Jewish, Muslim students connect at temple

With all the bad news, Here is a story with a ray of hope our our next generation.

Monday, December 13, 2004

Jewish, Muslim students connect at temple
By Rasheed Oluwa
Poughkeepsie Journal

Muslim and Jewish students gathered for food, games and other Hanukkah-inspired fun at the Vassar Temple in the City of Poughkeepsie Sunday.

The event was part of the third annual Salaam-Shalom Series, a collaborative effort between Vassar Temple and the Town of Wappinger's Masjid Al-Noor. It is designed to foster understanding between the two religions.

''It's important because it opens up the dialogue between two religions and two communities,'' said Rafiq Majeed, the newly elected president of the Mid-Hudson Islamic Association. ''It proves that there is no good excuse for other religions not to reach out to each other. You can learn a lot from other religions.''

The students will also work with the Children's Media Project and local filmmaker and photographer Lowell Handler. The project will consist of several short films that focus on the lives of Jewish and Muslim teens.

''We want then to discuss teenage things so that people see that they are all, basically the same,'' said Sharon Zant, director of the temple's religious school.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/localnews/stories/lo121304s3.shtml

With the next generation.

And I think these kids are off to a good start.