As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m off to Iran tomorrow on a two-week interfaith delegation sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. If you’ve been reading my blog even semi-regularly over the years (check out the “Iran” category) I’m sure you know I’ve long felt that as Americans and Jews our opinions of Iran are too often based on fear and ignorance. I’m especially concerned that unless our two countries make the effort to get to know one another, we may well be headed on a tragic collision course.

Our delegation, made up of Jews, Muslims and Christians will engage in civilian diplomacy and interfaith dialogue to help lay the groundwork for common understanding and create constituencies for peace in both of our countries. This is FOR’s eighth Iran delegation, and we’ll be building upon the significant relationships that have already been created and deepened over the years. We’ll be traveling to Tehran, Shiraz, Qom and Esfahan – I’m particularly excited that we’ll be spending significant time with the Jewish community of Iran.

I hope to blog some during my travels, but I’ll certainly post more significant descriptions of my experiences upon my return. Stay tuned for more…