An imam.

A Hindu man.

A pastor.

A rabbi.

It sounds like the setup for a joke. However, one Homestead class on Wednesday brought this to life, hosting a “religious chat” in order to bring together multiple perspectives and explore topics through a religious lens.

Global Perspectives in Literature is a new class this year, run in a fairly democratic fashion. With students’ inputs holding significance within the classroom, they decided to invite religious leaders from the greater Milwaukee area to come and answer questions about their faith and the ways in which they lead their lives and view other people.

“This classroom experience is a lot more engaging and rewarding because everyone feels valued and appreciated in this setting,” Grace Baden, senior, said.

The students organized the event, emailing and calling various temples, synagogues, churches, and mosques in the area to try and find panelists. With help from Angelina Cicero, the class’s teacher, the students were able to recruit four speakers.

Imam Saif teaches at an Islamic school in Arizona. Kishore Acharya is on the board of the Hindu Temple of Wisconsin and works as an engineer. Keith Steiner is a pastor of Community Life Groups from Elmbrook Church. Jennifer Mangold is an assistant rabbi at Congregation Shalom. All four of them agreed to participate in the panel discussion, which took place in Cicero’s classroom.

The students in the class were able to take away much from the experience. “It was a discussion that opened my mind to a better future for the coexistence of religions,” Zack O’Connor, senior, said.

The panel began with a student introduction, both of the speakers to the class and of the class to the speakers. Following that, another student asked the speakers to share a favorite passage from their religious text, a passage which the class had asked them to bring prior to the discussion. Throughout the class period, students asked questions about each speaker’s religion and how each speaker applies his or her religion to daily life.

The panelists brought up moments of confusion about their faith, immigration, personal enlightenment, and their connection to their religion, as well as their beliefs in a higher being. All the speakers stressed that their places of worship are open to any who wish to observe and learn.

In order to maintain balance between students and the speakers, the students shared their thoughts as well, reflecting on how the discussion affected their view of the world and of religion. The panel ended with a question about the purpose of humanity.

After the discussion, Rabbi Mangold shared her thoughts on the panel. “It was refreshing to hear the views of other religious leaders,” Mangold said.

Despite differences between faiths, all of the speakers stressed their beliefs in leading positive and meaningful lives. Each one brought up the importance of kindness and interconnection. For example, Imam Saif mentioned a religious camp geared towards children of all faiths which allows children to explore the religious practices of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and many more faiths. Fostering open discussion, the talk helped inspire open and honest discussion, something vital to societal change.