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GWU Hillel and Muslim Student Association Hold Iftar Dinner and Celebrate Diversity
November 15, 2002Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friendAt George Washington University, several hundred Jewish and Muslim students joined together to celebrate the end of the daily Ramadan fast.
"When I came here and saw everyone sitting together, I just got this warm fuzzy feeling, that we have a shared humanity," said Muslim student Deniz Oktam.
 The evening included a Muslim evening prayer, which Jewish students were invited to watch, and the traditional meal for breaking the Ramadan fast known as an Iftar that was both halal and kosher.
George Washington University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, who conceived the idea for the dinner, addressed the crowd and spoke about the importance of fostering greater understanding between the different cultures. The students "should serve as inspiration to adults in all their homelands as well as in America," said Trachtenberg.
Students also enjoyed meeting one another. "With all that is going on in the world, it is important for people to see that two different faith groups can come together and celebrate diversity," said Faisal Matadar, the Muslim Student Association's former president. "The first thing the dinner will do is to provide a little bit of understanding of each other. After that, there is no better way to meet a person than to eat with them."
After the meal, both groups spoke about specific Jewish and Muslim customs and joined together in the singing of Birkat Hamazon, the Jewish grace after meals, which was transliterated into English.
Rabbi Toby Manewith, senior educator at GW Hillel, said the event was designed to encourage understanding and stress the similarities between the two religions. "This evening has helped open the channels of communication," said Manewith.
"It was great to bring the two cultures together because we have a lot of similarities," said Hillel student Michelle Ruddy. "I think this is where change begins."
Hillel at Yale, Columbia University and Washington University also held Iftar dinners.
Click on the titles below for more stories on Hillel schools celebrating Iftar >>
UW Muslims, Jews Break Fast Together at Common Table
'Fast' Food Breaks Religious Boundaries
Community Celebrates Ramadan
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