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INTERFAITH
UNITY NEWS
March
04 2012 issue – Deadline for next
issue: March
26 2012
www.interfaithunity.ca 416-8015597 info@interfaithunity.ca Home l From
the Editor l Resources
l Contact
l Mission
l Peace
Poetry l Event
Reports l
Links above are to our Interfaith unity web pages |
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Member
of: North American Interfaith Network Member
of: Toronto & Area Interfaith Council Associate Organization of: United Religions Initiative
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CONTENTS
LISTING (click
titles below to go to listing) Note:
Links on your computer may have to be permitted to operate |
PUBLISHER'S MESSAGEA
VIDEO AND A STORY OF AN AMAZING MAN! < >
QUEEN
ELIZABETH RECOGNIZES JAINISM AS
A MAJOR FAITH IN BRITAIN < >
ISARC Presents HEALTH
AND POVERTY: WHAT IS THE COST OF POVERTY AND
ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH? Scarboro Missions Lecture
ONE
EARTH, MANY RELIGIONS CULTIVATING THE
COMPASSIONATE HEART: A CHRISTIAN/BUDDHIST RETREAT
AND DIALOGUE < > GAN-GSS
Fourth Annual Forum GREEN
CHOICES FOR FAITH COMMUNITIES < > Spring
Rain Sangha Presents: 1-DAY
LOVING-KINDNESS (METTA) MEDITATION RETREAT < >
SURREY
NEIGHBOURING FAITHS UPCOMING
PROGRAMS < > Second
International Conference of the British Association for the Study of
Spirituality <
>
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIA FOR CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES < > TIDE CONFERENCE: A WAVE OF
CHANGE FOR TEENS |
North
American Interfaith Network < >
MINEFIELDS
AND MIRACLES: A
Global Adventure in Interfaith
STATE
OF < > New
Video: World Premiere March 2012 THE THREE LIVES OF PANDITJI <
> SCARBORO
MISSIONS RELEASES NEW GOLDEN RULE VIDEO
Rabbi Gunther Plaut "WE WERE BLESSED THAT HE WAS IN OUR MIDST"
–
A PILOT STUDY BECOMING GOOD WHILE DOING GOOD < > FAITH
LEADERS, POLICYMAKERS TO
DISCUSS ROLE OF RELIGION IN DIPLOMACY < > RELIGION
IS UNDER-APPRECIATED
SAYS THE QUEEN
IN MULTI-FAITH SERVICE< > A
A
MOSQUE AND SYNAGOGUE
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing… . < >
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PUBLISHER'S CORNER |
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Rev. Terry Weller |
INTERFAITH: "Never Instead of; Always in Addition To..." "Honouring Differences; Embracing Oneness..." |
During
the last week I was in two situations where person asked me what it
was I do. This happens occasionally, and I notice that they never
define what the word "do" implies. My response is
automatic: "That depends on what day you are talking
about." I reply. They laugh slightly and I try to elaborate.
"Some days I am publishing a publication or two; other times I
am counselling alcoholics and drug addicts; still other times I am a
speaker at an Interfaith event, or teaching an interfaith class.
Other times I am in ministerial mode: consoling a widow after
performing her husband's Ministers never simply take part in religious services and then just coast through the rest of the week. A vow to God saying you will serve Him is a bit like signing a blank cheque. I am told He will never assign anymore than I am able to do. But I do sometimes think He has a strange idea of how much I can do. But everything always unfolds as it is meant to unfold. Occasionally a person's story comes over my publishing desk and in reading it I feel underworked and rather spoiled. Such is the life of Acharya Shiv Shankar Dwivedi. The Vedic pandit, or priest, at the Edmonton Hindu Cultural Centre. He is a man who came from India with the dream of building a Hindu community in Alberta Canada. He also wanted to be of service to the wider community in Alberta as well building a school in India. And the dreams came true, and more! The community is called: The Maanaw Seva Association. Maanaw Seva means: "In service of mankind" in the Hindi language. The community's purpose is: to provide service in several main directions, including: 1) promoting public health through educational and informative presentations 2) helping the underprivileged in Canada and overseas 3) fostering greater understanding of the cultures that originated on the Indian subcontinent This was a tall enough order, but he also had to learn to raise a family in a secular, multi-cultural environment; and to claim a place in the growing world of Interfaith understanding and co-operation. I invite you to take a tour of this Holy Man's three worlds. Visit the community at: Maanaw Seva Association Read about and order a DVD video about the life and work of this man by going to the listing below: CLICK HERE
We hope you enjoy this latest issue of Interfaith Unity News! Peace and Blessings Terry Weller
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funeral; spiritually counselling some one
who feels lost; marrying a couple who wish to share a lifetime
together. I generally use a little less description, but they get
the point.
