At a time when religious identity is often discussed in the context of division, the University of Haifa is advancing a different model, one rooted in rigorous scholarship, sustained engagement, and long-term leadership across communities.

Through the Haifa Laboratory for Religious Studies (HLRS) and the Frieze Center for Shared Society, the University offers a pioneering MA Program in Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation. Designed specifically for religious leaders, this first-of-its-kind initiative in Israel brings together Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Druze participants for structured academic study and meaningful engagement over an extended period of time.

For Prof. Uriel Simonsohn, Founding Director of HLRS and the Frieze Center, the distinction is intentional. “We often use the word coexistence as a description,” he explains. “But what we are building here is action — sustained engagement, serious study, and relationships that endure beyond the classroom.”

This is not a symbolic encounter. It is a graduate-level academic framework that combines theology, history, identity studies, and conflict analysis with practical tools for dialogue and cooperation. Participants are not passive learners; they are active religious leaders deeply embedded in their communities. They bring lived experience into the classroom — and return to their communities equipped with new perspectives and networks.

Leadership Rooted in Community

Among the program’s alumni is Du’a Odeh, head of the women’s council in the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Kababir, Haifa. Her leadership role places her at the intersection of faith, community life, and civic engagement.

For her, dialogue is not theoretical. “Dialogue is not just about sitting together,” she reflects. “It is about building trust over time. The relationships we formed during the program continue to shape how I work today.”

Those relationships — formed through sustained academic engagement — now influence the way she approaches interfaith initiatives and community partnerships in Haifa. The program provided not only knowledge, but a framework for responsible leadership in a diverse society.

Similarly, Father Saba Haj, spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Church of Iblin, emphasizes the importance of depth and continuity. “When dialogue is structured and long-term,” he notes, “it creates something different. It creates responsibility — and real partnership.”

For clergy serving historic Christian communities in northern Israel, interfaith engagement carries both opportunity and complexity. The MA program offered Father Haj a structured environment to engage deeply with Muslim and Jewish colleagues — not in fleeting encounters, but through sustained study that allowed for honest questions and meaningful trust-building.

For Rabbi Elhanan Rosenfeld, an Orthodox rabbi navigating questions of interreligious engagement within his own community, the experience was transformative in a different way. “Engaging deeply with colleagues from other faiths did not weaken my identity,” he says. “It strengthened it. It gave me greater clarity and confidence in how I lead within my own community.”

His experience underscores a central insight of the program: interfaith dialogue is not about diluting belief, but about strengthening leadership through understanding.

A Living Laboratory for Shared Society

The University of Haifa’s location is not incidental to this work. Situated in one of Israel’s most diverse and multicultural cities, the University reflects the country’s full social fabric — Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, secular, and religious students studying and working side by side.

This diversity is not aspirational. It is lived daily on campus, shaping the University’s research priorities and civic mission.

The MA in Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation operates within this broader ecosystem. It functions as both an academic program and a living laboratory — testing how structured study and sustained engagement can build durable networks of trust across communities.

Unlike one-time conferences or symbolic gestures, the program invests in long-term relationships. Alumni remain connected beyond graduation, continuing conversations and collaborations that influence their work on the ground.

Beyond the Classroom

The impact of the program extends far beyond academic credentials. Graduates return to their communities equipped with practical tools for navigating interreligious tension, a deeper theological understanding of other traditions, and personal relationships that humanize those they may once have viewed at a distance. Perhaps most importantly, they leave with a network of peers across faith lines who share a commitment to responsible, thoughtful leadership — relationships that continue to shape their work long after the classroom experience ends.

These elements are not abstract. They influence sermons, community programs, interfaith initiatives, and everyday decision-making within congregations and civic organizations.

As Prof. Simonsohn emphasizes, the goal is not simply dialogue for dialogue’s sake. “Shared society is not built in a single moment. It requires structure, patience, and leaders who are willing to engage deeply and responsibly.”

An Investment in Israel’s Civic Future

In complex and often polarized environments, strengthening social fabric requires long-term commitment. Education, research, and leadership development become essential tools for civic resilience.

Through HLRS and the Frieze Center for Shared Society, the University of Haifa is investing in leaders who can navigate difference without fear — leaders who understand that trust is built through sustained engagement, not slogans.

The MA in Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation represents a forward-looking model of academic responsibility: one that integrates scholarship with real-world impact, and theology with civic leadership.

Shared society is not an abstract aspiration. It is built through education, leadership, and relationships that endure.