"MOST INFLUENTIAL JEWISH FIGURE IN THE WIDER MUSLIM WORLD"

- Times of Israel -

SAUDI ARABIA

RABBI MARC SCHNEIER HONORED AS FIRST RABBI COLUMNIST

H.E. Faisal J. Abbas, Arab News Editor-in-Chief, hosted Rabbi Marc Schneier at the newspaper's headquarters in Riyadh where he was presented with a beautiful testimonial gift in appreciation for his biweekly column.

Rabbi Schneier is the first Rabbi appointed as a columnist by Arab News, which is published in Saudi Arabia and is one of the leading English-language newspapers in the Gulf and the greater Arab and Muslim world.

TURKIYE

SOLIDARITY DELEGATION TO ISTANBUL

Following the massive devastation that killed more than 50,000 people in Southern Türkiye, Rabbi Marc Schneier’s Hampton Synagogue solidarity delegation visit to Türkiye, where they met with the Chief Rabbi of Türkiye, Isaak Haleva, and the leadership of the Turkish Jewish community.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in February, Rabbi Schneier coordinated a call with H.E. Murat Mercan, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the United States and heads of leading Jewish and U.S. Christian Evangelical relief organizations - Ariel Zwang, CEO of the Joint Distribution Committee and Gordon Robertson, President of Operation Blessing - to discuss long term aid and humanitarian assistance to the victims.

Rabbi Schneier discussed with Türkiye's leading news agency, Anadolu, the Hampton Synagogue solidarity delegation to Türkiye and the American interreligious community's support to the Turkish people.

Read the full interview here

UNITED STATES

CELEBRATING PEACE & ART WITH MAYOR ERIC ADAMS IN NEW YORK

New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined Rabbi Marc Schneier in affixing the Mezuzah at David Roytman's new Judaica Gallery in Soho. This was Mayor Adams' first-time participating in such a ceremony. Rabbi Schneier explained that the custom of placing the mezuzah on an angle was a compromise between the opinions of affixing the mezuzah vertically or horizontally - a reminder that compromise is the foundation for peace, which is a fundamental value cherished by artist and gallery owner David Roytman whose signature art is converting metal weapons into symbols of peace.

Many distinguished guests and public officials were in attendance, including Edward Mermelstein, New York City's Commissioner for International Affairs, as well as the Mayor Senior's Advisor Joel Eisdorfer and NYPD Inspector Richie Taylor.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

OPENING OF THE MULTIFAITH ABRAHAMIC FAMILY HOUSE

Rabbi Marc Schneier and FFEU congratulate H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi on the inauguration of the multifaith Abrahamic Family House. The National, UAE's premier English-language newspaper, honored Rabbi Marc Schneier as one of the 5 most prominent religious figures in attendance at the announcement of the Abrahamic Family House project during Pope Francis' historic visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019.

Read The National article here

UNITED NATIONS

FIRST INTERNATIONAL DAY TO COMBAT ISLAMOPHOBIA

March 15, 2023 marked the first-ever International Day To Combat Islamophobia. FFEU stands with our Muslim brothers and sisters, celebrating our common faith and common fate.

Our organization was proud to sponsor the first rallies in U.S. history, in the streets of Times Square, to speak out against Islamophobia. These rallies held in 2011 and 2017 launched FFEU's Muslims Are Speaking Out campaign. Since then, FFEU has supported and continues to support initiatives such as the international MACFEST and many other global and national programs and activities aimed at stemming Islamophobia.

GLOBAL

MUSLIM ARTS AND CULTURE FESTIVAL 5TH ANNIVERSARY

AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PANEL



FFEU Executive Director Chris Sacarabany participated as the honored guest in a most moving and powerful panel discussion in honor of 4 young courageous Afghani women artists based in Kabul. The event, organized by award-winning Muslim Arts and Culture Festival (MACFEST), led by FFEU UK partner Ms. Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP, was hosted by Ms. Angelika Hoff M.A., teacher Training College Stuttgart, Germany.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:

https://www.facebook.com/MACFESTUK/videos/162839279947624/

A few days earlier, Chris Sacarabany addressed MACFEST with a congratulatory message on behalf of FFEU on the occasion of the Festival’s 5th anniversary.

Ms. Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA, Founder, Curator and Executive Director of MACFEST – an award-winning festival celebrating art, music and culture that brings Muslim and non-Muslim communities together – received the distinguished MBS order of the British Empire Award and the Cultural Champion Award, from the Prince William of Wales for her outstanding work in MACFEST. Since its inception in 2017, with the support of FFEU, MACFEST has organized, on a yearly basis, over 70 events in its hometown of Manchester, UK, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Morocco and Azerbaijan, among other countries.