Aziza Hasan, a devout Muslim, and Andrea Hodos, a devout Jew are close friends. Together they run a nonprofit fellowship program in Los Angeles called NewGround, which brings Muslims and Jews together to learn to listen, disagree, empathize with one another—and become friends.
In response to the violence in the Middle East, Ms. Hasan says…
“More people are reaching out to each other than I’ve ever seen. I think that’s the result of the relationships we’ve built all these years. Without that connection, one person becomes defensive in a discussion, and whoever they are speaking with from the other side entrenches and gets defensive back quickly. When there’s a relationship, there are moments of softening that allow a little more slack in the discussion and a little more care.”
This is how we create a world of light. We connect with each other as human beings and hold fast to our friendships.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/21/us/jewish-muslim-communities-israel-hamas-war.html