As turmoil spreads through the Middle East this week, American Jews and Muslims have been forming alliances to build trust and seek solidarity in more ambitious ways than in the past. Muslims and Jews have dispatched members into mosques and synagogues to learn about each other's faiths and made a joint trip to tour civil rights sites in the South.
One recent event was a backyard supper in Los Angeles at which guests discussed their religions' approach to death. Leaders of the groups said the challenging world events have provided an impetus for the outreach efforts, including violence in Gaza and the Trump administration's moving of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Muslim and Jewish leaders say the violence along Gaza's border with Israel - where dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops' gunfire on Monday - poses a test for the outreach project. But they remain committed to the efforts.
