The final guest speaker of the year for the Unity Program at Heschel, Ambassador Azmat Hassan (center) spoke about the role of diplomacy in Muslim-Jewish relations and in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. His thirty years of foreign service included postings as Ambassador of Pakistan to Malaysia, Syria and Morocco, and as Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York. In Fall 2000 he joined the Whitehead School of Diplomacy at Seton Hall University, where UP Director Houda Abadi (right) studied with him. On the left is UP Co-Educator Andy Shugerman.

Heschel student Maya Matalon (l) sits with an Al-Iman student Asma Naz during lunch.




Heschel and Al-Iman students listening to one of the facilitators during lunch.




The students during a closing circle exercise. From left to right: Al-Iman student Syed Razvi and Heschel students Arthur Meyster, Jacob Kose, Brenne Rimberg, and Robyn Spector.




Another photo from the closing circle. From foreground to background: Heschel students Jacob Kose, Brenne Rimberg and Robyn Spector; Co-Facilitator Dror Post, Al-Iman Students Fatima Waziry, Asma Naz, Ramla Hussain, and Heschel student Adina Marx-Arpadi.




A group photograph of the 2007-2008 Unity Program, including Co-Educators Andy Shugerman (far left) and Zakiya Muwwakkil (third from right, standing).




One last photo before heading back to their respective schools. From left to right: Al-Iman students, Munira Sultana, Huda Almuhaisen, Sarah Junnun, Heschel student Maya Matalon and Brenne Rimberg.

Islam and Judaism are two religions which have a lot in common. Both Muslims and Jews believe in only one God, follow a scared text, and have a set of laws for all followers to focus on. As Jews follow the Torah and Muslims follow the Holy Quran, there are many narratives that are commonly found in both sacred texts. The set of Islamic laws are known as Sharia, which all Muslims must follow, as it is a part of their faith. Similarly, Jews also have a set of laws known as Halakha, and all these rules and regulations are from the Torah and Talmud.

Islam and Judaism are two of the three Abrahamic faiths. Both religions have many prophets in common such as Abraham/Ibrahim, Moses/Musa, David/Daud, and more. Besides many of the similarities between both of these religions, there are also many differences. As Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, in Judaism he is not. Many differences may be noticed of how each religion views the other. Islam considers Jews and Christians to be "People of the Book," but have only partial revelation. While on the other hand some Jews believe that Islam and Christianity are false interpretations and extensions of Judaism.

Such similarities and differences between both religions either set them apart or help followers from both religions see how much they have in common. Religions also play an important role in every Muslim and Jews life and followers of both faiths take their religions to be a major pat of their identity in today’s mixed world.

Prayer is a vital element in both Islam and Judaism. Both religions take great focus and devotion in performing their prayers. These prayers serve as constant reminders that God is always watching. Though, the purpose of the prayer might be the same, Muslims and Jews pray differently.

Jews pray three times a day. In the absence of the Holy Temple, Jews no longer prostrate themselves on a regular basis. As the Heschel students explained, some individuals, generally only Jewish men, wear a shawl along with leather straps on their forehead and arms. Jewish prayer is also based on Kavanah, which is translated as "concentration" or "intent." The minimum level of Kavanah is an awareness that one is speaking to God with the intention to fulfill the obligation to pray. One of the most important Jewish prayers is the “Hear O Israel” and the standing prayer.
Muslims pray five times a day. Muslim prayer consists of both physical and mental actions. Physically, we move our body throughout the entire prayer from prostrating to standing up straight. Mentally, Muslims also have to have a form of concentration comparable to Kavanah. They must not be distracted or let their thoughts wander elsewhere.

In comparison, the purpose of the prayers in both religions is to increase your awareness of God in life. Both religions also prefer congregational prayers over prayers prayed in solitude. But unlike Muslims, Jews do not have a call for prayer such as the Adh’an.

If Abraham is the patriarch of the three great religions of the world, then his wife would be the matriarch. It so happens to be that according to Islamic teachings, Abraham had two wives, and God promised both of them descendants that would comprise enitre nations. The Jewish people point to Abraham’s first wife Sarah as their matriarch. Judaism upholds that Isaac was the son of Abraham through Sarah, and that the Jews of Moses were his descendants. Yet, they remain inconspicuous on the subject of the descendants of the child through the second wife, Hagar.

On the other hand Islam contends that Ishmael, Abraham’s first born child through Hagar, was as essential as Isaac. The Islamic view is that Ishmael was almost sacrificed, as opposed to the Jewish view of Isaac being the only select child. While maintaining that through Isaac came Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and various other prophets, Islam asserts that the seal of the prophets was Muhammad who was through the lineage of Ishmael.

The Jewish doctrine of the covenant forms the grounds for the belief that the Israelites are God’s chosen people. Similar Judeo-centric views persist in the Jewish dogma, as Sarah and Isaac are depicted as select individuals while Hagar and Ishmael are portrayed in an understated manner. In fact, in Jewish texts, Hagar is mentioned as a surrogate mother rather than a wife, while Ishmael is also often viewed as being wicked.

According to Islamic tradition, Abraham conceives a son with Hagar as Sarah is unable to bear children. However, after Ishmael’s birth, Sarah also miraculously gives birth to Isaac. As a result, Abraham brings Hagar and Ishmael to Mecca and leaves them under God’s care, although visiting them from time to time. The objective of this journey is portrayed as to "resettle" rather than to "expel" Hagar.