One of Mulla’s biggest challenges was that the west San Fernando Valley’s Muslim community was growing so fast that his congregants could no longer squeeze into his small mosque for Ramadan.

So when Temple Aliyah merged with Shomrei Torah last summer, the Islamic society began negotiating with Hamakom’s real estate board to buy the old Temple Aliyah later this year when Hamakom moved into a renovated home at Shomrei Torah.

The goodwill continued even after Oct. 7, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and seized about 250 hostages.

Hamakom erected the tribute to hostages in a hallway and sent care packages to Israeli soldiers. In January, Rabbi Camras led a“solidarity mission” trip to Israel to witness the destruction at Kibbutz Kfar Aza and the Nova music festival.

Four miles east in Canoga Park, the Islamic society held nightly prayers for Palestinians as Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip. As the death toll climbed to 32,000 people and Gaza residents were trapped without food and basic supplies, the society also encouraged members to raise funds for Palestinian relief.

Through it all, the rabbis and imam maintain faith in the ties that bound Judaism and Islam together: a common origin in the Middle East through Abraham; a tradition of strict monotheism emphasizing the oneness of God; a reverence for biblical and Quranic shared prophets from Isaac to Moses.

“We have tried to build the understanding that we are relatives to one another,” Camras said.

Mulla agreed: “If two communities are going to band together, what better two communities than these?”

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The rabbis and the imam did not broach the issue of the Israeli hostage photos until two days before Ramadan.

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