Reach - NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change

Over 180,000 people have been impacted locally and globally by NewGround’s alumni change-maker projects.

Who Did We Reach in 2019?

22,000+ – Through our programming, thought leadership, and public events – including our overflowing 2019 Iftar, NewGround reached over 22,000 people this past year.
1000+ – NewGround staff, including our Executive Director Aziza Hasan, spoke at multiple forums, panels, and seminars throughout the year, impacting approximately 1000 more community members.
39 – In the Spring of 2019, we celebrated the graduation of 39 of our Change-makers from the 2018-19 cycle.
20 – NewGround fellowship programming continues with our newly inaugurated '19-'20 cohort.

Who Did We Reach in 2018?

10,400 – Our MAJIC Change-makers have extended their influence to approximately 10,400 through NewGround projects and events.
8,300 – Our Professional Change-makers, so far, have reached 8,300 people through the work that they conducted with resources provided by NewGround.
1,000 – Having spoken at multiple public and private events over the course of the year, Aziza has reached upwards of 1,000 people.
For more on how NewGround operates, who we reach, and how we continue to expand, please click here for our 2018 Annual Report to the Community.

Who Did We Reach in 2017?

1000 – Executive Director offers reflection at event at West Angels Church honoring Martin Luther King Jr.– on what it means to truly respond with love when one triggers or upsets you.
30 – NewGround featured as a distinct model at Muslim-Jewish conference in New York City, organized by Shalom Hartman.
10 – NewGround co-leads Muslim-Jewish text study at Southern California Muslim Jewish forum.
18 – NewGround fellowship programming continues with the '17-'18 cohort.

Who Did We Reach in 2016?

250 marched between Los Angeles houses of worship on March 6th inspired by powerful words from board member Rabbi Susan Goldberg and Executive Director Aziza Hasan, who spoke to the hundreds gathered about building relationships and raising their voices for pluralism, compassion, and love.
120 hear community leaders Rabbi Susan Goldberg and Aziza Hasan address the roots of violent extremism and explored sensible ways to restore understanding and civility on March 13th at the Islamic Center of Southern California in a panel entitled United Against Bigotry.
12 curently active NewGround program alumni projects with 3 new projects in the making.
100+ hear board member Brie Loskota speak on a panel with Hillary Clinton along with Mayor Eric Garcetti.
20+ Muslim & Jewish change-makers shared their stories of self-reflection & courage today with a class at Loyola Marymount University.
36 hear Aziza Hasan speak at Leo Baeck Temple as part of Yom Limud.
1,000,000+ watch this BuzzFeed video featuring NewGround Board member Rabbi Susan Goldberg; MAJIC Advisory Board member, Jihad Turk; and Reverend Francisco Garcia. The religious leaders got together on camera to discuss their religious stances on tough, contemporary issues.
1,000 view #LATogether short video published by California Community Foundation featuring NewGround Executive Director Aziza Hasan.

Who Did We Reach in 2015?

Large-scale Events:

Iftar: 300+ faith, civic, and community leaders come together at the largest gathering of Muslims and Jews in LA during Ramadan at the historic Wilshire Blvd Temple to celebrate change-makers
Trailblazer: 200+ experience a Festival of Change featuring NewGround change-maker projects and honor our trailblazer awardees Alan Bloch and Nancy Berman
Spotlight: 200+ convened at NewGround's Annual Spotlight Storytelling 2015 event in LA. Watch highlights here

Media Highlights:

Ozy, VOA, LA Daily News, LA Times, Jewish Journal, HuffPost feature change-makers
33+ million view Buzzfeed Video "I'm Muslim but I'm not…" featuring NewGround change-makers, released in September 2015. Watch here
789+ view video of NewGround Executive Director Aziza Hasan speaking at TedXOlympicBlvdWomen, followed by a #TwoFaithsOnePrayer. Watch here

Projects:

Partnerships:

