Two professionals sat down for a cup of coffee and tried to get to know each other on a personal level. In a relaxing environment, with no agenda, they concluded that in today’s world, people don’t seem to be doing that much anymore.
They discussed that people rarely seem to sit together and connect. Work-related discussions seem to be more prevalent. When people do not connect on a personal level, it is less likely to develop into a trusted and mutually beneficial situation.
The two women from the original coffee date are Dr. Heather Miller Rubens, executive director of the Institute of Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies, in Towson, and Dr. Lora Hargrove, the director of the Governor’s Office of Faith Outreach.
From that meeting, an unusual project idea emerged that will help Maryland clergy professionals come together and get to know one another, despite their diverse religious backgrounds. While there are interfaith organizations in the Baltimore area that present opportunities for clergy from different religions to work together, something important is often missing. Usually focused on the actual work being done, personal connections may not exist.
The Common Ground program has already attracted clergy from 10 different counties in Maryland. Initially, when it was first proposed, 43 faith leaders committed to join. That number has increased to 70, and there is room for more members of the clergy before the Sept. 10 start. Currently, 11 rabbis have signed up.
Rubens explained that she and Hargrove realized that clergy need to get together on an informal basis to get to know each other on a personal level. They need low-stress opportunities to learn more about each other. She emphasized that creating a sense of trust with one another can enable each of them to do more for the communities they live in.
“We all have biases, but that just means that we are human,” said Hargrove. “We break down these biases by talking with each other.” She added that Gov. Wes Moore believes that faith can build bridges for better communities throughout the state.
Hargrove stated that Moore’s goal is to strengthen faith communities so that they can contribute to making everyone in the state stronger. He wants the clergy to lead the way in making Maryland the best state for services in the country. He views the Common Ground program as providing religious leaders with an opportunity to connect.
The new program is based on the idea that small groups of three to five clergy members can meet, ideally from the same or nearby ZIP codes, to discuss the commonalities of their faiths and actions. This is done in the hope that the proximity will make meeting in person or virtually easier and perhaps add commonality. Hargrove believes that a larger grouping of clergy would make the process more difficult. She believes that the very act of coming together is one of the most critical aspects of the program.
The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the program director for religious leaders programming at ICJS, and she will lead this initiative as it rolls out. She is excited because the Common Ground project will enable clergy from different faiths to come together, learn about each other, develop trust among themselves and hopefully share solutions for the issues that concern them. When there are shared values, common interests can be discussed and solved among new friends. Wimbush believes that there is an urgent need for religious leaders to come together and work on solutions in these times.
The beginning of the process involves building trust between members of each group. One of the prominent goals of the program is to create positive and uplifting changes. Another is refusing to give in to hatred.
These confidential talks will begin with clergy members from each small group getting to know one another and learning to see each other as individuals before discussing any religious matters. This is viewed as achieving the simpler aspects of a dialogue before tackling the more complex elements that may lie ahead.
After beginning in early September, the Common Ground program will provide clergy with some basic ground rules, such as the frequency of meetings. Each group will decide on the location and timing of their meetings. Along the way, established touchpoints will be provided. The hope is that the Common Ground program will, by the spring of 2026, have advanced to the point that individual groups will be able to work on the thornier issues, such as differences in each religion.
Discussing the project’s goals and outcomes, Rubens stated she would “like to see clergy better connected to each other in their individual geographic areas and be open to having more and deeper interfaith conversations.” She added that it is no small thing to have clergy sit down and converse with each other to build trust with one another.
The program, designed to last a year, is scheduled to culminate in September 2026. Currently, there are no additional plans for a second cohort; however, this possibility remains open. Wimbush maintains a strong hope that the relationships established by the Common Ground project will endure long after its completion.
One of the rabbis who will be part of this project is Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin. A long-time prominent rabbi in Baltimore, Cardin is presently the head of the Baltimore Board of Rabbis. She was one of the first women to be ordained as a rabbi in the Conservative movement.
She believes that the world is in a difficult period, marked by an inability to trust one another. She joined the project as an early supporter because she had worked with the Institute of Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies previously and understood that the Common Ground project could have a significant impact on interfaith connectivity.
Cardin understands that we all need to learn how to live in the presence of one another. Currently, she believes that public discourse is more characterized by discord than accord. Based on her experiences, she knows that interfaith work is also beneficial to each of us in helping us focus on our own traditions, values and messaging.
She hopes that by participating in the Common Ground project, she can meet interesting members of the clergy whom she might not yet know. For her, the project represents “intentional initiatives beyond our comfort level.”
Among the rabbis joining Cardin are Rabbis Rachel Safman of Beth Israel Congregation in Owings Mills, Rabbi Deborah Wechsler of Chizuk Amuno Congregation in Pikesville, Rabbi Eden Glaser of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and Rabbi Ariana Katz from Hinenu Baltimore.
Paula K. Minsk is a freelance writer.
