HAARETZ: By Dylan Kaplan

The remedy for healing the broken heart of “scorned lovers” is trying again to love. The truth is that it is in the best interest of Israel and the Jewish community to have friends, and the only way to make friends is to talk and get to know one another.

Repairing a broken heart is never easy, especially when fear runs deep. Too many elders within my Jewish community feel exhausted thinking about finding a solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and finding peace between the Jews and Muslims of the world.

As a young Jewish American who has studied in China, taught English in India, and has friends all over the globe, I am honored to work with Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, a passionate supporter of interfaith dialogue, who the BBC calls the “world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam.”

I had the opportunity to speak on February 8 to my local Jewish community, at the Har Shalom congregation in Potomac, Maryland, about the need for interfaith dialogue.

This became the most eye-opening experience I have ever had at a synagogue. As a patriotic Jewish American with more than 100 relatives living in Israel, I seek to make friends for Israelis, friends for Palestinians, and friends to help repair the world. It was shocking to discover just how cynical and fearful my grandparents’ generation (who made up most of the audience) has become with the prospect of seeking Jewish-Muslim peace. Read more