At Ridgewood service, imam and rabbi seek to bridge ‘pain and agony’ of Israel-Gaza fight
RIDGEWOOD — In a time of fiery demonstrations across New Jersey over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a group of clergy members gathered at a Bergen County church Sunday evening to advocate for peace, love and understanding among all people.
The service at Emmanuel Church by the Interfaith Council of Ridgewood was headlined by Imam Mahmoud Hamza and Rabbi David Fine, two longtime friends who have spent months preaching for unity after the Hamas terror attack of Oct. 7 and Israel's military response in Gaza.
In front of an audience of about 100, the two took to the pulpit and recounted the horrors of the past six months. The imam spoke of the "pain and agony" experienced by the families of more than 100 hostages still being held by Hamas, which also killed 1,200 in its Oct. 7 attack.
The rabbi spoke of the 30,000 Palestinians killed during Israel's bombardment of Gaza that "should break the hearts" of all Israelis.
The service — “A Gathering for Peace” — was a stark contrast to some recent demonstrations, including one two weeks ago in nearby Teaneck where more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters condemned an event at a local temple that discussed real estate in the West Bank. The two sides screamed obscenities at each other for hours. A few pro-Palestinian demonstrators hurled bottles of water at cars entering and exiting the synagogue. Two people were arrested.
The Rev. Arturo Pierre Lewis, pastor of Emmanuel Church, said Sunday's service was intended to show that the sides can come together without drowning each other in hateful rhetoric.
"We decided to have this in a house of worship to signal to the community that this is a welcoming place," he said before the program. "There is an expectation that we don't want anyone to become so enraged that they think they have permission to hurl insults at one another."
The service was at times solemn and joyful, with congregants holding electric candles and a singer belting out "Waiting for the World to Change."
It was a continuation of an effort Hamza and Fine began just weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks when the two gathered at Van Neste Park in Ridgewood to call for mutual respect in North Jersey, home to large populations of Muslims and Jews.
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"It's important to create and sustain a community where we can hear each other," Fine said in the back of the church on Sunday as he stood next to Hamza.
Hamza said he had spoken to pro-Palestinians and pro-Israelis who were at the Teaneck event and asked them if they had ever had a relationship with anyone from the other side.
"They said no," Hamza said. "This is why we started early in November. Our whole goal has been: Don't wait until there is a problem."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: At Ridgewood service, rabbi and imam seek to bridge Israel-Gaza divide
