• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom™

Enriching Women's Souls, Shattering Stereotypes

  • About Us
    • What We Do
      • Mission and Vision
        • Validation of Our Impact
      • Membership
        • Sisterhood Adult Chapters
        • Sisterhood Teen Chapters
        • Community Members
      • Annual Conference
        • 2020 7th Annual Sisterhood Conference: Together We Rise
        • 2019 6th Annual Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom Conference
          • Hands-on Learning Lab Workshops- Gathering 2019
        • 2018 5th Annual Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom Conference: RaiseYourVoice
        • 2017 4th Annual Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom Conference: Rising Up
      • Building Bridges Trips
        • Virtual Building Bridges 2020: Civil Rights and Racial Justice Journey
        • Building Bridges Trip 2020: Tuscon, Arizona
        • Building Bridges Trip 2019: Germany and Poland
        • Building Bridges Trip 2018: The American South
        • Building Bridges Trip 2017: Azerbaijan
        • Building Bridges Trip 2016: The Balkans
      • Social Justice Action Groups
        • Immigrant Communities Action Group (ICAS)
        • Racial Justice Action Group
        • Uyghur and India Action Group
      • Tzedakah/Sadaqa Day 2020
      • Stranger/Sister Documentary Film
    • Who We Are
      • Executive Director’s Letter
      • Board of Trustees 2021
      • Staff
      • Regional Coordinators
      • Position Statements
        • Israel Palestine
        • Israel’s annexation plan of the West Bank
        • Racial Injustice
        • Uyghur Statement and Fact Sheet
        • Statement on Forced Hysterectomies
        • Statement Regarding Genocidal Practices Imposed on Uyghur Women
        • Sisterhood Statement On Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
  • Resources
    • Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom Membership Manual
      • Introduction
      • Guide to Starting a New Chapter
      • Co-Leader’s Guide
      • Successful Dialogues and Effective Meetings
      • Suggested Meeting Themes
      • Sharing Holidays
      • Toolkits for Special Projects
      • Guidelines for Endorsements, Media Coverage and Social Media
      • Resources
    • Rise and Respond: Guide to Responding to Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism
    • Videos & How-to Guides
      • Engaging in Difficult Conversations: Series 1
      • Spiritual Activism and Community Service: Series 2
      • Responding to Biased or Offensive Comments by: Judith Kaye Training and Consulting
    • Holidays
    • Best Practices for Meeting Members’ Needs on Zoom
      • Zoom Friendly Meeting Ideas
  • In the News
    • Awards and Recognitions
    • Press
    • Our Newsletter
    • Updates from Our Teen Chapters
  • Join Us
    • Contact Us
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Donate
  • Voluntary Dues
  • Shop
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Building Bridges Trip 2017: Azerbaijan

Image of Azerbaijan 2017 tripFrom March 6-15, 2017 Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom® members experienced the unique and successful model of peaceful coexistence among people of different faith groups and cultural backgrounds in Azerbaijan!

Our group of women learned how Muslims and Jews, Shiites and Sunnis live together in peace, harmony and dignity. We met with dignitaries, religious leaders (including the Grand Mufti of the Caucasus who is the world’s only Shia-Sunni Grand Mufti), community members, and artisans. Our group toured the beautiful region — including Baku’s Old City and its cosmopolitan center, and followed the silk route as we visited the mountain communities of  Sheki, Gabala, Oquz and Quba.

Check out this trip report from participant Marcia Bronstein.

While in Baku, we attended Jummah prayer at a mosque and Shabbat and Purim services at a synagogue.  We participated in a master cooking class and savored the mouthwatering food of Azerbaijan, a blend of Eastern European and Middle Eastern flavors.

