Last November, women from Dayton and Israel came together for Women Leading a Dialogue. A program of Partnership2Gether, Women Leading a Dialogue brings together women of all religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds to discuss their history, customs and culture. Not only was it fascinating to learn about others’ lives; it also reaffirmed we have more in common with each other than we may think.
After the program, I knew I didn’t want the momentum of Women Leading a Dialogue to end. The Dayton community already has an incredible Women’s Interfaith group. However, I wanted to further the impact. With the leadership of Marti Moody Jacobs, we created a group that uses films as a catalyst to begin discussions about social justice, compassion, and acceptance in today’s world.
This past Monday, myself and 10 other women attended the movie “If Beale Street Could Talk.” The movie is set in early 1970’s Harlem. The main character, Tish, is newly engaged and expecting her first baby. The story follows her and her family as they struggle to prove her fiancé is innocent of a crime he is accused of committing.
After the movie, we went to dinner, where 10 more women joined us. The group was diverse. As we ate, we discussed the movie and shared a little bit about our own lives.
I was seated next to a woman on my left who shared with me her experience as a child attending Catholic school; on my right was a woman who discussed how she is raising a multi-racial family. It was so rewarding to have open dialogue with women about topics that don’t necessarily come up in everyday life.
At the conclusion of the evening, the women expressed interest in attending more movie and dinner nights. They were so happy to have the opportunity to meet new people and connect with one another.
With opportunities like this, and tonight’s event at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Mosque, titled “Dr. King’s Focus on Unity: Understanding the People of God Through the Prism of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” we can continue to learn about each other, and embrace and respect each other’s differences. Click here to view the event flyer.
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