Shaarey Tefila
In mid-April AV facilitator Dror Post and Unity Program Director Houda Abadi co-led a workshop at Sharaay Tefilah synagogue on reconciliation through the use of Biblical and Qur’anic texts. Participants studied the accounts of Joseph in both of these sacred texts, paying particular attention to what we can learn about reconciliation through the relationship between Joseph and his brothers. The group also discussed contemporary Jewish-Muslim relations, issues that these two communities face, and what we can learn from the Joseph story in relation to these inter-communal dynamics.

2007

Brandeis-Bardin Institute
In mid-July, Co-Executive Director Aaron Hahn Tapper led a workshop for 42 participants at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute. Hahn Tapper led the students in a program focusing on "Zionism," analyzing some of the more challenging passages written by early Zionist thinkers such as David Ben-Gurion, Theodor Herzl, Ze'ev Jaobtinsky, and others.

Princeton University
In mid-February, AV Staffers Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper ran a three hour workshop for Jewish and Muslim undergraduate and graduate students, inaugurating Princeton's new "Muslim-Jewish Dialogue Program." The workshop brought in over 60 students and was co-sponsored by the campus Muslim Students Association and Hillel/Center for Jewish Life. The following day, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper ran a full day of consulting for the university's Muslim and Jewish clergy, Imam Khalid Latif and Rabbi Julie Roth, deepening the campus leaders' understanding of Jewish-Muslim Inter-group Education and helping them develop their unique campus program.

Course at the 92nd Street Y
In February and March 2007, Abraham’s Vision Educators Irrit Dweck and Sajida Jalalzai taught two courses at the 92nd Street Y: “Sacred Jewish and Muslim Texts: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Hagar and Ishmael” and “Contemporary Jewish-Muslim Relations: Navigating the Complexities.” In the first of these courses, students studied Jewish and Muslim religious texts centered on the themes of reconciliation, forgiveness, and dialogue. Through inter-textual analysis, students learned new perspectives from these distinct religious traditions, including the vast spectrum of opinions found within each. They examined the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Joseph, Hagar, and Sarah, among others. In the second course, students focused on Jewish-Muslim relations today, with a particular focus on the American populations of these two communities. Some of the issues addressed were political confrontations (e.g., the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), theological tensions (e.g., who is ‘right’? What are the limits to interfaith dialogue?), and ways for these two communities to form greater connections.

2006

California State University, Northridge
In co-sponsorship with various academic departments and student groups at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) , including the campus Hillel and Muslim Students Association, AV presented a series of three interactive programs that took place over three days in November. Over the course of these three workshops, there were more than 55 CSUN participants. These interactive programs aimed to allow Jewish and Muslim students at CSUN to re-examine their notions of the self and the 'other,' utilizing their respective religious identities while highlighting the role religion can play in conflict transformation. This series was designed to create a space for the Jewish and Muslim student communities at CSUN to meet and learn together and was led by AV Educators Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper. Through our methodological approach, each campus community was involved in the planning of the series as equal partners, mutually committed to coming together and exploring one another's faith community while directly discovering the hopes and concerns of the 'other.' With co-sponsorship from various CSUN student groups, we ensured a balance of representation in campus advertising, campus participation, and campus funding. Click here for flyer. Click here for additional photos.

Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Ethics
In late October, Co-Executive Director Aaron Hahn Tapper and Unity NYC Co-Educator Sajida Jalalzai led a series of four workshops for 50 participants at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Ethics. This four-part workshop included the following programs: (I) "Walking the Line: Interaction through Introspection," comprised of two activities, each creating a space for participants to share the thoughts and emotions with which they came into the weekend; (II) "Wrestling with Reconciliation I: Joseph in the Torah and the Qur'an," where participants analyzed and discussed the different components that make up both the conflict and reconciliation processes through sharing personal experiences and studying the seemingly problematic relationship between Joseph and his brothers as depicted in both the Torah and the Qur'an; (III) "Wrestling with Reconciliation II: Joseph, Jacob, and the Contemporary World," where participants studied excerpts from contemporary Muslim and Jewish theologians, philosophers, and political leaders, such as Martin Buber, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, thereafter, discussing the interplay between individuals and collectives, and particular and universal identities, as related to Muslim-Jewish relations; and (IV) A showing of a scene from the documentary film, Encounter Point, produced by Just Vision, an educational organization that increases awareness about Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent, civilian-led efforts to build a base for peace in the Middle East. To read an article written about this presentation click here.

