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Light Rain An interfaith friendship grows in Bellmore
Temple, mosque congregants take part in programs together
Before Rabbi Howard Gorin, 66, became spiritual leader of Temple Beth-El of North Bellmore a year ago, he served a synagogue in Maryland for more than three decades. For many years, he said, he wanted to start an interfaith dialogue between members of his congregation and local Muslims.
Gorin was slated to meet with leaders of a Muslim community center on the evening of Sept. 11, 2001. That session, however, was canceled after 19 “Islamic terrorists” carried out four separate attacks on American soil.
Fourteen years later, Fahad Qamer, 35, a Merrick resident and general secretary of the executive committee of Jaam’e Masjid Bellmore, said he believes Islam is the most misunderstood religion worldwide. Since 9/11, wars and conflicts have started or continued in multiple countries with Muslim-majority populations, but what’s happening in such places is not because of Islam, he said.
“The religion itself is very beautiful if you look at it from a theoretical perspective. It leads people to piety and emphasizes good behavior and living peacefully,” Qamer said. “But when you ask a lot of people what word comes to mind for what Muslims are, they say terrorists, and that’s really sad. A lot of things are happening in the world for a lot of different reasons, and Muslims are part of it, and there are a lot of Muslims doing horrible things, but that doesn’t mean that Islam is the basis of it.”
People’s minds, Qamer said, can be changed if they meet Muslims face to face, which Gorin had wanted to do. That is why the rabbi recently reached out to Qamer to bring their congregations together and get to know one another as neighbors.
A growing conversation
Temple Beth-El, on Bellmore Road, has been a community institution for more than 60 years. Temple President Shari Nadelman said the congregation is like a large family, which she said she is proud to be a part of.
