Excerpt:
The idea seemed simple enough: invite a knowledgeable speaker to the synagogue who could offer the congregation a more in-depth understanding of Islam and the Muslim-American community.
But Rabbi Jim Egolf waded into a minefield when, on the advice of a local Muslim leader, he asked a representative of the Council on Islamic-American Relations to shed light on the faith at Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwyne.
CAIR, one of the largest and most well-known Muslim advocacy groups, is considered taboo by nearly the entire Jewish organizational spectrum. Four years ago, former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak faced a barrage of criticism from Jews when he spoke at a CAIR event, an appearance that became an issue in his recent failed bid for the U.S. Senate.