MPs HAVE come out in support of the first Jewish ambassadors to visit a Muslim school, as a historic twinning moves to a second stage.

Pupils aged between 15 and 18 from Manchester’s King David High presented Judaism to their counterparts at Manchester Islamic High School for Girls in Chorlton-cum-Hardy last week. They discussed breaking down Jewish stereotypes with pupils from the 225- pupil Islamic school.

The institutions informally twinned last month in an effort to counter prejudices and forge better relations.
This week, two Manchester MPs have lent their support to the project, with Bury South MP Ivan Lewis tweeting: “Very enthusiastic about project. Many congratulations for making it happen,” and offering to meet King David’s head of Jewish studies, Rabbi Benjamin Rickman, to discuss how the model could be replicated.

Graham Stringer, MP for north Manchester’s Blackley and Broughton, said he was not aware of any model of cross faith-school interaction at secondary school age, adding: “North Manchester has large Muslim and Jewish communities living side by side and it is ideal to get young people into each other’s schools.”

Rabbi Rickman said KD pupils had benefited because they “had to swat up on what Judaism believes, to be able to present their religion.

Teachers at the Islamic school were so excited we were coming. I see it as a programme that can be rolled out across the UK.”