Jews and Muslims “Downunder”: Emerging Dialogue and Challenges · 113practices that are unique to one of the participants in the dialogue and re-
quire explanation in order to create understanding.”^54 Possibly the most
challenging of the three discussion areas relates to exploring religious
concepts that are unique to one faith group such as Evangelism, the Exo-
dus, the Trinity, Jihad, and the Jewish concepts of Israel and the love of
Zion, meaning Jerusalem, which is the basis of modern Zionism.
Living in Harmony grants from the federal government aim “to de-
velop grassroots projects to promote Australian values and help people
to realize the opportunities of living in Australia.”^55 The program allo-
cates priority to projects that promote interfaith activities; assist new and
emerging communities; develop understanding in schools; and assist in-
digenous Australians. In 2006 the federal government allocated 1.5 mil-
lion AUD for this program.
One key program that has received ongoing support, initially called
the “Goodness and Kindness Program” and then renamed “Together for
Humanity,” brings a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew together to do pre-
sentations in primary schools demonstrating the common moral basis of
the three Abrahamic faiths. This program has prepared a list of twenty-
two actions that students from all three faiths should aspire to do, such
as “Get to know someone who seems different from you.”^56 The main
educational force behind this program is a Chabad rabbi, Zalman Kastel,
who has moved from his Chabad upbringing in Crown Heights, largely
isolated from the secular and non-Jewish worlds, to devoting almost all
his energies to this project.^57 “Together in Humanity” is run by a board
with representatives from the three faiths, and Rabbi Kastel is the main
employee. He initially worked with Kuranda Seyit, who is the founder
and director of the Forum on Australia’s Islamic Relations (FAIR) in Syd-
ney, which seeks to meet the needs of Muslims and publishes a regular
newspaper.
Project Abraham is another program that has received Living in Har-
mony grants. It started in Adelaide, again as a Jewish initiative, and has
sought to reach out across the different states of Australia, including New
South Wales, Victoria, and the North Territory, as well as South Australia.
It explores the religious and historical commonalities between Christian-
ity, Islam, and Judaism with the aim of creating a model for peace and
respect and has produced a workbook that outlines the basic attitudes of
the three religions toward central beliefs, holy texts, religious holidays,