In an effort to foster religious tolerance among Muslims and Jews, Danielle Josephs did just that. The Rutgers University senior founded the nation’s first Middle East Coexistence House this year. Josephs pitched the idea her sophomore year with the aim of making Jewish and Muslim students “get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” The house has not only debuted successfully, but its model is also spreading to other campuses, including Michigan, Syracuse, Yale and Tennessee.
The experience is not about holding hands and singing “Kumbaya,” says Josephs, who has lived in the house all year. The women, selected from on-campus religious organizations, don’t shy away from debate, a frequent occurrence during a required class on Middle East conflict resolution, or over dinner and shopping.
Key to the house’s tolerance-building mission is making it a nucleus, not a bubble. The women open up to the community by holding guest lectures and receptions with Middle Eastern food. The lesson, as Josephs says, is simple: “Bringing people together is always the first step.”
