Rabbinical Student Explains Judaism to Muslims in Arabic

Is it true that Judaism doesn’t accept converts? Is it true that Jews have to wash their hands before they pray? These are just a few of the questions Elhanan Miller has heard over the years. A fluent Arabic speaker and former Arab affairs correspondent for The Times of Israel, Miller saw that many Muslims he knew didn’t have a clear understanding of Jewish practices and beliefs. So he decided to start teaching Muslims about Judaism, in a language and context they can relate to.  “I think it’s a value to Muslims to hear what Judaism is about from an actual believer”, Miller, 36, says. That’s the idea behind Miller’s new project, “People of the Book,” a series of short animated videos that explain Jewish faith and ritual in Arabic and compare them to similar Muslim practices. It appears to be the first video series of its kind: an explanation of Judaism for Muslims in what, for many, is their native language. The first video, released some months ago, compares keeping kosher with keeping  halal. A second video, released earlier this month, covers Jewish prayer. Miller is planning more videos on clothing and modesty, Jewish conceptions of God and fasting in Judaism. Miller is an observant Jew born in Jerusalem to Canadian parents. He fell in love with Arabic when he began studying it in seventh grade. He earned a master’s degree in Islamic studies from Hebrew University, and has been a journalist for eight years, doing much of his reporting on the Arab world. Miller also studies at Beit Midrash Har’el, a rabbinical school in Jerusalem.
(Extracted from timesofisrael.com)