Jewish communities in the Gulf will hold a joint virtual Lag B’Omer/Iftar celebration hosted by the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC), the people-to-people network of Jewish communities from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries that are developing Jewish life in the region.

The event will include a panel discussion with Jewish and Muslim ambassadors focusing on how interfaith co-existence is propelling the GCC region forward.

On Thursday at 7 p.m. in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and at 8 p.m. in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, the AGJC will host a webinar moderated by Rabbi David Rosen, international director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee. The panel will feature H.E. Ambassador Shaikh Abdulla Rashed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Ambassador to the United States; H.E. Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States; and Ambassador Marc Sievers, former U.S. Ambassador to Oman. Bahrain’s H.E. Ambassador Houda Nonoo will also speak during the program.

“Both Sefirat HaOmer and Ramadan share a common theme as they are a time for reflection. As we celebrate the Lag B’Omer holiday and Iftar dinner together with our Muslim neighbors, it’s a time for us to reflect on where the region is today and the role that interfaith diplomacy has played in getting us here,” said the AGJC’s Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie.

“Interfaith dialogue and co-existence is the catalyst for change in the Gulf, and it was important for us to host a program during this time when both Jews and Muslims celebrate holidays in order to further conversation,” said AGJC president Ebrahim Dawood Nonoo. “Living in the Gulf, we are blessed to share and experience many holidays with our Muslim neighbors and to host them at our tables for our holidays. This virtual celebration will continue to bring us all together.”