1,000+ gathered at Los Angeles City Hall as NewGround kicks off the #United4HumanityLA Rally Against Violence and Extremism. Watch the video here
60 coalitions work together, including NewGround, to implement the 1st Inaugural "Day of Religious Pluralism" in the City of Los Angeles — starting an annual tradition at LA City Hall
60 7th and 8th graders attending Muslim (New Horizon) and Jewish (Sinai Akiba Academy) schools learn about each other's faith community firsthand through visits to their partner school in a program found by a change-maker alum. (past 4 years)
40 Public officials from around the U.S. and around Europe and Africa learned about NewGround's model at the White House on a panel where NewGround Executive Director, Aziza Hasan, spoke on "Building Understanding and Cooperation Across Faiths"
35 Parliament of the World's Religions attendees hear a group of NewGround alumni speak on how to build relationships and establish common ground.Media Impact:
20 million view Buzzfeed Video "I'm Muslim but I'm not…" September 2015
719 view video of NewGround Executive Director Aziza Hasan speaking at TedXOlympicBlvdWomen, followed by a #TwoFaithsOnePrayer. July, 2015
4 MicroGrants awarded to change-maker fellows and alumni for their community service initiatives.
5 short videos featuring our change-makers and their impact as part of our Change-makers in action video series.
7,000 read message of Executive Director, Aziza Hasan on respecting "differences and the power of praying together" as featured in Pakistan's premier news outlet, Dawn News.
2 MAJIC change-makers featured in the Jewish Journal's graduation edition on leadership, philanthropy, and education.
35 leaders and supporters of innovative Muslim-Jewish groups brought together by Austrian Consulate General Ulrike Ritzinger see NewGround and the Muslim Jewish Conference take center stage as models of engagement in Los Angeles and Vienna.
80 Executive Director Aziza Hasan was the commencement speaker for New Horizons' graduation as she shared her own personal experience of the challenges and reward of putting holy scripture into action.
150 A prayer for peace by Saaliha Khan, our Communications and Project Manager, to promote bridge-building at lunch with LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.
28 international delegates from over 25 countries inspired by NewGround's model and work in building bridges across boundaries sponsored by theU.S. Department of State.
30attend special luncheon on "Building bridges through the media" hosted by NewGround team of change-makers.
200 attend Interfaith Celebration of International Peace Day with NewGround change-maker panelists on Sept 20th.
90 attend Rosh Hashanah services at Open Temple in Venice and experience shared recitation through disruptive ritual with NewGround's Two Faiths One Prayer team.
400attend a Jewish Muslim gathering at the IMAN center called "We Refuse to be Enemies," an event that features prayer, singing, and conversation. (December 6, 2015)
1,000 view our change-makers as highlighted in "the Daily Upworthiest" & on the Upworthy website.

Who Did We Reach in 2014?

10 Lebanese young professionals traveling with U.S. State Department in leadership exchange program consult with NewGround on effectively leveraging dialogue as a tool for pluralism.
250 join Muslim Jewish concert with NewGround staff and MAJICian performing
240 join NewGround annual story telling event
10 MENA leaders from Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, and Muritania State Department delegation hear from NewGround
15 Saudi Arabia professionals attend session at City Hall on NewGround relationship building and pluralism
20 Alazhar scholars hear from NewGround alumni
700 individualsat the IMAN Center hear from NewGround alumni
24 professionals start their fellowship experience
65 individuals in extended MAJIC families meet for Yom Kippur and Eid Al-Adha festivities
20 highschool leaders start our MAJIC program and 30 parents join launch event
300 community members and religious leaders join largest annual gathering of Muslims and Jews for Iftar at a Synagogue to celebrate the graduation of NewGround's professional cohort
90 Parents, families, participants and friends of MAJIC for the 2014 MAJIC graduation hosted by Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills with the recognition of the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission
140 youthjurorstrained in intentionallisteningand art of askingquestions— by NewGround staff and MAJICians
30 Muslim and Jewish community members at our living room salon "What Keeps You Up At Night"
400 high school students at Campbell Hall Episcopalian High School with a MAJIC panel.
50 Muslim and Jewish teens and their families at MAJIC's Global Youth Service Day at the Silverlake Independent JCC-raising funds to fight hunger and cancer and build a healthier Los Angeles
40 Academics and religious leaders at the 2014 Istanbul Process in Doha Qatar with a paper about the use of personal story as a foundation for interfaith dialogue.
40 International religious leaders at the 2014 Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue with a paper about the model of NewGround's high school leadership program MAJIC. The paper will be published in a Bosnian Journal on conflict resolution
200 Angelenos at the Righteous Conversations Gifting Ceremony in which NewGround's teenage leaders spoke about their experience in MAJIC.
15 residents at the Watermark in Beverly Hills about the history of Muslim-Jewish relations in the United States

Who Did We Reach In 2013?

