At the University of Maryland, where a multitude of cultures and faiths coexist, the relationship between Jewish and Muslim students has grown increasingly strained in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the war that followed. Despite political tensions, some students are planting seeds of connection — quietly, but determinedly.
Tekoa Sultan-Reisler, a junior minoring in history and active in J Street UMD, offered a candid perspective.
“The relationship is fraught at best,” she said. “Even before October, there was no real infrastructure for meaningful interaction. The two communities are just very separate.”
The Jewish community often gravitates toward Hillel, which provides kosher meals and prayer services. The Muslim community, meanwhile, has its own sacred spaces and events through the Muslim Students’ Association. Interactions are typically limited to classroom settings — and more divisively, to student government hearings over BDS resolutions.
“Those are the only times people actually see each other’s faces,” Sultan-Reisler said.
Two Muslim students, who preferred to remain anonymous, echoed similar sentiments.
“It’s mostly cordial, but cold,” one student said. “There’s a lack of real dialogue — except when we’re on opposite sides of a political issue.”
Still, even in this tense environment, there are bright spots. One Muslim student pointed to collaboration with Jewish Voice for Peace, a progressive Jewish group.
“They’re at almost every Palestine solidarity event,” the student said. “Our communities work well together.”
Sultan-Reisler also shared a personal story of connection.
“I went for coffee with a Muslim student to brainstorm an interfaith event,” she said. “Nothing really came of it because of affiliations, but it was a lovely, honest conversation. That kind of interaction — just as people — is what we need more of.”
She hopes to organize service-based projects like food drives or casual “girls night” events that transcend political affiliations.
“The idea is to create a connection through shared action,” she said. “Dialogue without friendship just isn’t sustainable.”
The Muslim students expressed similar hopes.
“We’d welcome events that feel neutral,” one said. “We don’t want to be forced into artificial conversations, but we’re open to building trust — slowly.”
Both sides agreed that fear, unfamiliarity and long-held assumptions are barriers — but not insurmountable ones.
“We’re adults,” Sultan-Reisler said. “We can choose to move past what we were raised to believe about ‘the other.’”
While the political climate remains fraught and the university’s efforts to foster deeper unity are still evolving, a common theme emerges: Change will not come through mandates or panels, but through human connection — one coffee, one conversation, one shared project at a time.
