2004 Harmony Award Recipient

Paving the way to understanding and tolerance

By Lillian Manea

A young girl sits at a table next to a boy of the same age. They are surrounded by their friends and families, eating a home cooked meal, potluck style. To the two youngsters, they are nothing more than friends having fun and enjoying the evening. But step back for a moment and you see more. The girl wears a headscarf and the boy a yarmulke. They sit, not in a family dining room, but in a synagogue.

Throughout the world, most of the headlines we see today involving Jews and Muslims, speak of fighting and bloodshed. In Toronto, Thornhill’s Temple Har Zion and its next-door neighbour, the Ja’ffari Islamic Centre, have been fighting against this stereotype for more than 25 years. The two religious groups have worked together to develop a strong mutual respect and understanding for each other’s religions and cultures.

This elimination of social barriers between the two congregations is one of the reasons Temple Har Zion and the Ja’ffari Islamic Centre are being jointly presented with the 2004 Harmony Award.

In 1979 when the mosque was first being built, city zoning stated that the new structure must share its parking lot with the adjacent building. This building happened to be a synagogue. To this day the shared parking lot between the mosque and synagogue is the only one of its kind worldwide. The parking lot is seen as a symbol. A symbol of friendship. A symbol of cooperation. A symbol of peace.

Temple Har Zion and the Ja’ffari Islamic Centre share not only the parking lot, but a belief that by working together they can make a difference in their community. Over the last three decades they have come together to promote social cohesion and community building in a number of ways.

Both congregations are members of Mosaic, and interfaith group dedicated to fostering respect and understanding of different religions and cultures. Mosaic consists of six different religious groups: Christianity (including Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian and United Church), Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. For twenty years Mosaic has been holding various events aimed at cultural and religious understanding, including the annual Peace Meal, held on Martin Luther King Junior’s birthday.

Temple Har Zion and the Ja’ffari Islamic Centre also participate together in events that educate each other on their respective religions. These events, including a lecture series open to all members on non-religious matters, foster open communication and friendship. This can be seen in the bond forged between the youth groups of each congregation, providing the next generation with the tools and knowledge to live harmoniously with those of differing backgrounds.

During the winter months the two groups open their doors to the homeless as part of the “Out of the Cold” program. The shelter they provide helps many who are in need of a bed and a hot meal, as well as creating a link between the congregations and the community at large. It is also a way for the congregations to act on their spiritual values and put their religions into action by helping those in need.

Temple Har Zion and the Ja’ffari Islamic Centre have also come together to speak out against an issue of extreme importance to both groups: religious hate crimes. This summer leaders from both congregations, as well as leaders from a number of other faith groups, met with Irwin Cotler, federal justice minister and attorney-general. The meeting came after a string of hate crimes in Canada, including arson at Pickering’s Al-Mahdi Islamic Centre and the firebombing of a United Talmud Torahs school in Montreal. Minister Cotler was very encouraged by the partnership between the religious groups, noting that the relationship was a concrete expression of shared citizenship and responsibility to one another.

As a gesture of support, the synagogue and mosque each donated money to the Pickering mosque and Montreal school. The joint donations symbolized the need to respect other’s beliefs despite differences, and the need for public education leading to greater cultural and religious understanding.

Over the years Temple Har Zion and the Ja’ffari Islamic Centre have received much criticism over their relationship, as well as much praise. They have also created memories and forged relationships that will last lifetimes. Arieh Cohen, a member of Temple Har Zion described the relationship best in a recent interview with the Toronto Star when he said, “We need to respect and learn from each other in order to live in harmony.”