Virginia synagogue doubles as mosque for Ramadan
Muslim congregation shares space with local synagogue to accomodate overflow crowds.
By The Associated Press Tags: Jewish World Israel newsOn Friday afternoons, the people coming to pray at this building take off their shoes, unfurl rugs to kneel on and pray in Arabic. The ones that come Friday evenings put on yarmulkes, light candles and pray in Hebrew.
The building is a synagogue on a tree-lined street in suburban Virginia, but for the past few weeks - during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan - it has also been doubling daily as a mosque. Synagogue members suggested their building after hearing the Muslim congregation was looking to rent a place for overflow crowds.
"People look to the Jewish-Muslim relationship as conflict," said All Dulles Area Muslim Society Imam Mohamed Magid, saying it's usually disputes between the two groups in the Middle East that make news. "Here is a story that shatters the stereotype."
Magid, who grew up in Sudan, said he did not meet someone who was Jewish until after he had moved to the U.S. in his 20s, and he never imagined having such a close relationship with a rabbi. But he said the relationship with the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation has affected him and his members. Beyond being tolerant, the synagogue and its members have been welcoming.
He said one member of the mosque told him, "Next time I see a Jewish person I will not look at them the same."
Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk, who leads the Reform congregation of about 500 families, said the relationship works both ways.
"You really only get to know someone when you invite them into your home ... you learn to recognize their faces. You learn the names of their children," Nosanchuk said.
The actual prayers are held in the building's social hall, which is used by the synagogue for a range of activities from educational programs to dance classes and receptions.
Both the synagogue and the mosque have a history of sharing space with other religious groups. People coming to Friday night services at the synagogue sometimes park in an adjoining church's parking lot; on Sundays, sometimes churchgoers park behind the synagogue.
And the mosque has rented space from others since it was founded in 1983.
Members have prayed in a recreation center, a high school, an office building and, for a long time, a church. As the mosque has grown, however, it has needed more space. In 2002 the community opened its own building in Sterling, Va. It holds 900 people for prayers, but the community has satellite locations to accommodate more people: a hotel, a banquet hall and even a second synagogue, Beth Chaverim Reform congregation, in Ashburn, Va.
The community began renting space at the two synagogues in 2008. They began holding daily prayers at the Ashburn synagogue and prayers on Friday afternoons, the week's main prayer service, at the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation.
This is the first year, however, they have rented space at the synagogue for the daily prayers for Ramadan, which began at the end of August. More than 100 people come to the daily services, which are held from 9 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. except for Friday, when the services are in the afternoon. The society pays the synagogue $300 a day.
The partnership isn't entirely new. The two communities have held occasional events together going back a decade: dialogues and community service. Still, some members of both communities were unsure of how things would work at first.
"When they rented the place, I was surprised, but then after that when I came here and saw how nicely everything is set up and how well done it is ... I am very happy with it," said mosque member Ambreen Ahmed.
Now, mosque members sometimes greet the rabbi with the Hebrew greeting "Shalom"; he'll answer back with the Arabic equivalent, "Salaam." Nosanchuk spoke at Friday afternoon prayers recently. The imam spoke at Friday evening Shabbat services.
Both groups say the relationship won't be over when Ramadan ends in North America over the weekend. The rabbi and imam are talking about possibly even making a joint trip to the Middle East, and Friday prayers will still be held at the synagogue.
Magid says some mosque members, in fact, have permanently moved from the mosque to the synagogue.
"Where have you been?" he asked one man who used to pray regularly at the mosque.
"You saw me in the synagogue," the man replied.
"All the time?" the imam asked.
"It's cozy, it's nice. Your parking lot is overcrowded ... and I like to be there," the man said.
The imam joked maybe the man should stay for the Sabbath service.
Said the imam: "That shows you how comfortable they have become."
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P a r a d i s e on e a r t h a l r e a d y ? Heavy reached already biblical, paradisiacal times only one single religion remains for alls? The story of removal of difference between the Jewish Bible based believe in God and the Muslim Koran believe in God?s speaker Mohammad his prophet seems to have taken place in this particular community!- That human understanding between very different human beings appears here and there on a pure personal basis only.- The Jewish religion with its place of prayer the Synagogue has at its heart / center the Torah which represents the believe of these Jews praying their and believing in its supreme power over their lives the Muslim comes to his place of prayer the Mosque in order to fulfill the Korans and God?s prophet Mohammad but without anything considered to be of Holy allover important but for public common prayers and verbal repetition.- Considering this symbolic differences in prayers and places of worship a Synagogue cannot be converted for short time prayers and other religions services if on one side the Jews are following their religious rules.- The Muslims do not have this religious limitation to the best of my knowledge and have no problem to pray publicly wherever they decide to do it In Western European countries exist such interreligious help / assistance in the form of ecumenical prayer services with especial arranged itineraries / chosen prayer which could not become a ball of contention / discussion between the various religions praying together and making especial efforts to remove any particular religious signs of the mainuser of this praying place.
