@abcnewshighlighted NewGround and our Executive Director, Aziza Hasan, in a new article saying:
“One of the most powerful moments for me, however, was one of the most somber.
The iftar held by NewGround, a group led by executive director Aziza Hasan and associate director Andrea Hodos – Palestinian and Jewish, respectively – brought together dozens of Muslims and Jewish people.
Hasan guided us through an exercise after dinner. Citing the late cognitive neuroscientist Emile Bruneau, she cautioned that while empathy is a powerful emotion, extreme empathy for our own group can sometimes lead us to distrust and even dehumanize others, because we may perceive them as dismissing our pain.
Guests were then directed to think about a person in the Middle East whose story they wanted to share.
We went around the table, Muslims and Jews together sharing emotional stories about people of both cultures who had affected their lives. There was zero judgment – only kindness and understanding among strangers, and respect that everyone wanted the same thing.”