Course at the Academy for Jewish Religion
In our first course, offered in August 2006 at the Academy for Jewish Religion, Abraham's Vision Educators Irrit Dweck and Sajida Jalalzai taught a course entitled "Sarah, Hagar, and How to Practice Paradigms of Peace: Abraham's Vision, Conflict Resolution, and Interfaith Education." In this two-week course, our educators examined the figures of Sarah and Hagar and how they have each played fundamental roles in shaping both Judaism and Islam. This course also examined the significance of these women within these two religious traditions, focusing on whether they have served as models for resolving conflicts. The first class focused on the fundamental tenets of conflict resolution, while the second class explored Sarah and Hagar through an in-depth analysis of religious texts. In the third and fourth classes, students looked at the unique pedagogical approach of Abraham's Vision, using sessions one and two as our lens. Through this process students confronted the challenges of inter-group work (both interfaith and conflict resolution pedagogical approaches) and learned how to prepare exercises in these important fields. Click here for more information.

Brandeis-Bardin Institute
In late June, Co-Executive Director Aaron Hahn Tapper led a workshop with the participants of the Brandeis Collegiate Institute. Hahn Tapper led the 47-member group in a program focused on the idea of "introspection," entitled "The Internal Israel." After a brief introduction, BCI participants walked through the make-shift "Israel Museum," composed of various artifacts related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including, but not limited to: flags, human robots, maps, posters, and videos. After experiencing the museum in silence for 45 minutes, the students broke into small groups to de-brief on their internal dialogues. Click here to see additional photos.

Brandeis-Bardin Institute
In early June, Co-Executive Director Aaron Hahn Tapper led a workshop with the staff of the Brandeis Collegiate Institute during their staff orientation week. Hahn Tapper led the 13 member group in a program on the idea of "discomfort." After a brief discussion regarding the value of allowing students to grow (through the use of activities that present an opportunity for participants to "step out of their circle," a commonly used BCI metaphor), Hahn Tapper led the staff through an exercise whereby they were confronted with their own levels of comfort and discomfort. Hahn Tapper specifically used symbols from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a lens for the staff to engage in self-examination (seen in photo). At the end of the session, the staff had a brief discussion regarding the meaning of the idea of "discomfort."

University of California, Santa Barbara
In late May, Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper were guest speakers at a course in UCSB's Global Studies Department entitled "Group Studies," a course taught by Kinko's Founder and former CEO Paul Orfalea. Bouayad and Hahn Tapper began by sharing parts of their personal narratives with the students in an effort to disclose the reasons why they have dedicated their life's work to interfaith education and conflict resolution work, while touching on the various programs run by Abraham's Vision. Thereafter, the two ran an intricate workshop with the students aimed at fleshing out personal stereotypes and emotional responses to religious, ethnic, and nationalistic symbols related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. At the end of the class, the Co-Executive Directors received "Distinguished Speaker" awards from the course's instructor, Paul Orfalea.

California Polytechnic Institute
In late May, Co-Executive Director Aaron Hahn Tapper was on a panel at the California Polytechnic Institute for a program entitled "Abraham's Legacy: The Near-sacrifice of Abraham's Son and Its Implication for Inter-religious Dialogue." Along with Dr. Jeffrey Siker (Chair, Theological Studies Department at Loyola Marymont University) and Hisham Mahmoud (Visiting Lecturer, Yale University), Hahn Tapper presented a Jewish perspective on the biblical figure Abraham, delivering a paper entitled "The 70 Faces of Abraham: Abraham, Isaac, and Sacrifice." This was the first major interfaith program put on by the university.

