Welcome to the Leap Forward Interfaith Bridge Building Substack
The Interfaith Bridge Building Movement brings together Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Black, White, and other communities for shared experiences, deep dialogue, and collective action—rebuilding trust across lines of faith, race, and identity.
Welcome to the Leap Forward Interfaith Bridge Building Substack,
I grew up in Brooklyn in the 1990s, where the sights, sounds, and traditions of dozens of cultures lived side by side on the same few city blocks. I grew up thinking that was just what the world looked like. In many ways, it shaped everything I believe about what’s possible between people.
Through nearly a decade of study and transformation within the Leap Forward community, under the guidance of Ronit Herzfeld, I came to understand something that changed how I see almost everything: the forces pulling people apart are not random. Fear, unprocessed trauma, shame, and unmet belonging needs are not just personal struggles, they are the very architecture of division. They get passed down, institutionalized, and mistaken for truth.
But I also learned the inverse. When people feel genuinely safe and seen, something shifts. Empathy and trust become possible, and what felt like an unbridgeable distance between human beings begins to close. The October 7th Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent wave of antisemitism made these not just intellectual understandings but urgent ones. I could no longer sit with the knowledge or tools and stay still.
That foundation became a calling. As the world grew louder and more fractured, I felt compelled to build something in response rather than retreat. I founded Baltimore Unity Suppers, a growing series of interfaith gatherings where people from genuinely different walks of life come together to share a meal, ask real questions, and listen in ways we rarely make room for anymore. What started at one table has since traveled to other cities, carried forward by people who are hungry, literally and spiritually, for connection.
My work spans from Unity Suppers to film screenings, dialogue programs, art events, and various community initiatives. All of it is rooted in the same belief that curiosity is an act of courage and solidarity is a living, daily practice.
I bring to this work nine years of interdisciplinary study in my own human behavior, a deep love of community, and the lived experience of someone who understands both the weight of injustice and what becomes possible when people choose to step toward each other.
On this Substack, Sebastian and I will share what we are learning along the way.
I’m glad you’re here.
With Love,
Dazia
Upcoming Events
Baltimore Unity Suppers
Description: Baltimore Unity Suppers is a joint project of Leap Forward and the Jews of Color Mishpacha Project and housed at Third Space. Baltimore Unity Suppers are built on the simple hypothesis that when people break bread together it’s hard to spread hate. Each instance of the Baltimore Unity Suppers is a little different, focusing on specific themes relevant to the season and the moment. Come meet new friends who look, speak, or pray differently than you do. Figure out what you have in common and learn more about what you don’t.
Date: June 23, 2026
Time: 6 - 8:30 pm
Location: Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh