Given the number of Jews living in Boston and the general vibrancy of the Jewish community here it is not surprising that many of the major national and international Jewish organizations have offices in the city. One such organization is the American Jewish Committee, a group I have written about before, and one whose quiet work on behalf of Jews around the world is noteworthy. I recently sat down with a staff person from the AJC Boston office to learn more about what the organization is doing in Boston and beyond, and one of the things I was pleasantly surprised to learn about is the cooperative work they are doing in conjunction with the American Islamic Congress in the area of human rights advocacy.

In fact, earlier this week the two organizations co-sponsored an event focusing on women’s rights in the Middle East, with Executive Director of the American Islamic Congress, Zainab Al-Suwaij.  It is encouraging to see that groups like the AJC are reaching out to organizations rooted in other faiths, especially Islam, given the level of tension, misunderstanding and distrust that seems to exist between Jews and Muslims not only in the Middle East, but in the US as well. While the primary mission of the New Vilna Review is to encourage dialogue within the Jewish community I also feel it is extremely important that Jewish organizations work to foster dialogue and partnerships with other faith and ethnically-based groups when it comes to matters of human rights, peace, and conflict resolution. It’s nice to see that some of that vital work is taking place not only in the Middle East but here in Boston as well.

-Daniel E. Levenson

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

The New Vilna Review