By: Dahlia Deener
The Interfaith Club is a group of students at TLS who work with its partners, Scholas, to build connections between schools of different faiths. Earlier this year, we attended a Communities in Motion trip to Christ the King High School, a high school in Queens, NY. The Interfaith Club is partnered with Scholas, an organization started by Pope Francis to get students of different backgrounds to come and learn together.
Initially, I was worried about missing nearly a full day of school. I had tests that week, essays due, and a stack of homework. As many anxious students will tell you, missing a day of school only makes that stack grow. However, I am so glad that I decided to attend the trip. The lessons I learned and the people I met at the conference will accompany me for the rest of my time at TLS.
The conference’s stated goal was to expose us to social justice issues and show us how we could help. The trip began and ended with singing, dancing, talking amongst ourselves, and gathering in a circle. At first, I was frustrated. Why was I missing a full day of school to stand in a circle with kids I don’t know? I don’t think it was until I got home that day that I realized how impactful the loitering actually was. The gathering of students from 10-15 different high schools across all 5 boroughs built genuine connections among students of different faiths. We participated in activities that all teenagers enjoy; We mostly chatted and hung out with each other, but also discussed issues, including the rise of AI, discrimination, and injustice throughout the U.S. Laughing at the same jokes and shooting each other funny looks helped me recognize that every teen, even if they all believe in a different God, is a likely friend.
It can feel redundant when teachers explain the importance of sharing our differences with people who express different opinions, but they’re right. Living this experience and simply hanging out with such people taught me how true this is.
TLS does an excellent job of putting its beliefs into practice. Each grade gets an unforgettable experience on various tiyuls. Most notably, the senior Lev V’Nefesh trip is a two-month journey to Poland and Israel. However, our weekly Ed-Ex programs should be more interactive like this conference. We should have more time to ask speakers questions and build relationships with them. As a core value of TLS, kehilah is what drives us all to connect. Although the word kehilah wasn’t used at Christ the King High School, the principle of community was prominent as we shared laughs, delved deep into conversation, and chatted with one another. The Interfaith Club has only recently gained traction at TLS, but I hope we continue to participate in activities that broaden our thinking and contribute to the values represented at all schools.
