A Muslim educator and a rabbi: One ideology threatens us both

(RNS) — On Aug. 14, a man barged into New York City’s Central Synagogue during Shabbat services, striking a congregant, damaging religious property and headbutting a guard — leaving many Jewish Americans feeling vulnerable once again. The next day, an Islamic center under construction on Long Island was defaced with graffiti. “F— Islam” was written over a banner, which previously read, “NEW MOSQUE COMING SOON! Where Faith and Community Come Together!”

We — a rabbi and a Muslim educator —  learned of the synagogue attack while attending a five-day interfaith retreat. We had spent days praying, studying our sacred texts and speaking honestly about grief, fear,  hope and responsibility — not as representatives of competing communities but as faith leaders committed to the dignity of every human being.   When we heard about the anti-Muslim vandalism after the retreat,  it underscored the urgency of those conversations. The hate from these incidents was a brutal reminder of how much work we need to do.

Only months earlier, on May 18, worshippers at the Islamic Center of San Diego and its day school were targeted in a shooting that left three dead and shook Muslim communities…