Rabbi Speaks at Muslim Convention

At the opening of the 44^th annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention last Friday, Rabbi Yoffei, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, gave a speech encouraging Jews and Muslims to work towards an open dialogue so that “they can inspire and strengthen one another to fight fanatics and work to promote the values of justice and love that are common to both faiths.”

Educating Americans about the true nature of Islam, and fighting against the stereotypes portrayed in the media was also the focus of Yoffei’s speech. Moreover, he encourages education about Judaism in order to combat anti-Semitism.

My favorite part of his speech was when he said, “you cannot honor a religion of peace through violence; you cannot honor God if you do not honor the image of God in every human being; and you cannot get to heaven by creating hell on earth.” You can read his entire speech here.

The Union For Reform Judaism includes more than 900 congregations and 1.5 million Jews, while the ISNA convention included around 30,000 people.