Source: Daily Breeze
[dailybreeze.com/today/articles/1821616.html]
On October 24, 2005 the Daily Breeze reported, "[Over 50] teenage Jews, Christians and Muslims [began an interfaith gathering in the community room of Temple Menorah in Redondo Beach by playing games such as] Mingle-Mingle-Mingle, the object being to shake hands with as many people as possible. The occasion was the Interfaith Youth Icebreaker sponsored by the South Coast Interfaith Council, an association of 140 faith-based groups in the South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach areas of Los Angeles and West Orange counties. It was inspired by a nationwide effort by Jewish, Muslim and Christian organizations to encourage peace during a rare convergence of religious calendars, a time when Ramadan and the Jewish High Holy Days fell on the same days in October. Anthony Manousos, 57, a Quaker who is on the SCIC board of directors and chaired the event, said his religious philosophy is that every human is made in the image of God. 'When I heard about "God's October Surprise" and the plan to use this coincidence to take steps to reach out to other faiths, I knew we had to do something too, and it should involve youth,' Manousos said. The SCIC, along with youth members of Temple Menorah, the United Methodist Church of Redondo Beach and the Islamic Center of South Bay came up with the idea to have games and then let teens talk about the role faith plays in their lives."