At first glance, it may appear that Raeed Tayeh and Rabbi John Spitzer have nothing in common.Spitzer, 66, is the rabbi emeritus at Canton’s Temple Israel. Tayeh, a 34-year-old writer and law school student, is an American Muslim who has been active in promoting Palestinian rights.But the two have been able to transcend theological differences and a generational gap to build a friendship. Their relationship is the outcome of efforts to better understand the Islamic faith after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.“Islam was thrust into the spotlight after 9/11. In order to counter the distortions of our faith, we realized that there had to be dialogue between Muslims and their neighbors — Christians and Jews,” said Tayeh, of Stark County’s Lake Township. “Up to that point, the Muslim community had been fairly insular. Now, most mosques have programs for reaching out.”In the weeks after the attacks, a view of Islam as the enemy emerged. Incidents of vandalism were reported at mosques throughout the nation. Muslims and people who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent were harassed. And a Sikh man wearing a turban was shot and killed in Arizona after being mistaken for a Muslim.In the decade since, many have organized projects to reach across the boundaries of faith to promote and increase understanding and to address common concerns.Spitzer and Tayeh’s relationship began more than two years ago when Spitzer invited Tayeh to participate in a symposium called We Are All Children of Abraham at Walsh University. Spitzer is director of the Jewish/Catholic Studies Institute at the Catholic university in North Canton.“Amid the destruction, 9/11 has given us an opportunity to break out of our shells and get to know each other and enrich our lives and our communities,” said Spitzer, of Canton. “We have to look at what unites us and celebrate the differences.”That was the goal of Children of Abraham, a project co-sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council to show the connection between the three religions that originated with Abraham: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Fostering respectIn addition to promoting a better understanding of the holy texts, sacred spaces and core beliefs of the three religions, the program fostered mutual respect between Spitzer and Tayeh. That led to an interest in getting to know each other better. Since then, the two men have met on a regular basis to talk, offer support, break bread and work on a Habitat for Humanity home.“A positive outcome came from the Habitat build — a mother and her son now have a roof over their heads,” Tayeh said. “As people of faith, we have a responsibility to show people what can come from faith communities, if we work together.”While the Habitat home is a sign of hope for interfaith relations, so is the growing friendship between Tayeh and Spitzer.“We focus on the things that unite us. It’s the same dynamic that goes on in our lives every day. When we meet someone who is different, we recognize that we are different but we also recognize that we are the same,” Spitzer said. “That’s what being Jewish is all about. We have a saying that ‘when a man mints a coin in a press, each one is identical, but when the Holy One creates people, each one is different.’ ”Spitzer said that although Jews and Muslims have differences in theology, they also have similarities. Another commonality is that both are part of minority religions in America. On a personal level, Tayeh and Spitzer are both sons of immigrants.The two agree that just as it will take time for their relationship to grow stronger, it will take time for faith communities to reach a place of real collaboration and for Americans to reach interfaith understanding.There is evidence of progress over the past decade. A recent survey by Hartford Seminary’s Institute for Religion Research shows that the percentage of U.S. congregations involved in interfaith worship has doubled, from 7 to 14 percent. The percentage of congregations doing interfaith community service nearly tripled, from 8 to almost 21 percent. But along with that are indications of polarization — threats of Quran burnings, protests of proposed mosques and fears of Islamic law in the nation’s legal system.Still, Tayeh and Spitzer are committed to continue the struggle to build interfaith bridges.“There is an atmosphere in this country that creates an openness to be able to talk about religious minorities on an intellectual and theological level,” Spitzer said. “We have to be willing to seize that opportunity on a national, local and personal level.” Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.