West Michigan has a rich history of engagement in interfaith dialogue, largely because of the organizations Sylvia Kaufman, a respected community leader, has founded. Sylvia initiated the first community dialogue on interfaith issues through the former West Shore Committee for Jewish/Christian Dialogue in 1989.

Since that time, hundreds of premier scholars, clergy, citizens, and students from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths have come together every three years for a conference, now known as the Triennial Interfaith Dialogue.

In 2001, Sylvia brought together a group of six academic institutions and formed the West Michigan Academic Consortium. Each year, the consortium plans a program with a single speaker, which provides continuity between the Triennial Dialogues.

In honor of Sylvia Kaufman's 20-plus years of dedication to promoting understanding among faiths, the Kaufman Interfaith Institute was created at Grand Valley State University in the summer of 2007.