Thanksgiving Reflections: Advancing Pluralism

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Dear Friends,

Read my latest post on ING and American Pluralism, excerpted from a speech I delivered at the Graduate Theological Union on November 13^th, 2025.

The last three years (2023–2025 to date) have been a whirlwind for ING. Requests for training seminars on Islamophobia, and its intersections with anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, as well as our intercultural Muslim–Jewish panels on combating Islamophobia and antisemitism, surged dramatically after October 7^th, 2023.

When we tallied the numbers from the past three years (to date), we realized our team of speakers averaged five training sessions every week, totaling 703 in-person or virtual sessions across 26 states in the country as of October 2025.

In response to institutional needs across the country, our trainings have reached private universities and community colleges, corporate teams and public school districts, law enforcement agencies and healthcare providers, government employees, court administrators, and community nonprofits. The links highlight the seminars we offer in each area, how to schedule speakers, and several institutions that have graciously allowed us to share our partnerships publicly.

Rather than listing more numbers, I want to share a few brief stories that show what this work looks like in practice (which is more detailed in my latest post on ING and pluralism):

University Setting:
After a surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish incidents, ING facilitated joint Muslim–Jewish trainings on Islamophobia, anti-Arab, and antisemitism for staff and faculty. What shifted wasn’t just knowledge but culture: the university began applying one consistent framework to all forms of hate. The approach moved them from crisis response to proactive community care, and multiple schools at the university invited us back.

K–12 Schools:
Teachers overwhelmed by classroom tensions around Israel–Palestine used ING’s case-study model to guide discussions. They learned to name bias, recognize trauma, and hold space for multiple truths while remaining instructionally impartial. Many shared that it was the first time they felt equipped to support all their students without shutting conversations down.

Corporate Environments:
Teams that once avoided discussing religion began integrating religious identity into their community and belonging work after ING’s training. They clarified accommodation policies, launched interfaith circles, and normalized respectful dialogue. Employees later reported stronger feelings of belonging and psychological safety.

Law Enforcement Training:
During a joint Muslim–Jewish panel on combating Islamophobia and antisemitism at a police academy, a lieutenant admitted he had expected conflict. Instead, he witnessed two communities modeling compassion and shared concern, even amid the Israel–Palestine crisis. He said it reshaped his understanding of what solidarity can truly look like.

As we enter this season of gratitude, I want to thank you for standing with ING, through your support, partnership, and belief in the importance of this work. Everything we have accomplished is because you made it possible.

May this Thanksgiving bring you peace, connection, and the warmth of community.

With gratitude,
Maha Elgenaidi