University of California, Santa Barbara
In late May, Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper were guest speakers at two courses in UCSB's Global Studies Department entitled "Introduction to Global Studies" and "Global Religions," courses taught by renowned scholar and lecturer Professor Mark Juergensemeyer. After briefly describing their personal and professional experiences, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper led a detailed workshop and discussion on religious, ethnic, and nationalistic symbols related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Academy for Jewish Religion
In mid-March, Educators Irrit Dweck and Sajida Jalalzai met with close to 75 rabbis and rabbinical students at the Academy of Jewish Religion's conference on Interfaith Relations. Dweck and Jalalzai's workshop, entitled "Wrestling with Reconciliation: Joseph in the Torah and the Qur'an," explored the concept of reconciliation through an inter-textual analysis of the figure Joseph, as depicted in both the Qur'an and the Hebrew Bible. Participants examined the many elements of forgiveness as seen in these particular texts, while simultaneously learning about Abraham's Vision's unique educational model of inter-communal team-teaching.

Brandeis-Bardin Institute
In March 2006, Abraham's Vision Educators ran seven workshops for close to 45 participants on a weekend-long program entitled: "Friends or Foes? The Complexities of Jewish-Muslim Relations." The primary Abraham's Vision staff in attendance were Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper, Unity Program NYC Coordinator and Educator Irrit Dweck, and Educator Aysha Hidayatullah. Our first workshop, entitled "Walking the Line: Interaction through Introspection," was comprised of two activities, each creating a space for participants to share the thoughts and emotions with which they came into the weekend. The second workshop was "Salaat/Connection: How Do Muslims Pray?". In this workshop, Educators Bouayad and Hidayatullah first walked participants through an explanation of the structure of Muslim prayer, including an explanation of the words commonly used for this ritual. Thereafter, the two illustrated what an actual prayer service looks like, accompanied by the Adhan (call to prayer). Finally, participants were encouraged to ask questions of the educators, to deepen their understanding of this 'pillar of Islam.'

The third workshop was entitled "Wrestling with Reconciliation I: Joseph in the Torah and the Qur'an." In this session, participants analyzed and discussed the different components that make up both the conflict and reconciliation processes, through sharing personal experiences and studying the seemingly problematic relationship between Joseph and his brothers as depicted in both the Torah and the Qur'an. In workshop four, "Beyond the Headlines," Bouayad and Hahn Tapper led a Question and Answer session with participants regarding current events. In the fifth workshop, "Wrestling with Reconciliation II: Joseph, Jacob, and the Contemporary World," participants studied excerpts from contemporary Muslim and Jewish theologians, philosophers, and political leaders, such as Martin Buber, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, and Mohammad Ali Jinnah; thereafter, participants discussed the interplay between individuals and collectives, and particular and universal identities, as related to Muslim-Jewish relations. The sixth workshop was a showing of the yet-to-be released documentary film, Encounter Point, produced by Just Vision, an educational organization that increases awareness about Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent, civilian-led efforts to build a base for peace in the Middle East. Following the screening of this film, Abraham's Vision Educators Gibran Bouayad, Irrit Dweck, and Aysha Hidayatullah facilitated a discussion between the entire group of participants, guiding them through a conversation centered around issues relevant to the movie's powerful ideas. The seventh and final workshop took place on Sunday, wherein Co-Executive Director Aaron Hahn Tapper moderated a discussion between two acclaimed scholars and writers, Warren Bass and Reza Aslan, the latter also an Abraham's Vision Educator. Their discussion centered on the weekend's theme, Contemporary Jewish-Muslim Relations (photo above).

Busboys and Poets
In February 2006, ABC News National Correspondent Jake Tapper moderated a discussion between Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper. Bouayad and Hahn Tapper talked about their experiences traveling throughout the world's conflict regions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Peru, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Syria and how these travels have impacted their professional work as educators with Abraham's Vision.

