Our adult education program for November is “a month of interfaith conversation” on November 2, 9, and 16.  Our speakers traveled together this past May—a group of 27 Muslims, Jews, and Christians—to Andalusia, Spain.  They explored the history and the myth of Convivencia (Spanish for "living together"), a term used by scholar Américo Castro to describe a period in Spanish history from the Muslim Umayyad conquest of Hispania in the 700s to the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.  It claims that in the different Moorish Iberian kingdoms, the Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in relative peace.  This idea suggests that medieval Spain was a place of religious tolerance and cultural exchange-very different from later periods when only Catholicism was allowed.

• November 2 - “What Jews Wish Christians Understood about Judaism”
  Our teacher for the morning, Rabbi David Straus, is no stranger to our congregation.  He is the Rabbi Emeritus of Main Line Reform Temple in Wynnewood, PA, and the chair of the National Council of Synagogues which meets regularly with members of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops, National Council of Churches, and the Evangelical Community.  In Philadelphia, David has been co-convener of the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia and served on the board of Interfaith Philadelphia.  He is a past president of the VAAD:  The Philadelphia Board of Rabbis, and served as chair of the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council from 2010-2014.

• November 9 - “What Muslims Wish Christians Understood about Islam”
  Muhammed Said Selmanlar is the Executive Director of Peace Islands Institute Pennsylvania, where he leads peace-building efforts through interfaith and intercultural dialogue, along with educational and youth programs.  A dedicated community builder and organizer, Muhammed fosters collaboration across diverse groups to promote mutual understanding and respect.  Before his current role, he served the Lehigh Valley community through his work at the Lehigh Dialogue Center and as Vice President of the Bethlehem Interfaith Group, where he played a key role in facilitating dialogue and cooperation among different faith communities.  His commitment to building bridges between cultures and communities remains central to his mission.

• November 16 - “What Christians Wish Jews and Muslims Understood about Christianity”
  Cindy Jarvis will lead us in a conversation about the essential tenants of our faith and how we might communicate what our faith means and matters to our Jewish and Muslim friends.  All three of our religions are “people of the book” and share Father Abraham.  Ethics may be the other common thread that connects our faith communities.  The most curious part of our faith are the doctrines of the Incarnation and the Trinity for Jews and Muslims who find these doctrines inimical to Monotheism.  In preparation, think about how you would talk to a Jewish or Muslim friend about your Christian faith and about what you believe about who Jesus is.