Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, a rabbi and imam discuss their messages

An imam and rabbi spoke of what they’re telling their congregations, and what they would like to say to each other.

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The conflict in Israel and Gaza has brought grief and pain to many Jews and Muslims in the U.S.. All Things Considered invited a rabbi and an imam to share how they are counseling their congregations here in the States.

Who are they?

• Imam Mohamed Herbert is a resident scholar of the Islamic Center of Johnson County, Kansas.
• Sharon Brous is senior rabbi and founder of IKAR, a Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, California.

First, what is the latest?

• Israeli troops are preparing for what appears to be an imminent ground invasion into Gaza.
• This comes just over a week after the militant group Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel, killing 1,400 Israelis and taking more than 100 people hostage.
• Since then, Israel has launched a bombing campaign which has killed more than 2,600 Gazans, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

To understand more on this conflict, listen to the Consider This episode on the emotional impact it has had on Jewish and Palestinian Americans.

What are Imam Herbert and Rabbi Brous saying?

The rabbi and imam spoke with All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro on Friday. They talked about the messages they’re sharing with their congregations, and spoke to one another directly with messages of peace.

On how they’re guiding their congregations:

Imam Herbert: For our sermon [on Friday], what we’ve prepared is kind of a reflection piece, taking an opportunity to reflect on our lives internally and then to think about how…