Last night, clergy from all religions and denominations, and dozens of Arab and Jewish activists, including of course from the Wadi-Jamal/Ein Hayam neighborhood, gathered together in the in the Peace Sukkah at the Leo Baeck Education Center.
The religious leaders brought a message of peace, multiculturalism and a call for increased partnership and the cultivation of, and education towards shared society.
Rabbi Ofek Meir, Headmaster & Managing Director of the Leo Baeck Education Center, who hosted the event, emphasized how Leo Baeck Haifa continues to further and promote its vision of humanism, pluralism and shared society.
Father Yosef Yaakov, head of the Maronite Christian community in Haifa, said that we experienced very dark days in Haifa several months ago [during the tension and violence between Arabs and Jews in mixed cities like Haifa at the time of the war in Gaza/Operation Guardian of the Walls]. He added that those days of darkness were unusual for Haifa, and therefore, it was so important for him to come to the Sukkah of Peace and share aloud his support.
Also attending the event, were: Father William Abu Shakra from the Greek Catholic community, Rabbi Oshat Morag, new Senior Rabbi at the Leo Baeck Education Center, Emir Muhammad Sharif Odeh head of the Ahmadi Muslim community, Samir Rushdi representative of the World Baha’i Center in Haifa, Sheikh and Zir Emun representative of the Peace Forum from Yarka.
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