Embassy Celebrates Thanksgiving with Interfaith Dinner

Left to right: Cantor Alwin Shulman (Jewish Rabbi), Imam Khalid Sallabi (Galway Islamic Society), Ambassador Tom Foley, Rev Georgiy Zavershinskiy (Russian Orthodox Church) and Farah Pandith (Special adviser on Muslim Outreach).

U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Thomas Foley, celebrated Thanksgiving a little early this year by hosting an interfaith dinner at his residence in Phoenix Park. Attended by about 170 people representing most of the religions present in Ireland, the dinner was a rare opportunity for leaders of the faith based communities to meet with each other. Several people commented that this annual dinner was the only occasion they had to meet leaders of other faiths.

 

Thanksgiving in the United States is not associated with one particular faith. The story that is generally accepted as the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1691. When Europeans arrived in the northeastern part of what is now the United States they will not prepared for the hardships that they would face. The local indigenous people taught the Europeans how to cultivate corn and other crops enabling them to have a steady source of nourishment. The new arrivals showed their gratitude to the Wampanoag people by inviting them to a feast after their first harvest. This story represents a quality which Americans feel is very important. It is a story about sharing and reaching out to other people.

 

Ambassador Tom Foley and DCM Robert Faucher at the Interfaith Dinner

Ambassador Foley encouraged guests at the event to reach out to at least two people who they didn’t know and try to establish a new friendship. His hope is that new friendships across traditional boundaries will open dialogues of understanding.

 

Before the meal leaders of the Muslim, Russian Orthodox and Jewish faiths gave blessings and expressed messages of thanksgiving. All of the speakers emphasized the need for open dialogue among the various faiths.

 

Also in attendance were representatives from the Irish Government and various non-governmental agencies which are involved in issues key to the faith based communities. Farah Pandith, who is the Special Advisor on Muslim Outreach at the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs also participated in the event.