The AJC – Global Jewish Advocacy (AJC) hosted a special reception for Pujya Swamiji, President of Parmarth Niketan, Co-founder of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), and Sadhvi Bhagawatiji, Secretary-General of GIWA, at their International headquarters in New York City, led by Rabbi Noam E Marans, Director, Interreligious and Intergroup Relations, AJC.
Many of the members of the AJC, present during the reception, reflected on the beautiful and memorable time they had in India last year at the interfaith events, led by Pujya Swamiji and organised by GIWA, in Varanasi during Dev Diwali and in Rishikesh.
They shared how deeply touched they were with Pujya Swamiji and Sadhviji’s deep commitment to interfaith harmony, especially towards their efforts to deepen the relationship between the Hindu and Jewish community in India and abroad. They planned for ways in which AJC could partner to support GIWA’s efforts to improve WASH for every child.
During the meeting, Pujya Swamiji shared, “Interfaith harmony is the cornerstone of the Indian spiritual tradition. Our tradition tells us that we may worship our own but we must also learn to respect and accept all. I also believe there is a lot to learn from the Jewish community. They maybe a small population, as compared to other faith traditions, but their great history of overcoming countless obstacles is an inspiration to everyone. At this time of our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s visit to Isreal it is a great opportunity to recommit ourselves to working together and serving together to deepen our ties and to work together for health, hygiene and harmony for all.”
Sadhvi Bhagawatiji shared, “I feel so deeply connected to both my Jewish roots and my Hindu cultural heritage. I am honored to serve as a bridge between these two rich traditions, as there is so much that we can learn and exchange from each other. ”
Rabbi Noam shared, “We are so thrilled to welcome the both of you to our home in New York. Its a small way for us to offer our token of appreciation for the incredible and deeply memorable experience we had in India. I look forward to returning back to our Himalayan home soon.”