Canada's Jewish Leader Urges Interfaith Cooperation

[sonz]

TORONTO, December 28, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Reiterating the message he delivered at the biggest Islamic convention in Canada, senior Rabbi of Canada’s largest synagogue has called on the country’s religious communities to look for ways to overcome their differences.

Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl, senior rabbi of Beth Tzedec Congregation, told Islamonline.net Tuesday, December 27, that Canada’s Jews and Muslims should see themselves as children of Abraham and look for avenues for greater cooperation.

“As children of Abraham, peace be upon him, we should be concerned about ways of bringing our communities together,” Frydman-Kohl said.

“Religion should not be a point of division but it should be a point of unity. We should look for ways to overcome our differences while remaining true to who we are.”

Rabbi Frydman-Kohl became senior rabbi of Beth Tzedec Congregation in 1993 after serving a congregation in Albany, New York. Since coming to Toronto’s Beth Tzedec, he has opened up the synagogue services to encourage more participation and has encouraged the development of innovative ritual and educational programs.

The Rabbi further believes that there are common issues facing Jews and Muslims in Western societies.

“We are also dealing with the essential issues of how do we, as minorities, remain true to our religious and spiritual traditions in societies which are largely secular or Christian – such as in Europe, Canada and the United States,” he said.

“And all of us, Muslims and Jews, are dealing with these kinds of issues.”

Rabbi Frydman-Kohl has a history of involvement in various public causes going back to his days in high school. He also has a special interest in outreach to individuals not traditionally involved in the Jewish community, such as single adults, Jews by choice and alcoholics.

Common Issues

“Let us be models, let us leave this convention with the universal Islam," Slimi told the gathering at the concluding session.

In June 1992, the Rabbi was awarded a Coolidge Fellowship by the Association for Religion and Intellectual Life to pursue research in an inter-faith community at the Episcopal Divinity School at Harvard University. He is the author of scholarly articles in the area of Jewish philosophy and mysticism.

The Rabbi feels that Canada’s Jewish and Muslim communities should continue to engage each other while respecting the different perspectives they hold on certain issues.

“We are seeing small starts. First of all, our religion is a way to bring us together – we have similar concepts, such as the concept of monotheism.”

“But at the same time we are divided because of different perspectives about sacred land and sacred space; so we approach each other with a lot of hesitation and we approach each other with a lot of history,” he added.

But Rabbi Frydman-Kohl is optimistic about the future and the role of young people of both communities in shaping it.

“We have to learn to crawl before we walk; to walk slowly before we take big steps,” the Rabbi said.

“But if we start with the idea that we have certain things in common and we can talk and build upon them then we can go forward. I think that young people are willing to do that.”

Convention Wrapped


Frydman-Kohl was among the notable speakers that attended the concluding session of the 4th Annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit convention brought together 12,000 Muslims from across Canada and the United States over the Christmas holiday weekend.

“Let us be models, let us leave this convention with the universal Islam. Let’s believe in the universal values of Islam rather than cultural Islam,” declared Imam Hamid Slimi, Imam of one of Canada’s large Islamic Centers, at the end of the convention Monday, December 26.

“My friends, the task that we have as Christians, and Muslims, and Jews, is to not let the power of the military industrial complex overcome the common family and heritage that we have together,” Dr. Bruce Gregersen, a General Council Minister of the United Church of Canada, told the crowds.

Dr. Gregersen surprised many at the convention when he said that the United Church of Canada is inviting its congregations and will recommend to its General Council to affirm the prophetic witness of Muhammad.

“As Christians, we cannot say that Muhammad is the seal of the prophets, that would make us Muslims and we’re not. But we can speak with utmost respect about Muhammad speaking to the world, and the justice and mercy and compassion of God through the Qur'an,” he said.

The event was held in the prestigious National Trade Center in Toronto, the largest tradeshow facility in Canada and the sixth largest in North America.

Efforts exerted by youth leaders in organizing the largest convention of Canadian Muslims have won the praise and acclaim from Muslims across the continent.

The convention concluded with a sold-out benefit concert for victims of the South Asian earthquake.

British Muslim singer Sami Yusuf, whose album, Al-Muallim, took the Muslim world by storm, headlined the concert along with the Malaysian group, Raihan.

[yoshiyahu]

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