“Circles of Faith” – A Youth Dialogue

On April 27, 2022, the Singapore Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was honored to have Rabbi Mordechai Abergel and Mr Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib as special guests for a youth dialogue entitled “Circles of Faith”.

Rabbi Abergel is a distinguished member of Singapore’s Jewish community and has lectured widely on Judaism in Singapore. Mr Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib is the founder of the Centre for Interfaith Understanding (CIFU), an inclusive interfaith non-governmental organization in Singapore. With over two decades of experience in interfaith and diversity issues, Mr Imran is a frequent commentator on Islam and interreligious issues.

With the theme of Circles of Faith, the dialogue centred on the similarities and the scriptures of Judaism, Islam and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After a short presentation of their faiths, Rabbi Abergel, Mr Imran together with Sis Danielle Lesser, a seminary teacher from the Church each hosted a breakout room to allow for a more in-depth discussion of ideas and thoughts. Attendees would then rotate around the breakout rooms to have the opportunity to learn about each faith.

It was an enriching and insightful experience for both the speakers and the attendees. With over 70 people in attendance, valuable insights and greater appreciation were gained of the different faiths.  As the attendees moved around the breakout rooms, there was a buzz of excitement as the youth discussed topics including the Torah, Quran and the Old Testament. The youth were really engaged, asking questions and scribbling notes. This dialogue was especially exciting as it was the first time for many to have the opportunity to hear from distinguished speakers from these faiths and to understand first-hand and discuss about Islam and Judaism.

Emma Lew, a youth from the Jurong Ward commented, “It was very interesting to talk to people from different religions. I appreciate this unique opportunity as we very seldom have a chance to learn and listen to people from different religions.”

Sis Jina Li, the Singapore Stake Young Women president said, “I totally enjoyed and learned a lot in a comfortable environment. The presenters, Rabbi and Mr Imran provided informative answers to many questions and helped us to understand the different religions. It was very fascinating.”

This inaugural youth dialogue held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an example of the strong interfaith community in Singapore. It was an enriching experience and all went away with a greater appreciation of our different faiths.