n Jan. 3, two Muslim 
undergraduates, one 
from Wayne State 
University and the 
other from University 
of Michigan, joined two 
Jewish undergraduates 
from Wayne State on a 
flight to Dubai. 
For the next week, the four students 
would be part of the JCRC/AJC (Jewish 
Community Relations Council/American 
Jewish Committee) Muslim-Jewish Dubai 
Mission. Made possible with a grant 
from the Ravitz Foundation, the trip was 
designed to provide the inspiration for 
JCRC/AJC’s slated fall launch of interfaith 

fellowships, also supported by the Ravitz 
Foundation. Leading the students were 
Professor Saeed Khan, a Muslim profes-
sor from Wayne State University; Ariana 
Mentzel, a Jewish facilitator and director 
of the Detroit Center for Civil Discourse; 
and Rabbi Asher Lopatin, executive direc-
tor of JCRC/AJC. 
Said Chana Shepherd, a Jewish partic-
ipant, “This was a trip where the memo-
ries and friendships made will last a life-
time. I found that traveling with a group 
of interfaith students and facilitators gave 
me great insight and brought me a sense 
of deep compassion.”
Ridaa Khan, an Ahmadiyya Muslim, 
fondly recalls how some of the sites and 

experiences in the United Arab Emirates 
impacted her ability to connect with the 
Jewish students on the trip. “I made love-
ly friendships with two Jewish peers and 
one other Muslim peer that went beyond 
formal discussion and will, Inshallah 
(God-willing), last. 
“It was incredible to experience dif-
ferent events like the World Expo, 
Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Crossroads 
Museum and Shabbat dinner as a group. 
It was even more significant to be able 
to hold truthful conversations about the 
things we experienced in a safe environ-
ment,” she added.
Many of the sites the groups visited 
provided truly eye-opening experiences. 

20 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 

Interfaith 
Trip to Dubai

OUR COMMUNITY

JCRC/AJC takes Muslim and Jewish students on a trip they’ll never forget.

LAUREN HERRIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

