Austinites with different faiths come together at luncheon

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin area Jews and Muslims came together for the holiday at an interfaith lunch. The luncheon has been held for more than a decade.

The event also shed light on the conflict in the Middle East.

"It's really, really important for people of different faiths and traditions to come together, to break bread together. Scripture teaches us that the blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the earth. And it's really important that we put aside the rhetoric, the politics, the drama, and just come together," says event organizer, Zafar Choudhury.

On Wednesday afternoon, dozens gathered in unity at The Spice Garden in Round Rock, some for the first time, while others were excited to participate again this year.

"This is not my first time. This has been going on for 12 years, and I have come here because it's just an opportunity to get past the rhetoric, just to meet people on a person-to-person level, for Jews and Muslims to get together," says event attendee Matt Levitt.

The luncheon allowed those in attendance to show their appreciation for human life at a time when there is conflict in the Middle East. 

"After the October 7th attacks on Israel, I think a lot of people had some challenges coming. I felt it was more necessary than ever to come in for the last couple of years," says Levitt.

There was a custom menu provided to accommodate all diets.

"We're all eating Asian food, so it's sort of one of the challenges for Jews eating food that's kosher and for Muslims eating food that's halal, that, you know, Asian food is a perfect opportunity to find stuff that usually meets a lot of those minimum criteria for a lot of people," says Levitt.

A token of appreciation was passed out to a few guests in attendance although the Jewish and Muslim communities do not celebrate Christmas.

"Muslims don't celebrate Christmas, Jews don't celebrate Christmas, but we honor it. We honor the tradition. Jesus is highly respected in the Muslim traditions and the face. We just don't do the religious ceremonies and traditions," says Choudhury.