The following is via OnlySimchas.com:
In Canada, the Masjid al-Salaam mosque, the only mosque in Peterborough, Ontario was burned down in an arson attack the day after the Paris attacks on November 14.
Congregants of that mosque are now praying in a nearby synagogue.
Someone had thrown a Molotov cocktail at their building and the damages have been estimated at about €56,000.
Following this incident, the leaders of the city’s only synagogue, Beth Israel, offered to have the mosque hold their services at theeir synagogue so that they would have somewhere to pray. “We live in a small town and they are our neighbors, so it seemed only natural to welcome them,” says the synagogue’s president, Larry Gillman.
Last Friday, about 150 Muslims went to pray at Beth Israel.
Kenzu Abdella, the president of the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association (KMRA), which runs the mosque said,
“This is the first time the mosque has been attacked. We are shocked and find this very worrisome. However, we have received an outpouring of support. The city authorities, the synagogue and several churches all offered us spaces in which to continue our activities.
“Since the fire, we’ve prayed at the United Church of Canada on Friday November 20, at the synagogue on Friday November 27, and we’re going to go to an Anglican church this Friday. The rest of the week, we pray at the home of one of our members, who lives near the mosque.
“When Larry Gillman invited us to the synagogue, I first wondered how we would organise the prayer, since we need rugs, we need to pray in a certain direction, etc. We ended up praying in a room on the first floor and it went very well, thanks to the people who run the synagogue. We’re very grateful.
“After the prayer, we held our annual dinner at the synagogue. But this time, we cooked a vegetarian dinner in order not to go against the customs of the synagogue (where kosher meals are served). This was an occasion for the two communities to get to know each other better and to start a dialogue. I think that’s the best way to combat radicalism and hate.”
Joe Teichman,the general manager of Beth Israel synagogue, said,
“During the dinner we shared on Friday, there were about 80 Muslim congregants and 15 Jewish ones. We talked about all sorts of things, and realised we had a lot in common. For example, many words in Hebrew and in Arabic share the same root. Since we have a big kitchen at the synagogue, the Muslim congregants suggested we might organise cooking classes together in the future. We’ve already invited them back for another Friday prayer in December.
“The different religious communities of Peterborough were already in contact with each other prior to this. For example, for the past decade, we’ve held an interfaith film festival where Christians, Jews, and Muslims watch movies and discuss them together.”
Reconstruction of the mosque began three days after the fire, and is expected to be finished by the end of the month. More than C$110,000 (about €76,000) has been raised in just 48 hours on a fundraising site to cover the costs.
Following the Paris attacks, numerous attacks against Muslims were reported in Canada, and notably in Ontario.
You can see the Muslim congregation gathered at the synagogue here:
(Source: OnlySimchas.com)
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16 Responses
I was going to say that this is liken to Avraham Avinu bringing in guests to his house and telling them to thank their idols after the meal. Once I realized that this is a Conservative synagogue I realized it’s liken to Achav bringing in guests into his house and telling them to thank their idols after the meal.
BTW – did anyone else notice that someone stuck his finger into the cake’s frosting?
They prayed in a conservative temple.
Very nice good deed.
However, it’s a conservative temple and shouldn’t feature on YWN any more then the Church of Canada that did the same nice gesture.
No comment.
Cooking classes together? What’s with bishul akum? Hope they don’t cook something that will make the kitchen treif.
Why is this posted on YWN? Do u want us to be impressed or disgusted? Definitely disgusted, totally didn’t need to know this.
#6 this should be their smallest aveiros…
What would have happened if it would have חלילה been an Orthodox Shul that burned, do you think these “wonderful” people would have also extended their invitation?!
Call me Naive, but since when does achdus within Judaism stop depending on what level of Judaism you follow. I was raised and still am Orthodox and was raised and raise my children to respect all Jews no matter their own personal level. We all daven and hope for Mashiach to come, but there is still a severe lack of achdus that is needed to bring Mashiach.
We are all waiting for the Muslims to take part in doing good for the Jews and others too..
definitly not allowed to do this im not sure why ywn put this on probably chillul hahshem
#10 ‘their own oe personnel level” you say.Tthat’s your giveaway. NO, Judaism is not what your ‘personnel level’ is, what you feel comfortable with. Theres 4 parts of Jewish code of Law that is binding. If you don’t believe and adhere to it your not practicing Judaism. Now when poskim,shas etc talk abour ‘klal yisroel’ it refers to Reyacha bemitsvos. Not that the others are not JEWS,(If mother is) not that we don’t wish them well etc etc
#13 I will try and be da’am lakach zechus and assune that you follow every simun in shulchan aruch perfectly. I will assume this because of your judgmental comment “If you don’t believe and adhere to it your not practicing Judaism.” So if you don’t follow every simun, then according to your own words, well…
I know that I try to and I also know that I am not perfect. I never said that people should practice on their own level. The point I was trying to make was who are we to judge whether they are Jewish or not
your IQ is lacking . No sohmrei torah officially says this or that halacha is irrelevant. Yes, everybody has a yetzer horah. Here and they will talk when not supposed, maybe dishonest (gazel varoious nafsho shel adom) ,butnot official policy, …so again, if your talking about a movement who officialy are koifer even 1 letter of torah they’re heretics .See Tractate sanheddrin, rambam and shulchen urech…so don’t come with your ignorance
Post #15 is reply to #!4…Cntd..so when you say if I ‘follow every seuf in S’U’ what exactly do you mean , whether I just deleted laws in S’U that I don’t feel comfortable, its outmoded, archaic (C’V)like these ‘Jewish’ movements shita is, of course I follow. Of course i’m not a tzaddik like igros moshe, divrei yoel etc nor am I a rasha that decides a new movement , a new revelation that keeping taryag is outmoded just what makes sense, and feel comfortable they practice. I’m just average ehrlicher yid, chassidish, litvish, sfardish who believe Torah misini,Moshe mipi Havurah every ois…unlike these movements. Also where in anyones comments did you deduct that he hates….. One is not allowed to point out the wrong path they have? are you so sensitive?