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Dear John,
As AJC’s Director of Muslim-Jewish relations, I have the privilege of working with talented colleagues to build bridges between Muslims and Jews. We run amazing programs in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa that bring us in direct contact with thousands of people in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Today, we begin a monumental effort to reach hundreds of millions.
With the launch of ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”), an innovative animated web series in Arabic, we'll explain Jewish history and traditions, common antisemitic tropes, our connection to Israel, and other issues of importance to the Jewish people. We’re channeling the power of social media in an ambitious effort to open conversation with hundreds of millions of Arabic speakers. Most of them are under the age of 30 and many will have never met a Jew.
Today we released “Who are the Jews?”, an animated short that offers a fun and concise introduction to Jewish history, traditions, and beliefs. The next addresses “Muslim-Jewish Relations” and will be released in mid-February. Every few weeks we’ll take on another subject of importance to Jews today including Jerusalem and the Holocaust.
The world is changing and it's changing quickly. More than any time in recent history, many in the Arab world are curious to know more about us and are turning to social media. This is our opportunity to break stereotypes, reverse suspicion, and forge new pathways of understanding. The road toward peaceful coexistence and friendship begins with contact and education and it begins now.
Please take a moment to watch a translated version of the first video (click here to watch and share on Facebook and here to watch and share on Twitter) and tell us what you think.
We could not do this without your help. To support our efforts, please click here.
Sincerely,
Ari Gordon
AJC Director of Muslim-Jewish Relations |
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