Today we traveled to the Interfaith Center in Philadelphia to learn about what the organization does for the community. We learned that one component of their work is to use art as a means of connecting with people of different faiths. We participated in two activities at the center. The first was an activity to connect with ourselves by writing a poem. The poem explored our own connections to our individual faiths, and to connect to others, we shared them with a partner.
The second activity made us think about all religions and faiths by addressing what it means to “Dare to Understand” each other’s faiths. We ended up creating two posters that represented everyone coming together and accepting each other’s faiths.
After the Interfaith center, our group went to a mosque called Masjidullah. When we got there, we met some students who go to school on the grounds, and asked questions to them about their faith. Then, our guide gave us a tour of the Mosque and showed us its history. We learned that the mosque was formerly a Catholic Church and a synagogue. It was interesting to learn that when the building was purchased and turned into a mosque, the administration decided to keep parts of the church and synagogue that were previously in the space. After the tour, we got to experience an Islam “Call to Prayer” and watch the students go through a mid-day prayer. We learned that they pray five times a day, and each prayer session requires a different amount of cycles of prayer.
At the end, we asked questions to the leaders and students about Islam and what it means to be Muslim. We spoke about the Hajj, and what the trip means to Muslims.
We look forward to another great day tomorrow!