Building Interfaith Relationships through Letter Writing

One simple way a congregation can begin to build a friendship with a neighboring Jewish or Islamic congregation is to send greetings during their holy days. Below are sample letters for downloadable use.

A Letter to A Jewish Congregation at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. This celebration is a solemn o­ne, and is known as the Day of Judgment. This year, Rosh Hashanah is on September 29-30, 2011, beginning the year 5772.

Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, is known as the Day of Atonement. This day is spent fasting and praying for forgiveness and for a good year. Yom Kippur falls on Saturday, October 8, 2011.

A Letter to a Jewish Congregation at Passover
Passover is an eight day holiday commemorating the exodus from Egypt. Families gather and celebrate at festive meals called seders. For 2011, Passover is from Saturday, April 7 through Saturday, April 14.

A Letter to An Islamic Congregation at Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. There are several religious practices that are observed during this month. The most notable is the practice of fasting during daylight hours. For 2011, Ramadan is observed August 1 through  August 29. The feast of Eid ul-Fitr is a three day celebration that marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the next month.

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