Two new Nisa-Nashim groups have launched recently – one in Milton Keynes, and one in London for women in the legal community. Each event welcomed about twelve new people to Nisa-Nashim, with informative talks followed by discussions over tea and nibbles.
Co-chairs Raisa Saley and Elissa Dacosta-Waldman organised the launch of the appropriately-named Sisters-in-Law, a Nisa-Nashim group for Jewish and Muslim women who work in the legal profession. After a rousing introductory speech from Elissa, there was time for a shared discussion about some family law issues that impact on both the Jewish and Muslim communities.
‘We all left feeling really excited about the year ahead and what we could do with our group. I know that coming together in this way has allowed us to have deeper conversations than we would have otherwise,’ said Raisa Saley.
In Milton Keynes, the co-chairs are Lynda Gilbert, Kurshida Mirza and Naureen Amin, who together with Lou Tribus and Viv Pollock from the Jewish community and Azra Peeran from the Muslim community form the core planning group. Following their inaugural meeting in October, which was attended by seven Muslim and five Jewish women, the core group has already met and come up with some exciting ideas for their bimonthly meetings.
They have also got the ball rolling with some social action projects, including support for a local homeless charity, as well as taking a collection for HIAS, the American refugee aid programme supported by the Tree of Life Synagogue, which was attacked in Pittsburgh earlier this year.
‘It has been a very good start. We are hopeful that by this time next year, we will all be good friends, and we will have worked together on some social action projects and will have a better understanding of both Islam and Judaism,’ commented Lou Tribs.