Photo by Ben Harmon

The story of the binding of Abraham's son—Isaac in the Torah and Ishmael in the Koran—was the starting point for a Jewish/Muslim dialogue at Hebrew College on June 17. About 16 Muslim scholars from around the world joined with area rabbis, College faculty and students for spirited chevruta-style study of Torah and Koran texts. Part of a program organized by the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College, with funding from the U.S. State Department, the encounter was designed to facilitate an exchange of ideas between scholars and opinion leaders in the U.S. and in Muslim countries, with a long term goal of developing stronger, more beneficial ties between these communities. "This won't solve real-world issues of land, authority or justice," said Reuven Firestone, Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, who organized and led the event. "But it can help us understand each other as human beings, not enemies."

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