts. Tarkmanchartz School; Swedish Theological Institute.
Groups listed from north to south:
- Ma'alot
- Acre
- Karmiel-Majd el-Krum
- Restaurant
- Nazareth Religious Leaders
- Lower Galilee
- Sakhnin College
- M'ghar – Sawa Rabina
- M'ghar – Shibolot
- M'ghar – Bridging
- M'ghar – Lana
- M'ghar – Green Light
- Galilee Women's Interfaith Encounter (WIE)
- Jordan Valley College (YIE)
- Jezreel Valley-Jenin
- Tabor Area
- Haifa
- Haifa WIE
- Haifa University Youth Interfaith Encounter (YIE)
- Haifa-Jenin
- Gordon College YIE
- Carmel City
- Wadi Ara WIE
- Wadi Ara
- Northern Jordan Valley WIE
- Trips
- With 929 Project
- Nablus Area
- Nablus-Ariel
- Netania-Qalansawa
- Non-Violent Communication
- Sharon-Triangle Religious Leaders
- Amit Bar Ilan-Al Qasemi Schools YIE
- Tel Aviv University YIE
- Oranit-Kfar Kasem WIE
- Petach Tikva – Kfar Kasem
- Model UN YIE
- Petach-Tikva – Tira YIE
- Bar Ilan University YIE
- Tel Aviv-Jaffa
- Modi'in-Ramallah
- A/Nahnu – Mt. Scopus YIE
- Mt. Scopus Language Exchange
- Haredi-Muslim
- East of Jerusalem
- Abu Dis And Maaleh Adumim
- Interfaith Encounter Tours
- Tower of David Forum
- Jerusalem-Ramallah
- Jerusalem-Ramallah YIE
- Prayer focused
- IEA Reut-Sadaqa
- Philosophy
- My Heart in the East WIE
- Study and Dialogue
- Jerusalem WIE
- Jerusalem YIE
- Women's Language Exchange WIE
- Literature – Young Women WIE
- Yellin College Language Exchange YIE
- Yellin College YIE
- Hartman-Armenian Schools YIE
- Hebron-Nablus-Migdal Oz WIE
- Music in FELM YIE
- Jerusalem and Area
- Faith in Music YIE
- Jewish-Christian study of the Gospel of Mathew
- Nof Zion-Jabel Mukaber
- South Jerusalem
- Ein Karem – Health Equity for all People in Israel
- Ein Karem – Medicine Students YIE
- Jerusalem Arabic Speaking group
- Bibliodrama
- The Future – Mothers and Daughters
- Fananin
- Hashfela
- Interfaith Visits
- Hebrew U.-Bethlehem U. YIE
- Teens YIE
- Women's Empowerment
- East of Jerusalem YIE
- Jerusalem-Sa'ir
- Jericho Area
- Herzog-Bethlehem YIE
- Gush Etzion
- Siach Yeshiva – Hebron Students YIE
- Circle of Light and Hope
- South of Jerusalem
- Midwives
- Jerusalem-Hebron Religious Leaders
- Jerusalem-Hebron YIE
- Jerusalem-Hebron
- Jerusalem-Yata YIE
- Jerusalem-Yata 2
- South of Hebron YIE
- Bearer of peace - South Mount Hebron
- Arad-Tel Arad WIE
- Yeruham-Rahme WIE
- Eilat
- International Online
Groups abroad:
- Teaneck/ Bergen County, New Jersey
- Washington DC Area
- Wilmington, NC
- Gainesville, FL
- Kenya
We are looking to continue to expand our Groups, both in the Holy Land and Abroad - so if you are interested- contact yeh...@interfaith-encounter.org
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Please help us keep this group active!
$100 will pay for transportation and food costs for one encounter,
$1500 will sponsor the group for a year,
$3000 will cover the costs of an intensive weekend retreat.
Please go to: Donate now (securely through Pay Pal or other options)
For Mobile-friendly donation form CLICK HERE
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The Interfaith Encounter Association
P.O. Box 3814, Jerusalem 91037, Israel
Phone: +972-2-6510520
Fax: +972-2-6510557
Website: www.interfaith-encounter.org
Board: