Vital discussion focused on peace, spirituality, and the climate crisis

Abrahamic Family House sustainability panel participants, from left: Abdulla Al Shehhi, Acting Executive Director of the Abrahamic Family House; Rabbi David Rosen, Special Advisor for Interfaith and Jewish Affairs to the Abrahamic Family House; Dr. Monica Menendez, Associate Dean of Engineering for Graduate Affairs at N Abu Dhabi; and Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of

On Sept. 21, Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of , headlined an historic panel launching the first year of programming at the Abrahamic Family House (AFH) in Abu Dhabi titled “Rethinking Sustainability and Peace Through a Spiritual Lens.” The discussion, held on the International Day of Peace, highlighted ’s continued commitment to deepening ties and spreading Jewish values in the global community. The other panelists included Dr. Monica Menendez, Associate Dean of Engineering for Graduate Affairs at N Abu Dhabi; and Rabbi David Rosen, Special Advisor for Interfaith and Jewish Affairs to the Abrahamic Family House. The event also included remarks by Abdulla Al Shehhi, Acting Executive Director of the Abrahamic Family House. Topics discussed included environmental preservation, the climate crisis and the importance of religion and ethics in addressing these challenges. “As a representative of our multi-millennia tradition, I’m honored to draw on the time- tested roots of the Jewish faith to address the universal challenges of tomorrow,” said President Berman. “ is proud to participate in this historic opportunity and continue our work of bringing the Jewish voice into the global moral conversation.” Since opening in February 2023, the AFH has served a global audience and provided a platform for Jewish values to be shared. The venue offers a model of tolerance and education, housing a mosque, a church, and the Ben Maimon Synagogue.

President Berman meets with H.E. Mubarak Hamad Mubarak Almheiri, President of the Board of Trustees at MBZUH

President Berman’s participation marked the latest in ’s work to strengthen ties with Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities on an international stage. In April 2021, he addressed the first-ever Holocaust Commemoration event in an Arab country, at the Crossroads of Civilization Museum (CCM) in Dubai. Additionally, in May 2023, partnered with Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Humanities (MBZUH) on the first-of-its kind academic conference in the UAE, “Interacting Philosophies, Shared Friendships,” at which faculty from both universities offered scholarly reflections on Judaism and Islam’s political, philosophical, and social interactions to an audience of community members; Emirati, Israeli and American dignitaries; and students. Joining President Berman was a delegation of students and faculty from the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. The students met with local leaders, including H. E. Ahmed Almansoori, the founder of the CCM; Amir Hayek, Israeli Ambassador to the UAE; Israeli Consul General Liron Zaslansky; and Marc Sievers, former Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman and Director of the AJC Abu Dhabi. The group participated in seminars, led by Straus Center faculty, that examined Jewish and Islamic history and law. The delegation met with academic leaders and students at the MBZUH campus. They were also led on a VIP tour of the “Letters of Light” exhibit at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which displays some of the oldest sacred texts of the Abrahamic faiths.

The Delegation visits MBZUH