Interfaith movement
Jerusalem Peacebuilders helps youths from different religions create bonds built on tolerance.
Providing interfaith opportunities for students is one of principal Zuhaira Razzack’s top priorities. That’s why the head of the ILM Academy decided to join forces with Jerusalem Peacebuilders and open doors to the school during Ramadan.
Muslim, Christian and Jewish teens from around the city, all members of Interfaith Youth Houston, participated in the event held May 19.
In addition to touring the school, students headed to the nearby El Farouq Mosque to learn more about Islam, participated in a service project and then sat down together for an iftar dinner, the meal eaten by Muslims after sunset during Ramadan.
ILM Academy students have participated
in Jerusalem Peacebuilders’ programs all year, Razzack explained. Already, her eighth-graders participated in all four sessions offered this year.
“Living in a multicultural society, it’s very important that we understand each other,” Razzack said. “This is how we break down barriers and build understanding.”
Children are not born comprehending the nuanced differences of faith, she added.
“This is a formative age,” she said. “This is where we start. And the only way to clear up misunderstandings is to get to know people. That’s the best way to help address intolerance.”
Jerusalem Peacebuilders operates with the same philosophy — that ignorance cannot spread in the midst of personal connections.
Regional director Jack Karn ex
plained that Interfaith Youth Houston launched in September and then gathered for a meeting every two months. The Ramadan celebration will mark the finale for the group this school year.
Earlier, members visited a synagogue, where they learned about the importance of mitzvah, or good deeds, in the Jewish religion. They next went to Christ Church Cathedral and volunteered at the congregation’s service group for the homeless, the Beacon. Then, they volunteered at the Houston Food Bank.
“Each event is really about connecting teens around religious identity,” Karn said. “This youth group is creating a safe space for teens to interact in ways they normally are not able to do so.”
Service has been the central component of each gathering, he added. Dialogue is also key. Teens discuss what they learn about each religion. They also engage in leadership training.
Karn said Houston was an ideal spot to start the group.
“This was something that really had not been done before in Houston,” he said. “There was an opportunity to bring young people together around religion and around leadership development. Houston is a natural place to have something like this because of its diversity.”
About a year ago, Jerusalem Peacebuilders began planning for the youth group. There was a need to empower teens in the
U.S. and to engage them in learning about social justice and conflict resolution, Karn said.
Jerusalem Peacebuilders was already conducting similar work in the Holy Land.
The interfaith nonprofit was started by Rev. Nicholas Porter and his wife, Dorothy, who both lived in Jerusalem in the 1990s.
“They witnessed the Israeli Palestinian conflict firsthand while living there,” Karn said. “They felt like it was time for a change.”
The Porters decided to start by hosting a youth leadership camp for teens from Israel, Palestine and the U.S. in their hometown of Brattleboro, Vt. The first session brought together 12 students in the summer of 2011.
Then the late Stuart and Angela Kensinger — who were killed recently in a plane crash near Kerrville — got on board and brought the program to Texas. The following year, they opened a new summer session at Camp Allen in Navasota. The campers spend time in the country before heading to Houston for additional service projects. Another program launched in New Haven, Conn.
The summer camp continues to grow, Karn said. Students may participate all four years of high school.
Sessions include the usual recreation and entertainment of a summer camp, as well as volunteer projects and workshops about religion, communication and social justice. There are field trips to mosques, synagogues and churches.
On weekends at camp, students join for Muslim Friday prayers, then celebrate Shabbat that night and celebrate the Christian Sabbath on Sunday.
“Young people see how each faith tradition worships,” Karn said. “That’s a very important part of our program. And they’re spending all this time together, praying, playing and learning. They’re eating all of their meals together. They have dialogues every day.”
The summer camps have potential for a lifelong positive impact, he added. “It’s a transformational two weeks that can change someone’s trajectory, their interests and passions,” he said.
Still, Jerusalem Peacebuilders found that more work had to be done than a summer session would allow, Karn said. Otherwise, children might return home to Israel or Palestine and feel they have changed and grown but the rest of the world has not.
“Transformation can get lost in a young person,” he said. “They get disillusioned with unchanged reality.”
In 2016, Jerusalem Peacebuilders kicked off a series of inschool leadership courses in the Jerusalem area. Currently, the program is in 12 high schools. An adult program called EXCEL was also created.
“The real goal of our organization is to build lifelong friendships of individuals committed to each other and committed to peace,” Karn said.
The nonprofit is creating yearlong opportunities for Muslims and Jews to learn about each other.
“It’s essential to bring those two groups together,” Karn said. “Even though they live side by side, those communities are segregated. If we don’t meet, we continue to have misunderstanding. This is our way of combating that directly.”
Reaching out in the U.S. is equally as important as bringing together Palestinian and Israeli citizens during the school year and summer sessions, he added. Houston has become the nonprofit’s center for domestic affairs.
“The U.S. is actively involved in the Middle East and the peace process,” Karn said. “It’s one thing to be frustrated that things don’t change as quickly as you want. The other option is to know that we can bring people together and facilitate dialogue.”
Teens sometimes don’t know where to begin — to learn about social justice or to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Karn added.
“That’s where we come in,” he said. “Start with us. We provide opportunities to encourage tolerance and respect among people of different religions, to encourage face-to-face communication and a healthy sense of identity, to learn about traditions and to reach out to those who are different than you, and to take action, whether that is volunteering or engaging more, finding out what your passions are and pursuing those.”
By giving teens a safe space to explore important issues and to serve their community, Karn believes that Jerusalem Peacebuilders is opening a door and equipping future leaders with tools that promote understanding.
“It’s a catalyst for change,” he said.
Karn is confident that students will return to learn more or will share their interfaith experiences with family and friends.
Similarly, Karn explained, holidays are an easy path to learning more about a religion.
Already, about 100 students are participating in the interfaith teen group in Houston. Karn hopes more will join next year, as well as area faith communities.
“We’re a place to start for young people,” Karn said. “We want to make sure we introduce young people to an issue and that we’re all part of a solution and not the problem.”
Riley Hutchison, 17, attends Clements High School and Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church.
“Growing up in South Carolina, I never saw anyone different than me,” she said. “When I moved down here, it was a huge change. I wanted to learn more about what was happening in the city around me. I was looking for something that could show me.”
Then she discovered Interfaith Youth Houston and signed up. “Even though I go to a diverse high school, we tend to all stick to certain groups,” she said. “We don’t really learn about how other people live their lives.”
Jerusalem Peacebuilders opened doors that facilitated a learning experience for Riley. She enjoyed volunteering at the Food Bank and breaking fast during the Ramadan event.
“Being able to learn about other religions is awesome,” she said.
Riley added that she has already made new friends in the group. “Everyone is so nice and welcoming,” she said. “I’d recommend it to anyone.”
Jake Cosgrove, 17, also suggests signing up for Jerusalem Peacebuilder programs to anyone interested in promoting peace, learning about international diplomacy and furthering their education about religion and culture.
Jake attends the Emery/Weiner School and the Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism. He joined Jerusalem Peacebuilders in 2017 and will serve as a counselor this summer.
“I’m a big supporter of theirs,” he said. “When Jack told me about this group, I was definitely into it. I wanted to get Houston involved more and get the word out.”
Jake attended the Ramadan event, as well as the one held at his synagogue. He said the youth group promotes education and talking about important issues.
“Lack of discussion hurts,” he said. “This gives people an opportunity to discuss, especially for the youth, the leaders of tomorrow. Why not get involved? This is an easy outlet to do so.”