A Special Message from the Center for Jewish-Muslim Relations Rosh Hashana 5768 and Ramadan 1428

We wanted to share with you a statement of local leaders and activists supporting dialogue and working together. CJMR Board members, together with leaders of the Boston Workmen's Circle, the Boston chapter of the Muslim American Society and others, were instrumental in making this happen. We would like to encourage you to add your name and support this important initiative by emailing communityoftrust@gmail.com.

David and Salma
Co-Directors

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Building A Community of Trust

We, members of the Jewish and Muslim communities, seek to build trust and mutual understanding and strive to forge positive relationships between our respective communities. We are determined to work together in order to replace fear, distrust, and misunderstanding of each for the other, where it exists – with hope and respectful communication.

As shared beliefs:

• We affirm the common humanity of all racial, religious, and ethnic groups, and our common needs for safety, security and dignity.
• We decry all forms of terrorism, racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim prejudice, or any other form of discrimination or stigmatization against any racial, religious or ethnic group.
• We support the rights, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, of faith communities to gather for worship.

To give expression to these beliefs:

• We support existing efforts, and the creation of additional opportunities, for open and honest interfaith and intercultural dialogue in Greater Boston.
• We will strive to address disagreements and community concerns in ways that promote reconciliation rather than conflict.
• We urge leaders in our respective communities to publicly commit to these initiatives, and to seek additional means to build intercultural trust and mutual understanding.

We embrace a Greater Boston that is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious, in which our diversity is respected and valued. We will together foster efforts to improve understanding and to decrease divisions between our communities. We will work towards a more harmonious Boston in which all people of good will share concerns in a civil manner, promote hope and not fear, and together enrich the civic life of our community.

Massachusetts Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Eric Gurvis, President; Rabbi Barbara Penzner, immediate past President
Robert Beal
Susan Calechman
David Dolev
Leonard Fein
Ruth Fein
Michael Felsen
Steven Fischman
Rabbi Ronne Friedman
Lisa Gallatin
Carol Goldberg
Avram Goldberg
Dr. David Gordis
Arnold Hiatt
Geoffrey Lewis
James W. Segel
Joel B. Sherman
Donald Siegel
Alan Solomont
Rabbi Toba Spitzer
Kenneth Sweder
Sidney Topol
Rabbi Moshe Waldoks

(Organizations listed for identification purposes only)
Dr Nabeel Khudairi - President, Islamic Council of New England
Ali Rabbani - President, Islamic Center of Burlington
Imam Talal Eid - Islamic Institute of Boston, US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Imam Taalib Mahdee - Masjid al Quran, Dorchester
Imam Faaruuq - Mosque for Praising of Allah, Roxbury
Dr Abdul Cader Asmal - former President, Islamic Council of New England
Anwar Kazmi - Board of Directors, Islamic Society of Boston
Hossam al Jabri - President, Muslim American Society, Boston chapter
Rashid Noor - President, Islamic Center of New England, Sharon
Ali Noorani - Executive Director, Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Imam Basyouny Nehela - Islamic Society of Boston
Salwa Abdallah - Board of Directors, Islamic Society of Boston
Dr. Syed Razvi - member, Islamic Center of Boston (Wayland)
Mahmud Jafri - Co-Chairman, Muslim-Jewish dialogue of Greater Boston. Life Trustee, Islamic Masumeen Center of New England
Driss Djermoun - President, Islamic Center of Boston (Wayland) Salma Kazmi - Co-Director, Center for Jewish Muslim Relations
Mona Abozena - Board of Directors, Muslim American Society, Boston chapter
Imam Khalid Nasr - Islamic Center of New England, Quincy
M. Bilal Kaleem - Executive Director, Muslim American Society, Boston chapter

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Rabbi Katy Z. Allen Rabbi Thomas M. Alpert Marya Axner Diane Balser Aly Basyouni Yael Bat Shimon Aviva Bock Geoffrey Bock Phyllis Brawarsky Rabbi Samuel Chiel Clifford Craine Ari Davidov Deborah Fogel Rabbi Carol Glass Rabbi Neal Gold Sanford Goldfless Rabbi Robert S. Goldstein Tiffany Gordon David Grinstein Judith Haber Rabbi Geoffrey J. Haber Rabbi Zachary I. Heller Ben Herzig Mohammad Husein Rabbi Howard Jaffe

Maribeth Kaptchuk Allen Katzoff Andrea Klausner Jonathan Klein Margie Klein Rabbi Richard L. Klein Rabbi David L. Kline Rabbi Stephanie D. Kolin Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox Rabbi Neil Kominsky Mary Lahaj Rabbi Ruth Langer Kathleen Leonard Rabbi David Lerner Rabbi Paul H. Levenson Alan Lobowitz David Lobron Maxine Lyons Len Lyons Rabbi Rim Meirowitz Tamar Miller Rabbi Jordon B. Millstein Rabbi Lewis Mintz Danyal Najmi

Michael Paasche-Orlow Rabbi Michelle Pearlman Janet Penn Rabbi Shoshana Perry Dr. Anne Pomerantz Waldoks Rabbi Victor Reinstein Beth Reisen Elana Robinson-Lynch Rabbi Dennis S. Ross Dalia Rudavsky Fran Morill Schlitt Jacob Schlitt Thomas Schwarz Sandy Seltzer Enid Shapiro Carol Singer Bricklin Scott Spiegler Jeff Stone Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg Rabbi Loel Weiss Rabbi David S. Widzer Janet Yassen Ron Young Rabbi Henry A. Zoob

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CENTER FOR JEWISH-MUSLIM RELATIONS
Public Conversations Project
46 Kondazian Street
Watertown MA 02472-2832
www.jewishmuslim.org