Thank you for showing up for Rabbi Dr. Reuven Firestone! He, Dr. Abla Hasan, and our Emerging Clergy cohort were astounded by the Tri-Faith Initiative and what we represented, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about the love and support you showed for our guests!
Thanks to you, we were able to bring all of our guests together for an amazing weekend full of workshops, presentations, fireside chats, and more! This was much more than your average event; it brought together folks of all traditions and walks of life – including clergy – to show them our interfaith path, and to learn what interfaith dialogue could truly look like.
We wouldn’t have been able to bring about such an event without you. If you want to help us with further events as we march towards 2026, consider donating to the Tri-Faith Initiative this Giving Tuesday (December 2nd).
We’re looking forward to what the next interfaith event looks like, and can’t wait to share it with you!
Best,
the Tri-Faith Staff
Dr. Reuven Firestone, a renowned scholar of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic relations, will facilitate a groundbreaking interfaith dialogue between Countryside Community Church, Temple Israel, American Muslim Institute, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Tri-Faith Initiative’s Emerging Clergy Cohort. In partnership with Tri-Faith Initiative and the Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Center for Human Rights, Dr. Firestone will lead structured discussions and workshops, promoting understanding and identifying common values between faith traditions. Dr. Firestone, professor of medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College, will draw on his decades of research and expertise to guide thoughtful exchanges on topics like the shared roots of the Abrahamic faiths, undertaking interfaith dialogue, and applying spiritual teachings to contemporary social issues. By the end of the weekend, participants will gain interreligious knowledge and forge bonds of trust across lines of difference, laying the foundation for future collaboration.
Our schedule:
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16TH
– Lunch & Learn: “Abraham: the First Jew/Christian/Muslim?”
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM | Social Hall at Temple Israel, Tri-Faith Commons
Abraham is revered in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions as the first to recognize the truth of one God. But is the Abraham of the Torah the same as the Abraham in the New Testament—or in the Qur’an? Rabbi Firestone will lead a scriptural study exploring how Abraham is understood across these sacred texts, and what it means when people of different faiths gather to speak of “Abraham” together. (This event’s ticket is $20 to help cover the cost of food.)
Registration closed
– Workshop: Abraham and Ishmael in Scripture and Tradition
2:00 – 3:30 PM | Lower Level at the Tri-Faith Center, Tri-Faith Commons
– Rabbi Sidney and Jane Brooks Lecture: Problematizing Prophethood, or, How to Tell a “Real Prophet” from a “False Prophet”
5:30 – 7:30 PM | Milo Bail Student Center Dodge Rooms, 302/302A (University of Nebraska at Omaha)
The scriptural monotheisms share certain traits. One of these is that they all have their own, unique sacred scripture. Another is that they all venerate the prophets who bring or confirm the truth of that scripture. Scriptural revelation ends at some point for each of them, after which scripture is fixed. No new writings can be added. Yet inevitably, new prophetic figures continue to arise who speak in the name of God. For established religions, new prophets are impossible after canonization. But who can tell God not to send new prophets? This presentation treats this “prophet problem” and examines how the three classic scriptural monotheisms have discussed and argued over the issue to this day.
(5:30 – 6:00 pm is hors d’oeuvres; 6:00 – 7:30 is presentation and discussion.)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH
– First Light: The Birth of Religion │7:30 – 9:00 AM | Marys’ Hall, Countryside Community Church, Tri-Faith Commons
How did humanity move from tribal religions to the great monotheisms we know today? Rabbi Firestone will guide participants through this sweeping transition, considering both historical and scriptural perspectives. A rich conversation for anyone curious about the origins of religious life.
– Shared Light: Two Voices, One Dialogue │ 2:30 – 4:00 PM | Tri-Faith Center, Tri-Faith Commons
Join Rabbi Dr. Reuven Firestone and Dr. Abla Hasan for a thoughtful conversation on Jewish-Muslim relations, moderated by Dr. Lucas Schulte. This dialogue will explore the complexities, challenges, and possibilities of building relationships across traditions, with honesty and hope for the future.
– Shabbat services with Rabbi Ruth Sohn │ 6:00 PM | Temple Israel, Tri-Faith Commons
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19TH
– Faith & Truth │ 10:00 – 11:00 AM | Countryside Community Church, Tri-Faith CommonsRabbi Firestone will speak from the pulpit to discuss how faith is not about truth but about trust and seeking a deeper understanding of the unfathomable. Jews and Christians and Muslims share the same quest and walk parallel paths on the same journey.
Speaker Bios:
Rabbi Dr. Reuven Firestone is the Regenstein Professor in Medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles and Affiliate Professor of Religion at the University of Southern California. An ordained rabbi with a Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies from New York University, he has authored numerous books, including Who Are the Real Chosen People?, Introduction to Islam for Jews, and The Power of Dialogue. Dr. Firestone has served as Vice President of the Association for Jewish Studies and President of the International Qur’anic Studies Association. He is a widely respected voice in interfaith scholarship and dialogue.
Dr. Abla I. Hasan is Professor of Practice in Arabic Language & Culture at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. With a PhD in Philosophy of Language, she specializes in Qur’anic studies, Islamic feminist thought, and hermeneutics. A native speaker of Arabic, she is the author of Decoding the Egalitarianism of the Qur’an and On Pain and Suffering: A Qur’anic Perspective, among other works. Awards for her teaching and justice scholarship include UNL’s Distinguished Teaching Award and Women’s and Gender Justice Award.
Dr. Lucas L. Schulte is Director of Education and Outreach at the Tri-Faith Initiative. With a PhD in Religion, he specializes in Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism, and the Ancient Near East. He has authored articles, book chapters, and the book My Shepherd, though You Do not Know Me: The Persian Royal Propaganda Model in the Nehemiah Memoir. Before joining the team at Tri-Faith in 2023, he taught for over a decade at a wide range of colleges, universities, and seminaries, such as Pomona College, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Eden Theological Seminary.
