Archive - January 16, 2024

BY JENNIFER BRICK MURTAZASHVILI (Uzbekistan 1997-99) AND ABDESALAM SOUDI JANUARY 16, 2024 Participants at the Pitt Community United in Compassion event We are two professors at the University of Pittsburgh—one Jewish, one Muslim. We are also close friends. We have seen American college campuses torn apart by conflict this fall, but we believe there is another way. A way for us to move forward. On Oct. 26, we organized our first event together, called Pitt Community United in Compassion. Faculty, staff, students, and community leaders—including religious leaders—gathered from across the region. We yearned to create a supportive environment where people could gather, focus, meditate, foster meaningful connections, care for each other, and find solace amid the chaos of our lives. At first, we were unsure about what would unfold. But what transpired was powerful, positive, inspirational, and emotional. We opened with our own personal reflections that led us to lead . . .