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LETTER
TO EDITOR QUEEN ELIZABETH
RECOGNIZES JAINISM AS A MAJOR FAITH IN
BRITAIN We
would like to share with you the successful event on 15th
February where the Queen has recognized Jainism as one of the
nine historical major faiths in Britain. In
The Archbishop of Canterbury invited Her
Majesty on the 15th of February to show the
treasures of the respective faiths where Dr Natubhai Shah led
the Jain delegation that included Mr Tushar Shah (President
Oshwal Association UK), Mr Harshad Sanghrajka (Secretary IOJ)
and Mr Kamal Mehta (Trustee Jain Samaj Europe). All
Non-Christian faiths were treated equally and allowed 4
persons for the presentation. PICTURE:
Jains
displayed the Kalpa Sutra, one of the most auspicious sacred
text as their treasure. With Kind Regards (Be sure to
see the Queen’s speech about world religions in the NEWS
section below CLICK HERE)
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The
nine historical major faiths (Christianity, Baha’i,
Buddhist, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Sikh and Zoroastrian)
celebrated this event by showing the treasures to Her Majesty
& the Duke of Edinburgh and by gifting ‘A Year of
Service’ to Her.| TORONTO AND AREA EVENTS |
TORONTO
Scarboro Missions Lecture ONE EARTH, MANY RELIGIONS
Saturday, March 24, 10:00 a.m. Scarboro Missions, 2685 Kingston Road, Scarborough, ON 416-261-7135 Toll Free: 1-800-260-4815 email: gcouncil@scarboromissions.ca
or “The spiritual quest for a sustainable and just future. This lecture discusses the global efforts for an adequate vision for our times: Where
there is no vision, the people perish. Prov. 29:18.
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in ecology, feminism and theology from the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto School of Theology, and a Master's of Divinity. Engaged in religious responses to the ecological crisis, particularly the relationship between ecological, feminist and liberation theologies. Committed to inter-religious responses to ecological crisis. Recent work focuses on evolution, Earth dynamics and religious imagination. Dr. Eaton
is the co-founder of the Canadian Forum on Religion and Ecology. 1st talk, March 23, 7:30 p.m.
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AGENDA
Dr. Heather Eaton, |
CULTIVATING
THE COMPASSIONATE HEART: A
CHRISTIAN/BUDDHIST RETREAT AND DIALOGUE The Dharma Centre of Cultivating the Compassionate
Heart: A Christian/Buddhist retreat and dialogue with Michael Hryniuk Ph.D., Sharon
Davison & David Berry May 4-6, 2012 For more information contact: Michael Hryniuk at mhryniuk@yahoo.com
Michael Hryniuk
is a Catholic theologian, author, speaker, and consultant
specializing in the field of contemporary Christian spirituality,
ministry development and spiritual formation. He is the author of
Theology, Disability and Spiritual Transformation (Cambria Press,
2010) as well as numerous academic and popular articles on the
themes of youth ministry, contemplative spirituality, and
Trinitarian theology. David Berry
is one of those rare individuals who can not only connect the dots
but does so with the clear-seeing of a long-time practitioner
dedicated to Buddha dharma. He has chaired high-level NGO and
governmental working groups on sustainability and the environment
from Sharon Davison
is a facilitator, educator (B.Ed.Adult) and coach. She teaches
courses including those based on MBSR (mindfulness-based stress
reduction) which was developed at Centre for Mindfulness in
Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the
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"
905
929 LOVE (5683) 
The seminar is open to all. |
AURORA
/
Our
Peace Meditation group will be meeting on Fridays in Please
email Erika Allen at erwassif@gmail.com
if you are interested in joining us.”
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PEACE
MEDITATION GROUP |
TORONTO
SPIRITUAL DIALOGUE CIRCLE 7:00pm to 8:30pm Location:
Don Heights Unitarian Congregation, Contact:
Reverend Michelle Singh, michelle_singh@rogers.com
or 416-895-3932. Join
us the first Monday of every month.
April
2: Death & Dying May
7: Honouring Children June
4: Forgiveness "The
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TORONTO
GAN-GSS
Fourth Annual Forum
GREEN CHOICES FOR FAITH COMMUNITIES
Date
& Time: Sunday, March 25, 2012, 12:00pm to 5:15pm
Location:
Noor Cultural Centre,
Registration
Fee: $35, Pre-registration Deadline: March 21, 2012
For
more information or to register, please call 905-771-5124 x25 or email greenawakening@tucc.ca
“You're
invited to attend Green Choices for Faith Communities, GAN/GSS Fourth
Annual Forum.
Organized
by the Green Awakening Network and Greening Sacred Spaces. The forum
features a keynote address from
CLICK
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Green
Choices for Faith Communities
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TORONTO Spring
Rain Sangha Presents:
1-DAY
LOVING-KINDNESS (METTA) MEDITATION RETREAT When:
Saturday, March 10th, 2012 Where: Society
of Friends (Quakers) House,
Sponsored
by Spring Rain Sangha Facilitators: Jim
Bedard and Randy Baker Cost:
$30 (No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Please
contact us if cost is a problem.) Registration: Pre-registration
is necessary. Application forms can be found in the
"Retreats" section of www.SpringRainSangha.com Contact: For more information, please contact us at one-dayretreats@springrainsangha.com
“This 1-Day Loving-Kindness (Metta) Meditation Retreat introduces practices that help us become more loving individuals. By gently re-orienting the heart and mind to focus on the positive energies of loving-kindness and well-being, the practice of metta helps to gradually open our hearts to unconditional love for all beings, including ourselves. People of all faiths are welcome to attend this unique event.”
