Young Muslim and Jewish volunteers came together on Saturday to help the less fortunate in Edmonton, Global News reported.

“I really want to teach these girls that our job in this world pretty much is to serve others,” said Nesrine Merhi-Tarrabain, the leader of the Muslim group Gathering Angels.

Volunteers from Gathering Angels and the Bat Mitzvah group from Temple Beth Ora organized a care package and lunch service on Saturday.

She said she has been encouraging her girls to volunteer for several years. So, she took the opportunity when she got a call from a local Jewish temple to suggest a collaboration.

“I thought that would be a great opportunity. First of all, getting them to go out and volunteer and do something meaningful, and the other thing… would be to get to know other kids from the wider Edmonton community,” said Gila Caine, the rabbi at Temple Beth Ora.

The event was attended by around two dozen teens, a dozen from each group.

“When it comes down to helping others, we should put our differences aside, and truly just bring out our humanity in us. We should really serve others for that reason,” said Merhi-Tarrabain.

Volunteers

One of the young participants, Nour Tarrabain, 16, said that the experience of volunteering with another religious group has helped give her a new perspective.

“It’s been very eye-opening,” Tarrabain said.

“Two completely different groups and religions coming together and doing the perfect thing: giving back to the community and just helping one another.

Muslims are the fastest-growing religious community in Canada, according to the country’s statistical agency, Statistics Canada.

Historically, Canada’s Muslim population increased by 82 percent over the past decade – from about 579,000 in 2001 to more than 1 million in 2016.

Muslims represent 3.2 percent of Canada’s total population.