Imam Amir Duri膰 (left) and Rabbi Ethan Bair, chaplains at Hendricks Chapel, received national recognition as Interfaith America Innovation Fellows.
Imam Amir Duri膰 and Rabbi Ethan Bair, chaplains at , model how friendship and understanding can transcend and transform adversity. Through the Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship they co-founded, Bair and Duri膰 have helped the 黑料不打烊 campus community unlock the potential of religious and spiritual diversity, and their shared efforts are receiving national recognition.
Rabbi Ethan Bair
Each year, , founded by and known as one of the nation’s premier interfaith organizations, chooses exemplary leaders as Interfaith Innovation Fellows. Out of over 200 applicants across the country, both Duri膰 and Bair were chosen. The Fellowship awards grant funding to leaders with an inspirational vision for social change. Duri膰 and Bair will network with cohort members, learn from one another鈥檚 projects, participate in a retreat geared toward professional development and work with mentors at Interfaith America. .
After Bair and Duri膰 first met at a Hendricks Chapel retreat in 2022, they perceived potential not just for their friendship but for the opportunities to continue the interfaith work they both valued.
鈥淚nterfaith work has always been a priority for me,鈥� says Bair. 鈥淎mir and I really only knew each other for a year before we created this Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship and applied for our first grant from Interfaith America. I’ve been an ordained rabbi for 15 years and have dedicated myself to interfaith work in every position I’ve held. What鈥檚 new is being able to work with an ordained Muslim imam who shares so many of my values. That is a blessing.鈥�
Imam Amir Duri膰
Duri膰 completed his undergraduate degree in Sarajevo, Bosnia, which is known for its religious and spiritual diversity. In one part of the city, you can locate a mosque, synagogue and cathedral all on one city block. However, when he attended the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace seminary in Connecticut, he observed interfaith dialogue in practice.
Duri膰 remembered visiting campus when two friends (one Jewish, one Muslim) came to speak about a summer project. Their organization in California visited the Middle East to bring together Jews, Muslims and Christians. 鈥淚 was like, wow, this is really powerful. They are investing time, and resources just to invite people to have a meal together,鈥� Duri膰 says. 鈥淪o when Rabbi Bair joined 黑料不打烊, I felt we could team up, and that was really a blessing.鈥�
According to Bair, in Jewish tradition there are teachings about finding a mentor, acquiring a friend and giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. 鈥淭here are a few different versions of friends, and the top level is a friend for virtue. I feel like Amir and I are friends for virtue,鈥� Bair says. 鈥淥ur friendship helps us become better people. We talk about our values, our vision for our own chaplaincies and also for what we can do together.鈥�
Bair and Duri膰鈥檚 friendship extends into their work as chaplains in various ways. As chaplains serving minority religious groups, the pair have a unique opportunity to create more understanding between their respective communities. Bair notes that their partnership and fellowship are focused on creating intentional space between two communities that rarely meet each other. 鈥淭here are so many unique similarities between Jews and Muslims, such as dietary rules and holidays that follow the lunar calendar,鈥� Bair says. 鈥淎nd, of course, there are differences as well.鈥�
The imam and rabbi have already implemented the Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship, which has created support and understanding during an undoubtedly challenging year for their students. Now, the two are seeking to create a Living Learning Community (LLC) where Muslim and Jewish students can live communally in a residence hall. They hope the LLC will build the foundation for shared communities, lasting friendships, understanding and imagination.
Duri膰 and Bair will travel to Chicago for a retreat with the other Interfaith Innovation Fellows in mid-November. In addition to the work they鈥檒l be doing with their Interfaith America cohort, they鈥檒l be working on their second round of Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowships and creating opportunities for their students to build relationships and support their communities through kindness and service.
Both Bair and Duri膰 are grateful for their experience at Hendricks Chapel and the support they receive from both the Chapel and 黑料不打烊. 鈥淲hen we enter spaces that are not Hendricks Chapel, I recognize how challenging it is what we鈥檙e doing. And yet, I am very comfortable here and I feel so much support for the kind of work and relationships that we build. The entire team of Hendricks is supportive and it’s an example of helping across the boundaries of religion, of worldviews, of race, of whatever we can think of,鈥� Duri膰 says. 鈥淗endricks Chapel is an example of how it looks when we elevate ourselves and go beyond those boundaries that often limit what we can do.鈥�
