2009-2010 Second Place Winner – Sarah Schwartz(Montgomery Blair High School)
"Welcoming the Stranger: A Call for Interfaith Compassion"

Sarah Schwartz is a junior in the Communications Arts Program at Montgomery Blair High School.  She writes for her school newspaper, Silver Chips, and is the incoming co-Editor-in-Chief.  Outside of school, Sarah tutors and mentors elementary school students at East Silver Spring Elementary and Pinecrest Elementary and takes private voice lessons.  This is her first time entering the Children of Abraham Essay Contest.

Growing up Jewish, I already knew a lot about Judaism and had some background in Christianity and Islam before I wrote the essay.  During the process, I was introduced to a much deeper understanding of the three Abrahamic faiths.  I now appreciate the values at the heart of Christianity and Islam, and even learned about some new aspects of Judaism. 

My compassion reflection:  The three Abrahamic faiths all advocate practicing compassion - not just towards one's fellows, but to all people, regardless of their religion.  Now that our world is rife with religious conflict, the only way to prevent the escalation of interfaith warfare is to remind the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim people of the call for interfaith compassion at the heart of all of their scriptures.

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