BRIDGING DIVIDES: OHIO CHAPTER’S BRIDGE OF PEACE CEREMONY

Ohio Bridge of Peace participants

In a display of the truth that people can reconcile their differences, the WFWP Ohio Chapter held a Bridge of Peace* ceremony, symbolically bringing together women of different faiths.

In the ceremony, women representing historical enemies start on opposite sides of a makeshift bridge set up on a stage, then walk toward each other, crossing the bridge together and joining in the middle.

Sheik Yusuf Estes, a prominent American-born Islamic speaker, and his wife were attendants at the event. Sheik Yusuf presented an introduction to the Muslim faith.

In the ceremony, hosted by the Noor Islamic Cultural Center in Dublin, Ohio, women took turns crossing the bridge with a woman of a different faith. Six Muslim women crossed the bridge with six WFWP representatives, then exchanged "sisterhood certificates" and a rose to commemorate their new bond.

"Coming from the Jewish faith," said Caryn Olsson of Ohio, a WFWP representative who crossed the bridge with a Muslim woman, "it was quite profound to feel the coming together of the two religions. As sisters, it is our calling to be the peacemakers and to initiate programs where we can come together and get to know one another on a deeper level."

The event also included a silent auction to raise funds for future WFWP Ohio activities.

* The Bridge of Peace is a signature project of WFWP and can only be used with the agreement of the organization. A detailed manual on how to create a Bridge of Peace ceremony is forthcoming.