Mideast Violence Tests The Relationships That Interfaith Groups Work Hard To Build

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/26/ [login to see] /mideast-violence-tests-the-relationships-that-interfaith-groups-work-hard-to-bui
The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is holding for now, but it's fragile. And in the U.S., Jewish-Muslim interfaith groups are trying to figure out how to navigate this moment. The conflict is testing the relationships they've worked so hard to build.

Like a lot of Palestinians in the U.S., Aziza Hasan has been hugely affected by what's happening in her homeland.

"Right now, I'm in a world of pain," Hasan says. "And it's people reaching out to me, and me reaching out to people, that helps us figure out what we can do together."

She leads NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change. Like many interfaith groups, it works to build relationships. Based in Los Angeles, the group hosts fellowships, high school programs and community events. It's not about sermons from imams and rabbis. It's about individuals: programs, trainings and events where over the years tens of thousands of people have talked, found common ground and learned how to disagree but still hear each other — which can be messy even in the best of times.