World Religions in Greater Boston: Home

History and Mission

The Boston Dialogue Foundation (BDF) is a non-profit organization that was established in April of 2000 by a group of volunteers--including business people, academicians, and students--under the leadership of Imam Salih Yucel. At this time, the group aimed to provide emotional and spiritual support for the growing community of Turkish immigrants and students in the Boston area. Today, the BDF believes that civilized societies can solve their problems through dialogue and the Foundation organizes activities and events to encourage discussion and interaction between religious and ethnic groups. The BDF has undergone changes in leadership and location in recent years, and has grown exponentially. The Foundation has established itself as one of the largest and most active interfaith groups in the Boston area, and has even been called in to mediate religious dialogue for the United States government.

One characteristic that the Foundation has maintained over time is its belief in the importance of hospitality, a value that Turks have inherited from their Ottoman ancestors. As an organization that is centered around dialogue, the BDF maintains relationships with several religious and ethnic organizations in the Greater Boston area. One of the first dialogue relationships that the BDF established was with Follen Community Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Lexington, Mass. Interactions between the leaders of these two communities began in February of 2001 and, after Sept. 11, members of the BDF and the Church decided to establish a dialogue group. The dialogue group’s first few meetings helped to establish a set of ground rules for future dialogue: people were to respect the opinions of others and to present their own views in the most non-offensive manner possible. At one meeting, the group invited Maggie Herzig, of the Public Conversations Project in Boston, who had extensive experience in facilitating discussions across ethnic, cultural and religious boundaries, to help with their dialogue. Subsequent meetings were arranged so that each faith tradition gave a presentation about an aspect of its faith (e.g. the UU Principles or the Five Pillars of Islam) as a means of introducing itself to the other group.

While this dialogue group is still active today, the BDF has established similar groups with numerous other religious and ethnic organizations in the area. In April of 2004, the BDF purchased a former Catholic church in Revere to be renovated and used as a center for the Foundation. The facility is currently used as a space for interfaith dinners and events, and also serves as a prayer space for many Muslims in the community. While the building has met the needs of the Foundation over the years, the BDF hopes to relocate to a site in Boston in the near future. Although the prayer space and the BDF have worked comfortably together in the shared building, the BDF would like to have a building of its own to ensure that the Foundation is not associated with a single religious community.

Activities

As mentioned above, the BDF participates in monthly dialogue meetings with various religious communities in the area. These meetings typically begin with a brief presentation on a particular topic by the groups’ directors, after which participants split up into groups of eight or ten for further discussion. Past topics for religious dialogue have included stereotypes of each group, women's issues, death and afterlife, personal spiritual journeys, and fasting practices.

Over time, participants develop relationships of trust and respect for one another, which allows them to discuss more sensitive topics, such as political issues in the Middle East. One of the BDF’s most successful events throughout the years has been its Annual Peace and Dialogue Iftar dinner (an evening meal that ends the daily fast during the month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar). The first of these iftar dinners was held in 2002, and over thirty Boston-area religious groups (including representatives from Buddhism, Judaism, and Wicca, to name a few) have been known to participate in the dinner each year. In 2006, over 500 people from the greater Boston area were in attendance. Traditionally, at the event, each table of eight-to-ten people is asked to discuss issues related to spirituality and how their faith is important to them. These conversations are facilitated by dialogue moderators at each table. At the end of the dinner and dialogue, attendees are able to enjoy a presentation of Sufi music. In addition to the Annual Peace and Dialogue Iftar Dinner, the BDF hosts a City of Revere Iftar dinner and a Veteran’s Iftar Dinner each year. Due to the popularity of these dinners and the limited space in its center, the BDF is required to plan several separate sittings at these dinners.

Since 2005, the BDF has taken another step in encouraging intercultural and interfaith understanding and interaction by planning trips to Turkey for dialogue participants. Although tensions related to the War in Iraq led to the cancellation of trips planned for 2002, five trips were completed by the end of the summer of 2007. Each trip included visits to sites of religious importance for the Muslim and the Christian traditions, such as tours of the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Participants were also able to engage in other forms of intercultural exchange by visiting local TV stations, high schools, and universities, and by staying in the homes of Turkish families.

In addition to the events listed above, the BDF hosts or co-sponsors over 100 large- and small-scale events every year. One of the largest events that the BDF holds is its annual Turkish-American Day, which takes place on Boston Common. Here, citizens are able to view Turkish art and dance traditions, listen to Turkish music, and eat Turkish food. Additionally, the BDF celebrates asure (a Turkish tradition of preparing and sharing Noah’s Pudding) once a year and, in 2007, the Foundation prepared and distributed over 7,000 cups of the pudding within the community. Other annual events include a dinner to honor veterans, an Intercultural Harbor Cruise, and intercultural summer picnics, to name a few. Leaders from the BDF are occasionally asked to speak at local colleges and universities; past invitations have come from Northeastern University; Tufts University; the University of New Hampshire, Manchester; and others. The Foundation also joins together with local churches or organizations on a regular basis to coordinate activities, such as its weekly food drives with First Baptist Church in Revere. For further information about BDF activities, please visit the Foundation’s website at: http://www.bostondialogue.org/.

Date center founded:

2000