Jerusalem Interfaith Center

At the G20 Interfaith Forum in Cape Town, Jewish and Muslim leaders publicly affirmed that we are partners in a shared destiny. OTIC’s Rabbi Dr. Yakov Nagen and Rabbi Dr. Aharon Ariel Lavi joined ICPR’s Imam Dr. Talib Shareef and Imam Rashad Abdul-Rahmaan to sign a pledge rooted in the sacred calling of our Abrahamic heritage. This pledge affirms that our unity is not a strategy. It is our birthright, and our future depends on it. We are not simply managing tensions. We are reviving bonds that have existed for millennia, bonds meant to bear the fruit of peace, cooperation, and mutual blessing.

Is Man's relationship with God a bottom-up or top-down approach? One verse from daily Islamic prayer holds two movements at once. The human reaching upward. The Divine reaching down. And Jewish tradition carries the same instinct in strikingly similar language. Join us every Wednesday.

Forty years ago, a Pope walked into a synagogue and changed history. On April 13, 1986, John Paul II entered the Great Synagogue of Rome and called the Jewish people the Church's "dearly beloved brothers and, in a certain way, our elder brothers." This spring, JIC was represented at the 40th anniversary commemoration in Washington, D.C. The work John Paul II began is the work we continue every day in Jerusalem.

Maliki Yawm ad-Din. In Hebrew, that's Melekh Yom HaDin. The King of the Day of Judgement. What does that refer to? People of the Book, episode 4. Arabic and Hebrew share more than roots as they share a vision of accountability. Judgment Day, in both traditions, is there to orient us and remind us that what we do in this world carries weight. Every Wednesday with Rabbi @alavi. Watch below.

Jewish and Muslim traditions share incredible similarities. Rabbi Dr. @YakovNagen shared the Jewish practice of whispering the Shema to a newborn and we explored the beautiful Islamic parallels with the Shahada. Discovering these shared practices breaks down fear and builds mutual respect. Listen to the full podcast right here: youtube.com/watch?v=gg66s_…

Did you know "Alhamdulillah" and "Baruch Hashem" share the same spiritual root? In the third episode of our People of the Book series, Rabbi Dr. @arilavi explores the language of praise and providence. We use serious textual study to make religion part of the solution. Join us every Wednesday for more.

Want to dive deeper into the intersection of faith and responsibility? Our new WhatsApp community is a curated space for leaders and partners to explore interfaith connection. We share weekly reflections, event updates, and serious questions for growth. Join us via this link chat.whatsapp.com/IXKKr7TBZLsANv…

We are sending our best wishes to the Druze community on the final day of Ziyarat al Nabi Shuayb. While Jews do not celebrate this holiday, we deeply value our connection through the figure of Jethro. We focus on the historical roots that make religion part of the solution. Happy holiday to our Druze neighbors.

Did you know the first verse of the Quran is linguistically tied to Hebrew? Rabbi Dr. @arilavi shows how Bismillah Al Rachman Al Racheem reflects our shared roots. We use serious scholarship to make religion part of the solution to conflict. Join us every Wednesday for our People of the Book series.

Yesterday, we mourned the cost of freedom and today we celebrate its reality. The transition from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Haatzmaut reminds us that independence requires profound responsibility. We honor our freedom by doing the hard work of interfaith diplomacy and rejecting superficial peace. Happy Independence Day.

On Yom HaZikaron, we remember the fallen. We honor their sacrifice by engaging in serious interfaith diplomacy. Religion must be part of the solution to conflict so we can build a secure future for our region. May their memories be a blessing.

We condemn the harming of a Christian symbol in southern Lebanon and support the efforts to restore it. Systems are judged by how they respond to failures. Real accountability is both a strategic and a moral necessity. Religion should be a source of reconciliation and not part of the problem.

What connects the first chapter of the Quran to Jewish mysticism? Surah Al Fatihah has exactly seven verses. In Jewish theology, the number seven represents wholeness and natural cycles. We do not do kumbaya peace. We do serious textual study. Join Rabbi @arilavi on this journey and learn with us every Wednesday.

Did you know Aramaic, the language of the Talmud, shares deep roots with Arabic? In our latest podcast episode, Rabbi Yakov Nagen and Sheikh Ghassan Manasra discuss how the Aramaic word for witness is so similar to the Islamic Shahada. Understanding our shared foundations builds mutual respect. Listen to the full podcast here youtube.com/watch?v=gg66s_…

An important post from our Muslim friend and partner @SoooMD I searched the names….. Standing in Auschwitz-Birkenau as a Muslim woman, I feel that it is my duty to speak out about the Holocaust. Here on the wall, I look for the names of my friends’ grandparents. They were among the millions of innocents murdered for simply being Jewish. Hatred has no limits. The Holocaust was a result of the hatred for Jews. I believe that Holocaust education is critical for peace in the Middle East.

What happens when you read the Quran through a Jewish lens? Every Wednesday, we are dropping a new video in our People of the Book Series. Rabbi Dr. @arilavi explores our sacred texts because we do not do kumbaya peace. We demand theological honesty. Religion must be part of the solution not of the problem.

Are our religious identities meant to cause conflict or connection? Earlier this year Rabbi Dr. @YakovNagen spoke at the ANU museum alongside North American Muslim leaders about turning conflict into brotherhood. This Passover, we remember that true freedom means embracing our shared humanity. Jews and Muslims are family and we must build peace together.

Do not miss out on the real stories of hope from the Middle East. We just published our latest newsletter. Sign up to get all the updates on our interfaith alliances and peacebuilding efforts straight to your inbox. Join us at jic.org.il

The story of Passover teaches us that freedom always wins in the end. Wishing a Chag Sameach to everyone celebrating today. May the lessons of the Exodus inspire us to break the chains of division and build a peaceful future together in the Middle East. Happy Passover.