To Petra: The Islamic/Koranic teachings should have no problems with a jew praying in the mosque. The Koranic verses cite synagogues, churches, and mosques as places where He is praised. So they can, therefore be interchangeable basically. Minor adjustments would have to be made for the 3 types of worshippers
What a sad, pathetic lot you are. When you stand before God what will you say?
Jews and Muslims they have always lived along even in Palestine. we tend to ignore that
Number 14 is an ignorant (I hope not a liar), Jews did not live a peaceful life under Muslim law. The Jews in Arab country would suffer from discrimination, rape, kidnapping, violence, they never had the same right as a Muslim, and this is long before 1948. The Jews left the Muslim countries and to move to the new Jewish state the first chance they had, more than 90% of Jews escaped their Muslim home land with nothing but the cloths on their backs. Ask any Jew above 70 who was born in: Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, Syria and so on?. It is known that Jews in Yemen would marry at the age of 13! Just so that the Muslims would not kidnap the young Jewish girls.
As an athiest this story has gladdend my my heart. To quote another Jewish boy who is acknowaleged in ISLAM . BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS THEY SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SCHALOM AND SALAM
Don"t hold you breath.
The society pays the synagogue $300 a day.
This isn't breaking any stereotype, other than the stereotype perpetrated by Israel and Zionist supporters who claim the occupation relates to a religious conflict. Muslims and Jews have lived together peacefully for years, mostly under Muslim rule. That Jews and Muslims in the US are able to get along only proves that they are Americans, where our state isn't religious. Israel, on the other hand, is a religiously exclusive political movement. One should ask why the stereotype existed in the first place and the answer is in defense of Israel - it's a bit of a straw man to knock it down and stand aside shocked.
I wonder what the Saudis have to say about this.
When we gather, pray, sing and dance in each others sacred spaces, there will be peace. God bless them.
and Jeremiah Wright while you're at it? Desecrating a temple is not the way to go. Inviting your enemies into Shul is going too far. Would a Jew enter a mosque to pray? I think not.
I would be even happier!
The Rabbi, and Imam represent the true face of Judaism and Islam. As a young Arab American growing in the United States, I was always welcomed in Jewish homes, Coached by Jewish professors, releived of traffic tickets by two Jewish judges, and given campus employment by a wonderful Jewish lady who treated me like her own kids, sharing with me the way her family immigrated to America after surviving the Holocaust, teaching me many good things, esepcially on how to treat others, and offering me help anytime I needed it. Later, in graduate school this time around, two Jewish professors mentored me and helped me. One said to me once: "We are the family of Abraham. Weather Jewsih, or Arab, a blod that is foolishly shed, is still the blood of Abraham". To the Rabbi, and Imam, God belss you and your congregation. We need more of you. Please go to the Middle East and tell the family of Abraham to become sane.
What a pleasant article on Jews/Muslims' friendly interchange. I'd like to see more articles promoting such positively wonderful relationship between these two Biblical Cousins. I am sure this pleases Our One and Only Universal God at no end!
Shalom and Happiness to all! Rabbi Nosanchuk is an enlightned personality. He is honored globally. His gallant deeds are definitely harbingers of better times to come for mankind in general. He is truly (or at least) a perfect example of Judaism's act of grandeur. There is no act or deed more better than unifying mankind. Rabbi, I wish you continued success and my best wishes are for you. Most respectfully, Mehr
"You really only get to know someone when you invite them into your home ... you learn to recognize their faces. You learn the names of their children," Nosanchuk said. So true - what an example to Israel and the (Arab) world in general! Inspiring.
I am wondering if Rabbi Nosanchuk is a descendent of Michael Nosanchuk, author of an amazing letter to a relative in Canada after he survived the slaughter of his family in Stolin, Belarus-Sept.11, 1942. If so, he does his family proud! For that matter, he does any family proud.
While I am not religious, I can see the role that the different churches may play for peace.
Years back before our present large shul was built we had a smaller building and used the local church hall for our overflow services. Religion can bring fellowship as well as conflict.