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| Teenagers of different religious backgrounds participated in a Hindu dance inside a synagogue in Sharon, Mass., on Sept. 30.
It's one of various teen-led interfaith activities. Nicole Hill |
American youths bridge religious divides
Teens in a Boston suburb lead the way in building relationships among religious faiths in their community through Interfaith Action, a program that has captured attention abroad.
from the October 24, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Sharon, an upscale but highly diverse Boston suburb of about 18,000, is a microcosm of a changing American landscape. While the majority of residents is Jewish, the town is home to a large Islamic center and Islamic school, a variety of Christian churches, and several Eastern religions. More than 10 percent of the citizens speak a language other than English in their homes, including Urdu, Hindi, Hebrew, Russian, and Chinese.
At the Sacred Seasons event, guests include people whose background is Pakistani, Indian, Israeli, and Korean. "My daughter joined because she had a friend who was involved, and I think it's a very good idea to get to know other religions," says Kyung Yoo, who has lived in Sharon seven years and attends a Korean Christian church in a nearby town.
For some adults present, it's their first interfaith venture. After the student presentations, the crowd files outside and into a sukkah, the temporary dwelling Jewish families build to eat in during the days of the Sukkot festival. There, special plates of food are laid out so that local Muslims celebrating Ramadan can break the day's fast. A tarp has been spread on the ground for the Muslim sunset prayer.
The guests then join in a South Asian-style dinner, where they are asked to sit at tables with people they do not know. The teens have been careful to ensure that the food meets the dietary needs of all the faiths, though one says finding kosher Indian rice was a challenge!
The IFA's overall program involves youth meetings twice a month, as well as outreach to the public schools and other community agencies.
"During the first half of the year, we learn about different faiths and visit houses of worship," explains Aleena Zaidi, a senior on the leadership team that plans events. "The other half of the year, we put into action what we've learned, through dialogues, conferences, and community service projects."
Active in IFA since her freshman year, Aleena says one of her favorite projects is the antibias and antistereotyping workshops they hold each semester at the middle school.
"We asked the teens a few years ago, 'How do you want to make a difference?' " says Janet Penn, IFA executive director. "They created a program to go to public middle school to teach four classes."
When students first join IFA, they go through a 12-hour leadership training program involving self-awareness and deep listening skills, run by program director Tabitha May-Tolub. Later, they are trained to facilitate programs in the community.
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