Hillel hosts meal for Muslim students

On Thursday, Sept. 27, The Jewish Association, also known as Hillel, provided a meal for the Muslim students on behalf of their daytime fasting break.

The meal took place on the Keathley University Center knoll at 7 p.m. and was catered by Gyro Café and Mezza Cuisine, who prepared the meal according to dietary restrictions of both religions.

During the dinner students from different religions were able to talk and discuss the particulars of the two separate holidays.

"Traditionally, Jews supplied Muslims with a meal after their fasting daytime break as a way of sharing. Jews did this without any expectations but knowing they had done an act of kindness," said Lon Nuel, professor of art and advisor to the Jewish Association.

By fasting, Muslim students celebrate their holiday, known as Ramadan. Ramadan is a holy month, which usually lasts 29 or 30 days.

Ramadan takes place during the 9th month of the lunar calendar and requires Muslims to fast as a way of cleansing their bodies and avoiding all earthly pleasures.

Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to perform the fajr prayer at dawn as the first of five prayers that will be recited throughout the day.

"Ramadan is a religious holiday where we fast as a way to prove to god our appreciation of essential things such as food or water," said Dr. Saleh Sbenaty, professor of electrical engineer, instrumentation/electronics and advisor to the Muslim Students Association.

While Muslims celebrate appreciation and righteousness, Jewish students celebrate harvest and the history of the Israelites wandering in the desert for forty years. This holiday is know as Sukkot and is one of the major Jewish Holidays.

Sukkot is a seven-day holiday where Jews are encouraged to take four species of plants to shake them to the winds.

Jews do this ritual called Lulav throughout Sukkot as a daily prayer. Jews are also required to build a Sukkah to rest in, to entertain guests and to eat their meals in.

A Sukkah consists of three walls and a ceiling made of twigs and branches. While resting in the Sukkah, people are supposed to see at least three stars hovering above them.

The Jewish Association on campus created a Sukkah on the knoll out of materials that were donated by fellow member Laurie Thaler and her family.

The students that attended the meal were suppose to sit under the Sukkah and eat dinner together, but due to the larger quantity, twenty to twenty-five students gathered around and ate near by.

"I'm proud to be a part of something that will combine two social groups and allow a better sense of acceptance," said Laurie Thaler, freshmen elementary education major.

Many people perceive Jews and Muslims as having conflicts with one another. However Dr. Sbenaty believes the whole conflict theory is a misconception over political power dispute. When asked about the conflict, Dr. Nuel said that he thought it was a struggle over sharing land.

"We have to learn how to trust each other through faith," Nuel said.

Both Judaism and Islamic are origins of the Middle East and considered Abrahamic Religions that have much in common.

"These events would help students realize the commonality between the religions and create a model that students and other religions can follow," Sbenaty said.

Sbenaty also went on to explain several other events in the past that have brought the Jewish and Muslim community closer.

One of these events was a Fast-a-Thon, which allowed people of any religious background to raise money for charities by fasting. Sbenaty said he was pleased to see members of the Jewish Association taking part in it as well.

"It's all about accepting others and helping your fellow man," said Herbie Dorfzaun, junior recording industry major.

Members of both religions try to attend the other's events as equally and as often as permitted. By contributing to different religions, students among the organizations are willing to bridge the gap between Judaism and Islamic religions.

The coincidence that Ramadan and Sukkot fell on the same day, considering both are scheduled on two different calendars, was entirely by chance. Ultimately Sbenaty and Nuel decided to combine the two events in hope of uniting students regardless of their religious background.

In addition to celebrating holidays and sharing meals together, students of the Jewish Association and Muslim Association have also formed bonds with one another.

"Basically we're just trying to show that Jews and Muslims can get along. We figure if we start here there's a good chance it will move to the Middle East," said Ryan Steckbeck, senior philosophy major and president of the Jewish Association.