RANYA: On the morning of September 11, 2001 Ranya Idliby’s husband called her and screamed at her to turn on the television. Ranya watched in horror as the second plane hit the World Trade Center. Her plea was, "Please don’t let this be connected to Islam." Ranya is an American of Palestinian decent and a Muslim. As Christians and Jews went to church and temple to deal with the tragedy of 9/11, Ranya had nowhere to turn. She began to feel self-conscious about her Muslim identity and fearful for the safety of her children.

SUZANNE: In the fall of 2001 Suzanne Oliver attended an Episcopal church in New York City, which happened to be closing for renovation. Sunday services were moved to a Jewish synagogue. The synagogue was barricaded to protect it in the aftermath of 9/11. The move and the events of 9/11 challenged Suzanne’s perceptions of Judaism and Islam. While waiting for the school bus with her daughter, she struck up a conversation with an attractive young mother, Ranya. Their daughters attended the same kindergarten class. They became friends and decided to co-author a children’s book about their faiths; however, they wanted to include a Jewish mother in the project. Suzanne offered to find a Jewish woman to help with the project.

PRISCILLA: When Suzanne called, she told Priscilla about the book project and that she was looking for a Jewish mother, who wrote, to assist them with it. Priscilla had never seen herself in quite that way. True, she was a mother and a writer, but a Jew? She attended a reform temple but wasn’t even sure she believed in God. She wondered where God was on September 11^th. Couldn’t he have prevented this horror? However, she was eager to collaborate on an interfaith book for children that would perhaps bring hope after the tragedy of 9/11.

"The Faith Club: A Muslim, a Christian, a Jew—Three Women Search for Understanding" is the story of their faith journey together—a journey that took several years. They tackled the difficult political and religious issues that divided them and discovered there was much that united them. Each came to believe more deeply in her faith and became more understanding of the other women’s faiths.

The book’s jacket describes "The Faith Club" as a memoir of spiritual reflection in three voices. The author’s began their journey together for one reason and along the way became friends. "The Faith Club" is a thought-provoking book that has given rise to interfaith discussion groups around the country. The book contains discussion questions for reading groups as well as information on how to start a Faith Club. During this season of peace and love, Ranya, Suzanne, and Priscilla’s story should resonate with people of all faiths.

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