Christians, Muslims, and Jews Come Together for "Celebration of Abraham"

May 24, 2003

Source: Lodi News-Sentinel

On May 24, 2003 the Lodi News-Sentinel reported that "the Celebration of Abraham, a movement that started a year ago among several religious leaders and lay people in the Lodi area to spread cultural respect and world peace, has spread to Stockton and other Northern California communities... Last year's celebration was held before a packed house at the Lodi Boys and Girls Club in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy. The event focused on the common belief in the patriarch Abraham and his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, among the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths... As part of the Celebration of Abraham last year, three religious leaders and three lay people signed a document called the 'Declaration of Peace,' which denounces violence and fosters respect among the three major faiths... The Declaration of Peace was signed by one member of the clergy and one lay person from each faith -- Norm Mowery, who was pastor last year at First United Methodist Church in Lodi; Mohammad Adil Khan, imam of the Lodi Muslim Mosque; and Rabbi Jason Gwasdoff of Temple Israel in Stockton, the only synagogue in San Joaquin County."