Visits from The Rabbi and The Imam Inspire Pupils at BGS
Bury Grammar School was delighted to welcome The Rabbi & The Imam, Rabbi Dovid Lewis and Imam Nasser Kurdy, to speak to Senior School pupils in years 7 to 13 this academic year.
For their most recent visit, we were pleased to be joined by members of Bury Council and fellow Bury headteachers.
The Rabbi and Imam’s visits have been powerful and deeply moving experience for our school community. Throughout their talks, pupils listened attentively, asked thoughtful and respectful questions, and talked with maturity, openness and compassion.
At the heart of the speakers’ message were three central themes: equality in humanity, equality in empathy and equality in respect. Through sharing their own friendship and interfaith journey, Rabbi Lewis and Imam Kurdy demonstrated how honest dialogue, mutual respect and genuine human connection can build understanding across cultural, religious and political differences.
They encouraged pupils to think carefully about how we talk about our own beliefs and listen to the beliefs of others, emphasising that understanding doesn’t require agreement, but it does require empathy, active listening and the courage to ask sincere questions. Pupils explored how personal experiences shape identity, why empathy matters even when it feels difficult, and how respectful dialogue can help to challenge stereotypes and build stronger, more compassionate communities.
This visit strongly reflects Bury Grammar School’s ongoing commitment to fostering understanding, respect and empathy within our school community. We are proud of how our pupils engaged and look forward to building on these important conversations throughout the year.
Reflections from our community
Mrs Anderson, Principal, commented, ‘The Rabbi and the Imam - simply by standing together as friends on a stage - sent an immensely powerful message to our young people. The message that being 'pro' one community does not mean being 'anti' another really hit home and the honest and upbeat delivery of our visitors succeeded in engaging every young person in the room through their humour, humility and humanity.
Since the Rabbi and Imam’s visits, a number of our pupils have come forward to talk about what they might do to build on the messages they heard. That they have been inspired to have a tangible impact on society and on the future should fill us with pride.
A standout moment was seeing the Rabbi and Imam light the menorah together - an image which I think will stay with all of us for a long time to come.
Above all, they have left us here at BGS with a feeling of hope. With a reminder of the power of solidarity and of the power of young people to change the world.’
Staff and pupils alike were profoundly affected by the visit.
Staff reflections...
“I really liked what the Rabbi said about people being the change they want to see in the world and how that can cause a ripple effect.”
“Just by being here and being themselves they will have had an impact on every single student and colleague who had the privilege of hearing them.”
“I told my family about the talk when I got home and what a simple but powerful message they portrayed. I honestly felt very privileged to be able to hear them speak.”
“My Year 10 and 11 classes unanimously felt they had learnt a great deal from the talk, they told me how heartening it was to be in a crowd with such a resounding support for tolerance and understanding, and spoke of the speakers’ strength to be able to deliver the event at such a personally challenging time.”
Pupil reflections...
“Do you know with some talks you just listen and you're there, but with this one, you 'really' listened, it was powerful and they were really funny with each other, really good.”
“That was the best assembly we've ever had”
“It was amazing, it made me cry.”
“I loved how they were not afraid to talk about problems in the world in an honest but hopeful way.”
“My friends and I have been talking all day about the hope that seeing their open discourse gives us, I think it's so important to open that line of communication. I found the opening message that being 'pro' one community does not mean 'anti' another resonated particularly well and their emphasises on empathy and respect was super poignant. We have to remember we are all human!! Thank you so much for organising this.”
BGS Pupil Reporters reflections...
Our pupil reporters also captured the impact of the event beautifully.
Zeynep, Year 8, wrote:
“The talk was loved by everyone lucky enough to hear it at Bury Grammar School. Whether pupils, teachers or special guests, everyone appreciated seeing such a powerful example of friendship in action. It inspired so many people listening, and we would all love to see them return after seeing the impact the visit had on our whole community. A special thank you goes to the teachers who organised this memorable event, and to the Rabbi and Imam for taking the time to visit our school. It really was eye-opening.”
Esmae, Year 7, reflected on the speakers’ three key foundations:
“The pair’s talk focused on three main foundations: equality in humanity, equality in empathy and equality in respect. Rabbi Dovid Lewis shared a quote that particularly stood out to me: ‘Everyone makes mistakes, it is in human nature to make mistakes. When a mirror is held up to us and we face those mistakes, we give ourselves an excuse for each and every one. But when we look into someone else’s mirror, do we give them the same excuses?’ To me, this highlighted the importance of fairness and compassion. Their friendship stands as proof that when we choose understanding over judgement, meaningful connections can form across differences in belief and background.”
Bethan, Year 7, wrote:
“These two inspirational men travel across our local community sharing the message that the world does not have to remain divided. During their visit, Dovid and Nasser explained that they are friends ‘not in spite of, but because of their religions’. One quote that really got us thinking was: ‘It is not zero-sum gain and there is room for both of our stories.’ Their visit reminded us that although the world can sometimes feel divided, there is still hope, and there is still time to make a difference. When asked what message they would like to share with the world, their answer was simple: ‘Be curious.’ Although small, I think we can all take something away from these words, that we should never stop exploring. And no matter how young, or old, we can all make a difference to the world.”
Ava, Year 8, wrote:
“Even before they stepped on stage, the friendship between them was clear. A high five and hug before the talk began sparked joy and hope in all of us listening. They spoke about their three principles and shared messages that challenged the way many of us think. One message that stood out was, ‘I am a better Jew by being friends with a Muslim.’ Another was their explanation that ‘empathy is not like sympathy; empathy is putting yourself in another person’s shoes’. Their words felt relevant to all our day-to-day lives, and on behalf of Bury Grammar School I would like to say thank you to the Rabbi and Imam for such an amazing talk.”
Aayat, Year 8, wrote:
“From the moment the speakers stepped into the hall, we knew we were in for a lesson we would never forget. What made their visit so powerful was not only what they said, but what they represented - friendship, kindness and hope in a world often divided by politics and differing beliefs. Their talk was direct and honest, but also light-hearted and inspiring. They showed us that we do not have to be anti-one community to be pro-another, and that empathy means putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Their message has genuinely changed the way I think, and I know many other pupils feel the same. Their final message - to listen, to stay curious, and to disagree agreeably and with compassion - is one that will stay with us.”
Below are links and further opportunities to hear from our guest speakers:
