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South and southwest suburban groups that unite people of Muslim, Jewish and Catholic faiths look forward to continuing discussions of peace in 2024, despite some cancellations after the outbreak of war Oct. 7.
After the latest war between Israel and Hamas began, area schools and groups aimed at fostering discussions among the different religions canceled events.
Oak Lawn High School postponed its Palestinian Culture Night, which was scheduled for Oct. 13, because of the violent events unfolding in the region.
“Due to the serious nature of the conflict and out of respect for the loss and suffering felt by those involved, we feel it is appropriate to postpone the event,” Assistant Principal Marcus Wargin said at the time.
Southwest InterFaith Team, or SWIFT, canceled an event at St. George Catholic Church in Tinley Park scheduled for Oct. 8 to talk about the Muslim, Christian and Jewish perspectives of God.
Joliet Jewish Congregation Rabbi Jenny Steinberg-Martinez, who was supposed to offer the Jewish perspective at the SWIFT event, said it was canceled because of safety concerns. When people feel powerless they may act violently, Steinberg-Martinez said, such as in the stabbing death of 6-year-old Palestinian-American Wadea Al-Fayoume in Plainfield.
“I think people were afraid for their safety. I don’t think it was a philosophical problem. I think people were really concerned about violence and the unpredictability of human behavior,” Steinberg-Martinez said. “You try to reduce the risk for the unpredictability of human behavior.”
But about a month later, Steinberg-Martinez said groups throughout the southwest suburbs began to hold interfaith events again to show the connection among the different faith groups even amid their concerns about the war.
“I think the passion is about showing that Palestinian and Jewish relationships in America, there’s an effort to try to show that we can get along, to highlight that there’s no war going on between the people here in America,” Steinberg-Martinez said. “We just want to be a place that’s safe. We want to be a place to continue the conversation.”
Andreatte Brachman, of Palos Hills, is a member of a Catholic Muslim Women’s Interfaith Dialogue Group of the Mosque Foundation and St. Fabian Parish of Bridgeview, something she joined as a Catholic woman about a year or so after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
“I have always been interested in different religions. I am very interested in people learning about people, accepting their differences, enjoying their differences,” Brachman said.
The group meets about once a month, alternating between the church and mosque, Brachman said, with a summer break and an occasional meeting cancellation around Christmas or Ramadan. For example, the group canceled its December meeting because of the Christmas holiday, she said.
Paula Daley, a member of the women’s dialogue group, said since the start of the war more Catholic women have joined the group to learn more about the history of the conflict in the region.
Typically, the women talk about the similarities between the two religions and ask each other questions, Brachman said. Since the war began Oct. 7, Brachman said the group has met twice and those meetings focused on peace and hope for a solution.
When the group met in November, Brachman said the Muslim women in the group took the time to explain their support for the Palestinian people.
“It was really educational where they were explaining background,” Brachman said. “It was an emotional meeting because of the concern, the passion that they have for the Palestinian side and what’s going on.”
Brachman, whose husband is Jewish, said she’s felt torn about the war, but she’s appreciated having a space to learn about the region’s conflict from a group of women with whom she’s become friends.
“I do know that we love each other, that we are a close-knit group. We’ve gone through difficult times together, and by that I mean personal issues, the death of a mother, death of a child,” Brachman said. “The Muslim women came to me just saying they were concerned about me. There’s a love there, and there’s that knowledge, but it’s that next step of what do you do with that?”
It’s difficult to answer that question, Brachman said, but the answer seems to be in discussions and knowledge from people who have different world views.
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“The reason our group exists is to show people that it’s OK to be different and we need to accept each other as we are,” Brachman said. “The conflict is not enjoyable. It’s just so very serious. But we will continue with what we do best and that is just our meetings.”
Steinberg-Martinez said she hopes this year will be the year of acceptance among different faith groups.
“I hope we continue to educate each other and stand beside one another and honor each other’s faiths,” Steinberg-Martinez said. “We have to pray for peace and we have to pray for the hearts of everyone involved.”
Members of The Mosque Foundation who participate in the discussions declined to be interviewed for the story.
The women’s dialogue groups next meeting is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Jan. 9 at St. Fabian Catholic Church, 8300 S. Thomas St., Bridgeview.
akukulka@chicagotribune.com
This story was updated Jan. 5 to remove an upcoming event that is not scheduled.