President hosts Ramadan dinner for Muslims, Jews and People from other religions

I ran across a story recently as I was reading my e-mails. Its message of inclusiveness is very moving. As we approach the Jewish high Holy Days in the next few weeks, I hope to see similar outreach across religious lines. My fondest hope is that this inclusiveness is not simply a political gesture (I don't think it is) but will set an example that will be followed by future Presidents no matter what political party they represent.

And why don't we follow the President's example whatever our own religious affiliation? Let's invite Muslims to our homes for dinner to break their daily fast; let's ask if we can join our Jewish friends for Yom Kippur or Roshashona. And maybe we should check in with our Baha'i, Buddhist and Hindu friends to see how we can share their religious celebrations, too.

Here's the story. It's from an e-mail blast by Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, a Jewish peace group.

Last Tuesday night, President Obama hosted a Ramadan break the fast dinner, complete with greens from the White House garden. Seated alongside ambassadors from Arab and Muslim countries, members of Congress, and ordinary citizens representing the wide diversity of American Muslim life were some unlikely guests: Rabbi David Saperstein of the Reform Movement, Rabbi Nathan Diament of the Orthodox Union, and Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren.

President Obama’s guest list – perhaps a little uncomfortable for all – illustrates his push for mutual understanding and peace-making, literally an invitation for those in conflict to break bread together.

Which brings us to Gaza, where the affects of an Israeli-imposed economic blockade and last winter’s hostilities have led water and electricity shortages, severely limited access to adequate health care and unemployment consistently over 40%. Ongoing tensions between Hamas, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and the U.S. make the situation difficult to resolve, and ultimately, the civilian population of Gaza pays the price.

While sweeping, long-term change is still only a distant goal, the Obama administration has made significant efforts to improve the daily lives of Gazans. It matters that a sitting U.S. President has publicly acknowledged the suffering of the Palestinian people – suffering that also threatens Israel’s long-term security.

And it matters that quiet U.S. pressure has led to an easing of the blockade and expansion of the kinds of items Israel will allow into the Strip.

But these small changes aren’t enough. Deep mistrust and complications of even the simplest issues pose real obstacles to progress. The U.S. has been pushing to allow concrete into Gaza, for instance, to facilitate the repair and rebuilding of thousands of buildings, but Israeli officials fear that Hamas will seize the cement to rebuild its badly damaged military infrastructure.

Here's a link to Brit Tzedek v'Shalom's web site for more information about the group:

www.btvshalom.org