Insulated, not isolated. Power of interfaith dialogue

A few months ago, I boarded an Air Ethiopia flight. At first glance, this may seem like just another trip, but in reality, the destination was far from typical. It wasn’t Tel Aviv, as many might have assumed. The final destination was Addis Ababa.

As I sat at OR Tambo International Airport, I couldn’t help but notice that at least half of the passengers were wearing kippot and sheitels. The flight was just the beginning of an extraordinary experience, one that reinforced a vital lesson about Jewish identity and interfaith engagement.

I had been invited by the Ethiopian government’s ministry of peace to attend a ground-breaking international interfaith conference held in Addis Ababa in conjunction with Mohamed bin Zayed University in Abu Dhabi. Themed “Tolerance, Citizenship and Peace”, this three-day summit gathered religious leaders from all over the world, and I had the honour of leading the South African delegation.

For more than a decade, I have immersed myself in interfaith dialogue in KwaZulu-Natal, and this opportunity was a culmination of years of work. But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to witness.

What unfolded in Addis Ababa was nothing short of extraordinary. The respect and curiosity people showed me weren’t due to my South African roots, but because I was Jewish. Among the delegates from all over the world there were Muslims, Christians, Bahá’í, Hindus, and other faith groups, each representing a different facet of the world’s rich religious tapestry. And then there was me – the solo, incidental Jew – leading the South African delegation.

One of the most profound moments of the conference came when Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie opened the summit. He made it clear that it wasn’t about politics. In a powerful move, he handed the floor over to the religious leaders, signalling that this space was reserved for faith, dialogue, and understanding. This type of dialogue was showcased by a panel featuring leaders from both the Ethiopian Muslim community and Ethiopian Orthodox Church. These men had grown up alongside each other, maintaining dialogue since childhood despite the turbulent history of Ethiopia.

I had the opportunity to present on a panel with an imam from Kenya and an academic from Abu Dhabi. My topic was interreligious tolerance from a South African perspective. The interest in how we navigate this space in South Africa was palpable. It was clear that people around the world are fascinated by the way we manage our complex, multifaith society. The takeaway was undeniable: interfaith engagement is crucial, and relationships are golden.

This brings me to a core message I want to share as we approach Pesach: as a Jewish community, we must be insulated, but not isolated.

Throughout 210 years of slavery in Egypt, the Jewish people maintained their distinct identity – names; language; dress code; food; brit milah; chesed; not speaking lashon hara; and the sanctity of the Jewish marriage*. Our ancestors resisted the pull of assimilation and breakdown of Jewish values. This was nothing short of miraculous, and these values merited our redemption from generations of slavery in Egypt.

The Talmud is filled with interfaith dialogue between Jewish sages and leaders of surrounding nations, demonstrating how the Jewish communities not only understood the customs of their neighbours, but actively engaged with them at leadership level. These discussions weren’t just about survival during times of danger, but about maintaining our Jewish values while interacting with the broader world.

At the interfaith summit in Addis Ababa, I witnessed firsthand the importance of interreligious tolerance. People from all corners of the globe were eager to engage with the Jewish community, to understand our traditions, and see how we live by the Torah. But here’s the critical point: before we can engage outwardly, we must first ensure that we are grounded in our own Judaism. We must invest in Judaism, preserve our traditions, and uphold our commitment to Torah study and mitzvot. Only then can we engage meaningfully with communities outside of our own faith. People are respectful of others who respect their own faith.

Since 7 October 2023, the interfaith space has become increasingly challenging. Initially everyone took a step back and focused on their own narrative. Even today, some members of the community aren’t ready for dialogue or understanding, but the leadership is. Nevertheless, when I’m approached by someone on the street, it’s almost always with good wishes for the Jewish community and support for Israel.

As we gather around our seder tables, Pesach is a holy time for our community to reflect on the experiences of our ancestors and view ourselves as if we ourselves had left Egypt. Certainly, our generation has suffered and faced many challenges.

May we see the swift return of those being held captive by Hamas, and may we merit the arrival of Mashiach in our time. L’shana haba’a Birushalayim.

*The ideas reflected here are a combination of a number of midrashim and don’t in fact appear together in one text. There is, however, an overlap. The most popularly cited Jewish values kept by Bnei Yisrael are: names, language, and dress code.

• Rabbi Gilad Friedman is the director of the Umhlanga Jewish Centre, KwaZulu-Natal.