Limmud NY
In January 2006, Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper led five workshops at the Limmud NY Conference. First, Bouayad led a workshop titled "Jihad: Make Peace not War, as Islamic Perspective," which explored the complexity of the Islamic term "jihad" and its common usage by violent extremists and "orientalists" alike. Then Hahn Tapper led a workshop titled "From Gaza to the Golan: Nonviolent Prophets in a Violent Land," which examined Muslim-Palestinian and Jewish-Israeli religious leaders who promote nonviolence. Thereafter, the two co-led a workshop titled "The Binding of Who? Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac in the Qur'an and the Torah," an interactive text study using Islamic and Jewish sources surrounding the issue of chosenness and the ramifications of this subject in contemporary Jewish-Muslim relations. Their fourth workshop was a panel titled "Jews and Muslims. What Now?" wherein Bouayad and Hahn Tapper spoke about their personal and professional experiences in Jewish-Muslim inter-group relations. Finally, headlining the Saturday night workshops, the two served on a panel titled, "Abraham's Vision Unity Program: The Future of Jewish-Muslim Relations." Along with Peter Geffen, the founder of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School (the Jewish Day School involved with the Unity NYC Program), Bouayad and Hahn Tapper had three Heschel students who are involved in the Unity Program discuss their transformative experiences as Unity Program participants. Click here to see additional photos from our Saturday night event with our three Unity students.

2005

Rutgers University
In early December 2005, Co-Executive Director Gibran Bouayad and Educator Yona Shem-Tov met with students from Rutgers University's Human Development Project and the Islamic Society of Rutgers University to discuss the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship. Later that day, Bouayad and Shem-Tov ran a program for Rutgers University Hillel students on the concept of reconciliation. Through an inter-textual analysis of the figure Joseph, as depicted in both the Qur'an and the Hebrew Bible, students explored the many elements of forgiveness as seen in these particular texts. Rutgers' Hillel students also learned about Abraham's Vision's unique educational model, including a specific discussion of the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship.

Columbia University
In early December 2005, Co-Executive Director Gibran Bouayad and Educator Irrit Dweck ran a program for Columbia University Hillel students on the concept of reconciliation. Through an inter-textual analysis of the figure Joseph, as depicted in both the Qur'an and the Hebrew Bible, students explored the many elements of forgiveness as seen in these particular texts. Columbia's undergraduate students also learned about Abraham's Vision's unique educational model, including a specific discussion of the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship. The following day, Bouayad met with Columbia University's Arab student organization, Turath, to discuss the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship.

University of Michigan
In early December 2005, Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper ran two programs at the University of Michigan. First, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper met with students at the University of Michigan Hillel, leading a discussion on the concept of reconciliation. Through an inter-textual analysis of the figure Joseph, as depicted in both the Qur'an and the Hebrew Bible, students explored the many elements of forgiveness as seen through the 'eyes' of these texts. On their second day of programming, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper met with students from the university's Palestinian Students' Group and the Muslim Students' Association . Together, they studied the complex issue of identity, as seen through an examination of the Palestinian novella Returning to Haifa. They ended the program with an in-depth discussion regarding Abraham's Vision in general and the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship specifically.

San Francisco State University
In early December 2005, Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper ran two programs at San Francisco State University. First, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper met with students from San Francisco Hillel's Israel Coalition group, leading a Q&A session regarding the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship. Thereafter, the two Co-Executive Directors met with students from SFSU's General Union of Palestine Students, leading a workshop on the issue of identity. Through an examination of the Palestinian novella Returning to Haifa, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper led a discussion on the complexity of both Palestinian and Jewish Israeli identities. They ended their evening of programming with an in-depth discussion regarding the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship.

University of California, Berkeley
In early December 2005, Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper ran a program for UCAL Berkeley Hillel students on the concept of reconciliation. Through an inter-textual analysis of the figure Joseph, as depicted in both the Qur'an and the Hebrew Bible, students explored the many elements of forgiveness as seen in these particular texts. Berkeley's graduate and undergraduate students also learned about Abraham's Vision's unique educational model, including a specific discussion of the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship. Earlier in the day, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper also met with members of Berkeley's Arab Student Union to discuss the Summer 2006 Vision Fellowship.

