In the spirit of trust and renewal

A Muslim response to Rabbi Mendy Chitrik

- • By MUSTAFA CERIC

Rabbi Mendy Chitrik’s reflections on the quiet acts of Muslim neighbors who once helped Jewish families observe Shabbat deserve not only appreciation but response. His words recall a moral memory that is neither sentimental nor naive. It is real. It belongs to our shared past, and, if we are courageous, it may yet belong to our shared future.

The image of Muslim families lighting stoves or switching on lamps for their Jewish neighbors is not extraordinary diplomacy. It is ordinary decency. It echoes the Quranic teaching that righteousness is found not in outward forms alone but in faith in God expressed through care for neighbor and stranger alike. Before we were divided by politics, we were bound by proximity. Before suspicion hardened our hearts, familiarity softened them.

This year, as Ramadan and the Hebrew month of Adar move in parallel, the symbolism is profound. In Ramadan, Muslims fast to purify the soul and renew consciousness of God. In Purim, Jews celebrate survival and courage, affirming that despair does not have the final word. Fasting and feasting, restraint and joy, together form a spiritual grammar shared by our two traditions. Both remind us that darkness in history can be met with faith, generosity, and resilience.