A Message from the Executive Director
Meir of Rothenberg was centuries ahead of his time in his understanding of other faith traditions. During his lifetime in the 13th century, Jewish tradition legislated stark distinctions for how Jews ought to relate to their fellow Jews versus non-Jews. At best, tradition instructed Jews to get along with their non-Jewish neighbors for the sake preserving the physical security of the Jewish community. Yet in contrast to the legal tradition he inherited, he refused to place people of other faith traditions on a lesser plain. In an innovative legal twist, he created an entirely new category that maintained distinction between Jews and non-Jews but still afforded others the same dignity Jews that expect of one another.
Jews of the medieval period certainly experienced horrific episodes of violence and persecution at the hands of their non-Jewish neighbors and could not imagine a different reality. Our natural human tendency to understand an issue through a lens of the past unintentionally blocks us from seeing the full range of tools in our hands to address the problem. But Meir of Rothenberg had the foresight to envision a reality not characterized by a past of mistrust and harm.
I look to Meir of Rothenberg as one of the most inspirational rabbis in history for his ability to break the mold. Having chosen to become a rabbi to pursue interfaith relations, I have always believed that my relationships with non-Jews have made me into a better Jew and that interfaith encounters offer as much to gain in self-understanding as in understanding of the other. Early in my rabbinic training, it became clear that the greatest misunderstanding existed in the relationship between the Muslim and Jewish communities and I chose to focus my energies here to help form a new reality.
I was drawn to NewGround because the organization embodies Meir's foresight. The founders of NewGround looked at the existing landscape of interfaith relations and envisioned the possibility for a different reality- one in which the pairing of “Muslim” and “Jew” does not conjure up images of conflict, tension, suspicion, violence, and hatred. Instead, they choose to put forth a new vision in which Jewish-Muslim relations are normalized and our communities join together on the issues we share in common.
But NewGround has more than just a vision; it has a model for successful impact to transform relationships between Muslims, Jews and our communal institutions. To learn more about NewGround’s unique approach, read about “Fellowship and Alumni” and contact us with your questions: muslimjewishnewground@gmail.com.
-Rabbi Sarah Bassin
NewGround Executive Director
To read Sarah Bassin’s biography, see "Who We Are".
Jews of the medieval period certainly experienced horrific episodes of violence and persecution at the hands of their non-Jewish neighbors and could not imagine a different reality. Our natural human tendency to understand an issue through a lens of the past unintentionally blocks us from seeing the full range of tools in our hands to address the problem. But Meir of Rothenberg had the foresight to envision a reality not characterized by a past of mistrust and harm.
I look to Meir of Rothenberg as one of the most inspirational rabbis in history for his ability to break the mold. Having chosen to become a rabbi to pursue interfaith relations, I have always believed that my relationships with non-Jews have made me into a better Jew and that interfaith encounters offer as much to gain in self-understanding as in understanding of the other. Early in my rabbinic training, it became clear that the greatest misunderstanding existed in the relationship between the Muslim and Jewish communities and I chose to focus my energies here to help form a new reality.
I was drawn to NewGround because the organization embodies Meir's foresight. The founders of NewGround looked at the existing landscape of interfaith relations and envisioned the possibility for a different reality- one in which the pairing of “Muslim” and “Jew” does not conjure up images of conflict, tension, suspicion, violence, and hatred. Instead, they choose to put forth a new vision in which Jewish-Muslim relations are normalized and our communities join together on the issues we share in common.
But NewGround has more than just a vision; it has a model for successful impact to transform relationships between Muslims, Jews and our communal institutions. To learn more about NewGround’s unique approach, read about “Fellowship and Alumni” and contact us with your questions: muslimjewishnewground@gmail.com.
-Rabbi Sarah Bassin
NewGround Executive Director
To read Sarah Bassin’s biography, see "Who We Are".
Executive Director profiled in Splashlife's "30 Under 30: Civic Leaders"
NewGround's executive director, Rabbi Sarah Bassin, was featured in the online magazine Splashlife's list of 30 people under the age of 30 to watch in civic leadership.
When interviewed on her vision of leadership, Bassin remarked, “I believe that transparency is the single most important trait a leader can possess. The people I've found most compelling and trustworthy as leaders tend to be the most honest about their motives, struggles, and self-interest. Transparency leads to integrity and a higher standard of morality.” To read the feature and see others who topped the list, click here.
