The Tri-Faith Initiative is marking its 20th anniversary with a weekend festival on a 38-acre property in Omaha, Nebraska, highlighting an interfaith campus where a synagogue, a mosque, and a church share the same grounds, according to reporting by Religion News Service. Sunday’s event features kosher hot dogs, halal burgers, and custom-made ice cream, showcasing a cooperative arrangement that has endured amidst geopolitical tensions.
Origins Rooted in Post-9/11 Solidarity
The initiative emerged following the events of September 11, 2001, when members of a synagogue stood guard outside a local Omaha mosque to protect their Muslim neighbors from a wave of Islamophobic attacks. Those initial acts of solidarity led to regular monthly meetings between the synagogue’s rabbi and local Muslims and Christians, according to co-founder Bob Freeman. Freeman, a past president of the synagogue and a lawyer, drafted the original memorandum of understanding. The document establishes that each house of worship operates autonomously, avoids proselytizing, and shares spaces such as parking lots, outdoor areas, and collaboration facilities.
Campus Growth and Shared Spaces
After officially incorporating in 2006 and purchasing the 38-acre property five years later, organizers raised funds separately to erect four buildings between 2013 and 2020. The grounds now house the synagogue, the American Muslim Institute (representing the mosque), a Christian church, and the neutral Tri-Faith Center, which hosts community programs. Karim Khayati, co-founder and current board president of the American Muslim Institute, stated that clergy from the three traditions meet regularly to study scripture and share meals. The campus layout is physically crossed by a stream known locally as Hell’s Creek.
Navigating Challenges and Continuing Engagement
Campus leaders note that maintaining the shared space has required resilience through various hardships, including fundraising demands, pandemic closures, and geopolitical strains such as the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023. Lucas Schulte, director of education and outreach for the initiative, explained that the Tri-Faith Center approaches programming from an educational standpoint rather than a single theological identity. Organizers are pairing the 20th-anniversary milestone with an upcoming October fundraiser featuring former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who detailed the project in his 2025 book, “Heaven Help Us.”
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