TORONTO — Enthusiasm and goodwill pervaded a lively gathering of 100 Jews and Muslims, who met for an interfaith dialogue on Abraham and his place in their respective religious traditions.

Pictured are the organizers of the recent twinning of Temple Emanu-El and the Noor Cultural Centre. In the back, from left, are Rabbi Debra Landsberg, spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El; Shahid Akhtar, co-chair of the Canadian Council of Jews and Muslims (CCJM); and Prof. Timothy Gianotti, Noor Fellow at York University. In the front row are,  Samira Kanji, left, president of the Noor centre, and Barbara Landau, CCJM co-chair.    [Barbara Silverstein photo]

The Sunday-morning brunch hosted by the Noor Cultural Centre in Don Mills capped a weekend of joint events held by the Noor centre and Temple Emanu-El in North York. Members of both groups had also attended Friday afternoon worship at the Noor centre and Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat services at the synagogue.

The program was part of a North American-wide initiative held on the weekend of Nov. 22, when the parshah of the week spoke of Isaac and Ishmael, the two older sons of Abraham, coming together for their father’s burial.

Some 50 synagogues and 50 mosques in cities in Canada and the United States participated in a weekend of twinning initiated by Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.

Other twinnings of Islamic and Jewish institutions in the GTA included Solel Congregation and the Islamic Centre of Canada, in Mississauga; Temple Har Zion and the Jafari Cultural Centre, both in Thornhill; and Beth Torah Congregation in Toronto and the Lote Tree Foundation in Brampton. As well, Hamid Slimi of the Canadian Council of Imams spoke at Beth Tzedec Congregation on Shabbat.

The discussion of Abraham at the Sunday brunch at the Noor centre was co-lead by Prof. Timothy Gianotti, Noor Fellow at York University – he gave the Islamic interpretation – and Rabbi Debra Landsberg, spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El.

According to Rabbi Landsberg, Abraham understood that God could never be controlled, so he introduced prayer as a way of engaging in a relationship with God.

She said Abraham brought God into the world through actions or mitzvot. “The connection between the religion of Abraham and Moses is that Abraham observed all the laws that were revealed at Sinai.”

Gianotti noted that the Qur’an encompasses writings attributed to both Abraham and Moses. “The Qur’an makes reference to divine commandments.”

He said the prophet Muhammad descended from a group of monotheistic desert dwellers believed to have descended from Ishmael. “There was some kind of Abrahamic religion alive in the desert.”

Followers “engaged in fasting and gave alms to the poor,” he said. “Some Abrahamic tradition is at the core of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.”

Gianotti said that in the Qur’an, Ishmael rather than Isaac was the son who was set to be sacrificed by Abraham. “Ishmael was a willing participant.”

Rabbi Landsberg pointed to parallels between this interpretation and some talmudic commentary that says Isaac was willing to be sacrificed. “Isaac knew what was going on. He said, ‘Bind me tightly father.’”

She also said that some talmudic scholars contend that Qetura, the woman Abraham married after Sarah’s death, was actually her former servant Hagar, the mother of Ishmael.

Samira Kanji, president of the Noor centre, was pleased about the outcome of the weekend. “The response from the two communities has been overwhelming. We needed a catalyst like the twinning program.”

Gianotti was equally enthusiastic. “This weekend surpassed our expectations. We feel like family. We’re like-minded with similar values.”

Shahid Akhtar, co-chair of the Canadian Council of Jews and Muslims, called the weekend a “dream come true.” He noted that the council, established in 1996, was the first organization in North America to bring Jews and Muslims together.

His Jewish co-chair, Barbara Landau, said the weekend re-energized their group.

“I loved this weekend. It just shows that conflict can be resolved if we appeal to people’s best instincts.”