Highlights of the trip included:

  • Meeting with dignitaries, religious leaders and community members to learn about the success of Azerbaijan, the land of harmony
  • Touring the modern city of Baku and the historic Old Town
  • Visiting historic palaces, the famous maiden tower, and picturesque mazes of alleys leading to incredible sites from history
  • Visiting the famous Heydar Aliyev Center and tour the “Pearls of Azerbaijan” and “Mini Azerbaijan” exhibits
  • Visiting the carpet museum and meet with artisans who specialize in the famous carpets of Azerbaijan
  • Touring the Absheron Peninsula and visit the oldest oil producing fields
  • Traveling the silk route to the beautiful mountain towns of Sheki, Gabala and Oquz where you will visit ancient ruins, Sheki Khans’ palace and other historic sites
  • Traveling north of Baku in the northeastern mountain slopes to the historic city of Quba, visit architectural landmarks including the Juma-Mosque. Tour the area known as Red Village, one of the largest indigenous Jewish communities in the world
  • Participating in a cooking class learning how to make traditional foods from Azerbajian
  • Participating in the citywide festival, the Festival of Fire, which precedes Novruz, a traditional holiday in Azerbaijan, which celebrates the New Year and the coming of Spring.
  • Staying at four-star hotels

Lodging, three meals a day, and airfare included in the total trip cost of $2,100.

THE TRIP IS NOW FULL.  We are accepting a waiting list.  Email sheryl@sosspeace to be put on the waiting list. . For more information and a detailed itinerary, please email Sheryl Olitzky. For more information about Azerbaijan, please visit azerbaijan.travel.

Footer

About Us

  • What We Do
  • Who We Are
  • Press

Get Involved

  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Annual Conference
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Donate Now
  • Privacy Policy
  • WordPress Site Credits

© Copyright 2021 — Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom™

Taking the Sisterhood to the Next Stage--Announcement on Transition and Town Hall Meeting
Dear Friends,

As someone who cares deeply about the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, you will be most interested in the important news we share with you today. It has been more than a decade since Sheryl Olitzky co-founded the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, together with Atiya, to develop a “circle of friendship” between Muslim and Jewish women. With mixed emotions, we share the news of Sheryl’s retirement as Executive Director on March 1, 2021.

We owe a debt of gratitude to Sheryl for her passionate commitment, countless hours, and abundant energy. She has grown the Sisterhood to be an international organization with more than 8,000 Muslim and Jewish women committed to interfaith exchange and partnership. Sheryl has created a healthy organization that is well-positioned to achieve our goals in 2021 and beyond, with a talented and hard-working staff team and a dedicated board of trustees. Following a well-deserved break, we are so fortunate that Sheryl will join the Sisterhood’s Board of Trustees later this year.

The Sisterhood’s succession planning committee and Board of Trustees has hired Ceres Group Advisors (interimdirector@sosspeace.org), an experienced interim leadership team. Ceres Group Advisors will ensure a smooth transition and a strong organizational foundation as we search for our next executive director. Sheryl will help shepherd this process with her vast knowledge, strong community connections, and experience.

The last decade has been a time for great growth and powerful impact for the Sisterhood’s network. What started out as a small chapter of 12 women grew into an organization and evolved into a movement of Muslim and Jewish women and girls committed to building bridges and tearing down barriers of hate and prejudice.

This year, we were confronted with challenges that none of us could have imagined. Last March, when Covid-19 impacted all of our lives, the Sisterhood pivoted to virtual programming, creating space for engagement and participation to connect in new ways across geographic boundaries. We are excited to continue on the Sisterhood journey with you to envision the next stage of the Sisterhood’s development as we emerge from the challenges and opportunities of the last year.  We commit to doing more to meet your needs and opening our tent to reach more Muslim and Jewish women and girls who want to make this world a better place. And, we look forward to your engagement in this brave space of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom.

Now, more than ever, our mission to build trust, respect, and relationships between Muslim and Jewish women and teenage girls and to work together to end hate for all human beings is more important than it has ever been. With your continued support and participation, we are confident that the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom will thrive and set the stage for bold programs and important new connections during this crucial time in history.

Please feel free to reach out to us or to Sheryl (sherylolitzky@gmail.com) with any questions or thoughts.

Warmest regards,


Roberta Elliott, President     
(robertabelliott@gmail.com)

Atiya Aftab, Co-founder & Chair Emeritus
(criterion17@gmail.com)

To join the Townhall meeting on Wednesday, February 3rd at 8pm ET, please email Nadia at nadia@sosspeace.org for ZOOM registration link.

Town Hall Facebook Live With One of The Sisterhood's Greatest Supporters inThe U.S. Senate!
Cofounders, Sheryl Olitzky and Atiya Aftab, in dialogue with Senator Cory Booker as we focus on the issues facing us as Muslim and Jewish women in this challenging time in our history. Click here to watch.