250 Angelenos at NewGround's annual storytelling event "NewGround Spotlight: Standing Up for the Other."
140 Jews and Muslims at the Islamic Center of Southern California's 2013 Weekend of Twinning Dialogue about "Standing Up for the Other."
15 Members of Servas, an organization dedicated to multi-culturalism, with a NewGround alumni panel presentation
125 Jews at Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa, California with a text study about Sarah and Hagar's relationship in Jewish and Islamic Tradition
130 Muslims and Jews at NewGround's annual Trailblazing Awards honoring Dr. Judith Glass and Nasreen Haroon and the legacy of Suzy and Wallly Marks Jr.
250 Angelenos at the Iman Cultural Center Peace Day featuring local groups working to build and sustain peace in the greater Los Angeles area.
60 Family Members of the current MAJIC High School Leadership Council at our Family Meet and Greet event at the home of Mustapha and Bonnie Baha in San Marino.
5 Iraqi minority leaders on a State Department tour studying American models of intergroup relations
20 Angelenos at the "Borderlands" Exhibition at Actual Size Gallery in China Town- a panel discussion with NewGround alumni about personal and communal boundaries. Sponsored by Six Points Los Angeles.
25 Young Leaders of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in a session about the significance of Muslim-Jewish Relations to the Muslim community in Los Angeles
11 Students at Hebrew Union College studying innovative projects within the Jewish communal infrastructure.
200 Angelenos at NewGround's 3rd annual Ramadan break fast celebrating the 2013 NewGround fellowship cohort culmination. Sponsored by Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Masjid Bilal Islamic Center, IKAR, and the Islamic Center of Southern California.
20 Jewish Non-Profit Mangagement Students at Hebrew Union College in a lecture about contemporary Muslim-Jewish relations in Los Angeles
75 Angelenos at NewGround's "Countering Islamophobia" event featuring Little Mosque on the Prairie lead actor Zaib Shaikh speaking about the connection between anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and the imperative for Muslim civic engagement.
60 Youth participants in the peer justice program Shades through a training session held at the Museum of Tolerance.
14 Civic and religious leaders from Afghanistan and Pakistan learning about civil society in the United States through the State Department
400 Angelenos at mosques, synagogues, and religious schools across Los Angeles with the Carnival Against Hunger put on by the students of Muslims and Jews Inspiring Change. See media coverage here.
40 International religious leaders at the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue 10th annual conference in Doha, Qatar where NewGround presented a paper on "Making The Personal Public: The Use of Personal Stories in Interfaith Engagement"
50 USC undergraduates in a panel presentation about new paradigms for interfaith engagement
65 Muslims and Jews at a screening of "The Light In Her Eyes" at Temple Isaiah where the Jewish filmmaker documenting a traditional religious school for girls in Syria explored the larger implications for such a school.
150 Israeli American and Jewish young professionals at BINA LA on "Are American Jews Ready for 2050?"- a talk about the transforming demographic realities of the United States and it impact on Jewish community relations.
200 Angelenos at the Hammer Museum Forum on Islamaphobiafeaturing NewGround Board Chair Edina Lekovic, NewGround Director Rabbi Sarah Bassin and NewGround alumnus Ali Mir.
10 Reform Jewish Youth Educators at the Youth Educators Conference on best practices in interfaith engagement with youth.
50 National Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) Teenagers as part of the NFTY National Conventionwhere students learned about the model of the Muslims and Jews Inspiring Change (MAJIC)- a high school leadership council.
10 Saudi Arabian government officials and academicsvisiting with the State Department to learn about effective American models of pluralism and collaboration between government and non-profit entities.
40 National Federation of Temple Youth Group Students at the NFTY Social Justice Kallah to learn about the role of interfaith in social action.
30 University student leaders from around the country at the Challah for Hunger Summit on how to incorporate interfaith collaborative work into efforts to combat hunger.

Who Did We Reach in 2012?

