“It reminded me of World War II when Jews turned in Jews,” said Ronald Freeman, 69, a real estate investor and synagogue member for 40 years. “You want to use the word ‘traitor’ — I don’t know — or ‘collaborator.’ But that was so damn offensive to me.”

Even congregants who supported renting the space to an Islamic society said obscuring the hostage photos was a sacrilege.

“My heart was betrayed,” Vera Rubinstein, a member whose grandchildren attend the temple’s Hebrew school, posted on Facebook. “This was an absolute shonda!”

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The partnership between the synagogue and mosque was the product of years of interfaith work.

When Shaykh Suhail Mulla joined the Islamic Society of West Valley in 2017 as resident scholar, Vogel and the other rabbis at Temple Aliyah invited him to speak at a Shabbat service to honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Later that year, vandals painted antisemitic graffiti, including a swastika, on the guard shack at the entrance of the synagogue. Mulla, 51, a former social worker who leads a spiritual and psychological wellness center, delivered flowers.

Vogel, who trained in interfaith dialogue between Christians and Jews in the 1980s, reciprocated by attending a communal iftar meal to break the fast of Ramadan.

Dialogue is important, Vogel said, “because it challenges us to look beyond our assumptions, learn from one another and work together towards a more inclusive and harmonious society.”

Over the years, Mulla and Vogel swapped notes over coffee and lunch about spiritual leadership and how to connect with congregants.

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