"Is this your first interfaith dinner?" asked Gloria Heffernan.

Tonight, Heffernan is hosting a dinner party in her Syracuse home.

"Have you all had a chance to introduce yourselves?" 

At the table she'll be serving a simple vegetarian meal.

"The real beauty is just this level of trust that seems to spring naturally from just being together and, literally, breaking bread," said Heffernan. 

It also probed conversation about life and faith. 

"I don't know if everyone does but I know that when you do start pondering it, it's just a very, very deep experience," said Heffernan.

"My role is basically to moderate the discussions," said Director of Interfaith Initiatives Gracious Moyo.

Joined by Gracious Moyo of Interfaith Works CNY, Heffernan will provide the home and Moyo will provide the questions.  

"So you want to make sure that you continue the guidelines but also to make sure to maintain the environment and the atmosphere," said Moyo.

The house is one of thirteen full with laughter and conversation as the 9th annual Interfaith Dinner Dialogues are underway.

"This becomes very important at this point in time where there is this seed of hate. We are coming with the seed of hope and love," said Moyo.

"I guess I'm emotional because we've been watching the hearings on the news all day. The vital and the pain of people on so many levels because of this inability to engage in real dialogue without judging and blaming and all the things that seem to be so much a part of the conversation in our country today to have something like this where people say, "I don't know you but I'm going to share from the deepest places of my soul," that's moving. I hope it always moves me. I hope it always happens," said Heffernan.

As one dinner of differences ends, these folk hope there will be more to bring others together.