200 Angelenos at Home: True Stories from LA's Muslims and Jews" Cultural Event
12 Azusa Pacific University students in an intercultural communications class with a lecture and discussion on the civic impact of interfaith engagement.
500 Angelenos as a finalist in Social Innovation Fast Pitch.
12 Muslims and Jews with a Cultural Walking Tour of Jewish Los Angeles
60 Jews with a NewGround alumni panel after a Wilshire Boulevard Temple screening of "The Other Son.
15 Jews of an independent chavurah with a text study on Jewish paradigms for interfaith relations
16 High school students through the Muslim-Jewish High School Leadership Council- a year long program to help students build Muslim and Jewish based civic engagement
200 Angelenos at an panel discussion of interfaith leaders at the IMAN Cultural Center with special guests Congresswoman Judy Chu and Sheriff Lee Baca
225 Muslims and Jews at NewGround's second annual iftar hosted by IKAR and cosponsored by MECA SoCal, Young MALAC, Wilshire Boulevard Temple and Bend the Arc
100 Religious and civic leaders at the first iftar ever hosted at City Hall by the Mayor's Office and the Human Relations Commission. NewGround was featured as an example of stellar civic engagement in the Muslim community.
15 Jews of a Temple Isaiah Chavurah with Breakdowns and Breakthroughs: The History of Muslim-Jewish Relations in Los Angeles
100 LAMuslims and Jews at A Night to Inspire, NewGround's celebration of the King Fahad-Temple Emanuel Fellowship hosted at King Fahad Mosque
100 American Jewish Committee young professionals at the ACCESS 20/20 conference in Washington D.C.
15 Seniors at the Palms Court Retirement Community in Culver City on the history of Muslim-Jewish relations in Los Angeles
30 UCLA undergraduate students in the Introduction to Islam class in a session on contemporary Muslim-Jewish relations
600 educators at the Los Angeles Religious Education Conference held by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles through the panel "Global Events/Local Events: Religious Perspectives of a Jew, a Catholic and a Muslim."
18 people at a private film screening and discussion of the 2007 Israeli film Strangers.
30 lay leaders of Jewish organizations at Beyond Tolerance: How Muslim-Jewish Collaboration Can Strengthen Los Angeles
12 members of a Leo Baeck Temple Chavurah on the history of Muslim-Jewish relations in Los Angeles
24 Muslims and Jews at a Dialogue Facilitation Training Session to equip people with the skills to run interfaith dialogue
20 Muslims and Jews through the King Fahad-Temple Emanuel Fellowship to further strengthen the relationship between the two communities
90 Muslims, Jews and interfaith leaders at the screening of My So-Called Enemy
50 people through workshops on building skills in communication and conflict resolution at Limmud LA
30 clergy and staff at Department of Mental Health's Clergy Advisory Committee on how NewGround's model for other intergroup relationships
60 middle school students though the Sinai Akiba-New Horizon Middle School Exchange Program
60 people at "American Muslim and Jewish Identity in Art"– a panel discussion hosted by Koplin del Rio Gallery about what the lens of religious minorities has to offer American culture

Who Did We Reach in 2011?

160 Muslims, Jews and City Officials at NewGround's Iftar hosted at the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center
18 Muslim academic leaders from Cairo's Al Azhar University studying civic society in the United States
14 Muslim, Christian and Jewish civic leaders on a delegation from Israel and Palestine
undergraduate students at American Jewish University
150 Muslim and Jewish young professionals at NewGround's true storytelling event on the theme of "Relationships"
50 Muslims and Jews at Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa, California with "Breakdowns and Breakthroughs: The History of Muslim-Jewish Relations Through a Los Angeles Lens"
70 residents of the Fountainview Jewish Home for the Aging with "Breakdowns and Breakthroughs"
50 Jewish women at a the first Southern California Jewish Women's Conference with the social justice imperative for interfaith relations
20 members of Leo Baeck Temple's men's club with a text study titled, "Jewish Paradigms of Relating to the Other"
16 Muslim and Christian Eastern European civic leaders with AJC's Promoting Tolerance Delegation on overcoming tensions in intergroup relations
5 Rabbis at the Pacific Area Reform Rabbis Convention on "Moving Forward: How to respond to tense situations in Muslim-Jewish relations"