California State University, Northridge
In early December 2005, Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper led a discussion with students from CSUN's Religious Studies Department and Hillel on the topic of "chosenness." Using the weekly reading from the Hebrew Bible as a springboard, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper looked at biblical passages that explicitly discuss the chosenness of Isaac and Jacob. Thereafter, they contrasted these biblical texts with Qur'anic texts and Hadeeth (sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhhamed) that center around the chosenness of Abraham's other son, Ishmael.

Loyola Marymount University
In late November 2005, Co-Executive Directors Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper gave two lectures in the Theological Studies Department of Loyola Marymount University. After leading a discussion on the complexities of the term "nonviolence," Hahn Tapper spoke about current manifestations of religious nonviolence in Israel and Palestine. Bouayad integrated these two subjects into a discussion regarding the Islamic concept of jihad, focusing his talk on violent and nonviolent traditions in Islam.

Manhattan Middle School 328
In early November 2005, Co-Executive Director Gibran Bouayad led a program on interpersonal conflict for two 6th grade classes from the M.S. 328 Manhattan Middle School for Scientific Inquiry, located in the Washington Heights area of New York City. The discussions employed engaging questions about recent arguments that students experienced. This helped bring awareness of the cycle of conflict in students' own lives through the process of self-contemplation. The aim of this program was for students to use this 'new' knowledge to minimize conflict in their daily lives by breaking old habits that lead to conflict and by examining concepts such as anger, blame, and retaliation.

Columbia University
In late October 2005, Gibran Bouayad and Aaron Hahn Tapper led a workshop at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Sponsored by SIPA's Conflict Resolution Working Group, AMEN, JSSIPA, JSLS, and JSSSW, Bouayad and Hahn Tapper led an interactive workshop looking at the role that religion can play in conflict resolution, through an examination of the figure Joseph as depicted in the Qur'an and the Hebrew Bible. Columbia's Graduate and Undergraduate students also learned about Abraham's Vision's unique educational model, one that integrates comparative conflict analysis, interfaith religious studies, communication skills building, and academic discourse related to conflict resolution.

BCI (Brandeis Collegiate Institute)
In late July 2005, Aaron Hahn Tapper facilitated two different workshops at BCI's Southern California campus, the second accompanied by Abraham's Vision Educator Rabbi Laurie Hahn Tapper. In the first session, titled "Judaism: Violence and Nonviolence," after exploring the meaning of 'violence' and 'nonviolence,' participants examined Jewish texts that support these two disparate types of discourse and action. In the second workshop, Aaron and Laurie facilitated three activities related to "Israel Day." The first was an interactive multimedia museum that participants silently walked through, which had an array of books, maps, videos, and human 'robots' offering different perspectives on Israel, each offering myriad viewpoints regarding art, culture, literature, politics, religion, and society (including numerous media related to Palestine, both as an idea and a land). Then, after leading a text study related to "Zionist Perspectives on Arabs and Jews," the two facilitated a discussion related to participants' reactions to the museum.

SIT (School of International Training)
In early July 2005, three members of the Abraham's Vision team traveled to Brattleboro, Vermont to work with participants at the renowned SIT camp. Educators Marie-Therese Abou-Daoud, Irrit Dweck, and Aysha Hidayatullah facilitated three different workshops with an array of SIT participants. The first session worked with adolescents from the Governor's Institutes of Vermont. This presentation focused on "Youth Activism" and explored the importance of examining the causes of society's problems in addition to figuring out how to turn idealistic dreams into tangible realities. In the second session, our educators worked with Catholic and Protestant teenagers from Northern Ireland, as well as Christian and Muslim youth from Oldham, England. In this presentation our topic was "Interfaith Dialogue," focusing in particular on how identity formation and trust-building are necessary components of meaningful discussion. The third session, which also focused on Interfaith Dialogue, worked with adult participants from the greater Brattleboro community. It was a full day of workshops for our team and it gave us the opportunity to engage with various age groups and populations from around the globe. Click here for photos of Educators Marie-Therese Abou-Daoud and Irrit Dweck leading SIT presentations.