Interfaith Educational Exchange Between New Horizon Pasadena and Sinai Akiba Academy of Los Angeles

For the second year in a row, Muslim and Jewish middle school students come together in a meaningful educational program that fosters understanding and respect. This is the only Muslim-Jewish interfaith activity in the Los Angeles area among middle school students.

Seventh graders from Sinai Akiba Academy, a Jewish day school in Beverly Hills, and seventh and eighth graders from New Horizon School, an Islamic day school in Pasadena, visit each other’s campuses and participate in a variety of activities designed to help students get to know each other better and appreciate the similarities in their faiths and in their American cultural identity.

The first visit took place on February 20 at Sinai Akiba Academy with NHS students observing a Jewish prayer service and touring the school with their Jewish buddies. Teachers at SAA led classroom sessions that asked students to examine a legal case with first amendment issues and to reflect on their interfaith experience.

For the visit on Wednesday at NHS Pasadena, activities include an interfaith scavenger hunt around campus and classroom sessions that focus on stereotyping through drama, multimedia, and discussion. Jewish students will also observe the Muslim students in prayer.

This year, the schools partnered with local organizations to assist in the development of the program. Mary Hendra of Facing History, an organization dedicated to combatting racism, anti-Semitism and prejudice and nurturing democracy through education programs worldwide, worked with teachers on facilitating important discussions on identity. Sarah Bassin, of New Ground, an organization committed to improving Muslim-Jewish relations through programs that “break the mold of expected interfaith engagement,” played a pivotal role in the first year of the exchange and continues to consult on this project.

Through this exchange, the schools hope to expand students’ hearts and minds and build understanding and respect.

For more information, visit www.newhorizonschool.org.