How do Jewish and Muslim Americans find common ground?

When violent attacks by Hamas on Israel sparked a bloody reprisal, Cipora Eisenberg-Simms checked in with her sisters to see how they were processing the shocking, traumatic events.

The sisters Eisenberg-Simms talks to are Jewish and Muslim women bound not by blood but by the bonds of friendship and fellowship. Eisenberg-Simms belongs to Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that brings together Jewish and Muslim women. Their community is defined by years of conversation about their shared experiences as women, as well as their differences over religion, politics and culture.

In informal gatherings at members' homes, on Zoom calls and at Sisterhood-wide conferences, members ask questions of themselves and others that dig deep, Eisenberg-Simms said: "How central is Israel or Palestine to your identity as a Muslim or a Jewish person? What about being a Palestinian or a Muslim or a Jewish person causes you pain, suffering, fear, shame, frustration or other emotions?"

Their questions are a guide for other Americans looking to approach difference through discussion.

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