Scarsdale Man Talks Exodus Story, Religion

The commonalities between Muslims, Christians and Jews are more than many often realize, local interfaith activists say. One important story they share is the Exodus from Egypt, a story presented in the Qur’an and in the Book of Exodus that is commemorated by the Jewish festival of Passover. 

Tonight in Rye, a group of thirty people from the Abrahamic faiths will move away from the usual interfaith Passover Seder, and will instead gather to discover and discuss the story as it relates to themselves and their religions, and the ways in which their religions and practices overlap.

“We have so many things in common I don’t know why we aren’t talking more about commonality than diversity,” said Joyce Schriebman, a non-profit consultant and Founder of the Interfaith organization My Brother From Another Mother, who is coordinating the evening’s discussion. The Temple Israel Center in White Plains is also a partner in the evening.

The event is timed to match the launch of the website ExodusConversations.org, created by published author and Scarsdale resident David Arnow. Arnow worked with a Muslim and Christian colleagues to create the website as a tool for interfaith engagement. The three commented on the 16 themes of the story and how they relate to them based on their experiences with their individual religious groups.

Tonight’s event, which will be held at a participant’s home in Rye, will be an expanded version of what Arnow has done on his site. The group of thirty will discuss the themes of the story. They will be separated into three different groups, each with a facilitator who will prompt participants with questions from Arnow’s work. The outline was emailed to everyone involved last week.

“We tried to keep it clergy light,” Schriebman said, explaining that they want the conversation to be about individual’s religious experiences, not institutional perspectives.  They have invited people she knows through her interfaith work, including only one minister, one rabbi and one imam.  

Schriebman mentioned her participation in a Friday Qur'an study group, where she has developed a significant connection with the Muslim women who have welcomed her to their study.

“Commonality comes about by sitting down and getting to know people – grassroots engagement, people to people,” Schriebman explains.

“Our commonalities start with basic human needs, wanting to live a life that is safe and secure, wanting to be happy…we believe in one god. And philanthropically, with Jews and Muslims, we believe it is an obligation. We do it not because it makes us feel good or comes from the heart, its just something we do,” Schriebman said.

“What I hope comes out of Wednesday night is people sitting down talking to each other. It is possible to have a conversation between Jews, Muslims and Christians without talking about the Middle East…it does not have to become about politics,” she said.

 ---