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Time:
9:00 am - 4:00 pm (please arrive before 9:00 am to sign in)| BRITISH COLUMBIA EVENTS |
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SURREY
B.C. SURREY
NEIGHBOURING FAITHS
UPCOMING EVENTS:
March
4 – Community Interfaith Series: Dr. Jagessar Das on
Kabir Dr. Jagessar Das is a well known multifaith activist in March
4 – March Multifaith Action Social at Northwood United Church Multifaith Socials provide an opportunity for people of
all ages and all faiths to get to know their neighbours in a relaxed
environment, make new friends and explore areas of collaboration.
March's Multifaith Social will take place Sunday, March 4, 4:00pm to
6:00pm at the 604-321-1302. March
8 – Holi Celebration at Lakshmi
Narayan Mandir Join the local Hindu community in celebrating and promoting harmony and understanding in our diverse community. Holi is a unique South Asian celebration of colours that encourages you to forget differences and celebrate our oneness with your neighbours in music, dance, laughter and celebration. The celebration takes place Thursday March 8 at 5:00pm at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir (8321-140 Street Surrey). Wear old white clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty! There will be live music and free food stalls. For more information, contact Vinay Sharma at surreymandir@gmail.com May 10-11, 2012 – Workshop at 2012 “Cities
Fit for Children” Provincial The 3rd Annual Cities Fit for Children Provincial Summit is dedicated to the sustainable development of our cities and urban and rural areas. The event will bring together local, municipal and regional leaders involved in policy decisions and designing and building healthy safe communities for children and families. Come and hear how multifaith networks can play an important role in this process
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: http://snfp.ca/
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Expanding The AT
THE INTERFACE OF THEORY, PRAXIS & PEDAGOGY The
contemporary study of spirituality encompasses a
wide range of interests. These have come not only
from the more traditional areas of religious
scholarship—theology, philosophy of religion,
history of religion, comparative religion,
mysticism—but also more recently from
management, medicine, and many other fields.
We
seek to expand the range of ideas, fields, and
locales of Spiritual work for the 2nd Global
Conference. Perspectives are sought from those
engaged in the fields of Alcohol and Drug
Rehabilitation, Business, Counseling, Ecology,
Education, Healing, History, Management,
Mass/Organizational/Speech Communication,
Medicine, Nursing, Performance Studies,
Philosophy, Psychiatry, Psychology,
Reconciliation/Refugee/Resettlement Projects,
Social Work, and Theatre. These disciplines are
indicative only, as papers are welcomed from any
area, profession and/or vocation in which
Spirituality plays a part.
Second
International Conference of the British
Association for the Study of Spirituality
Keynote speakers: Sister Jayanti (Brahma Kumaris) - Spirituality
& Ecology Cost (fully inclusive) before 31 January 2012
£475
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This
inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary
conference seeks to examine and explore issues
surrounding spirituality in regard to theory,
praxis and pedagogy. Our first Conference, held in
March 2011, was highly successful, with more than
50 presenters from greater than 25 countries
around the world participating.
A
conference which provides ample opportunity to
explore the role of Spirituality in a fragmented
world, especially in the areas of: Politics,
Health, Religion, Ecology, Humanity and Social
Justice
INTERNATIONAL
SYMPOSIA
April
26-29, 2012 | Hyatt Regency,
http://contemplativeresearch.org/
“The
International Symposia for Contemplative Studies will
bring together academics and other interested attendees
for presentation, discussion, and collaborative
networking in the emerging field of contemplative
studies, which includes contemplative basic science,
contemplative clinical science, contemplative philosophy
and humanities, contemplative education, and those
domains of contemplative practice that relate to and
interact with these fields of research and
scholarship.”
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TIDE
CONFERENCE: A WAVE OF CHANGE FOR TEENS May
27-29, 2012, Memorial Day Weekend Northeastern University,
“The
Teenage Identity Diversity Education (TIDE) Conference
is organized and led by teens who hope to spread pluralism, increase
the impact of teenage voices, and have their presence felt as a
positive force in the global community. The goals of TIDE are to train teens to communicate
respectfully and use their skills in discussions about highly
charged issues; develop leadership and facilitation skills; and
foster bonds and lasting friendships among the youth in attendance. Conference attendees will participate in workshops,
dialogues, and other activities throughout the weekend that allow
them to discover more about themselves and their own understanding
of personal identity; learn about the beliefs and identities of
others; and make their voices heard. The TIDE conference has been
selected as a Post-Parliament Event by the Council
for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR), an event that
cultivates harmony among the world’s spiritual and religious
communities to achieve a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.”
[READ MORE…]
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| NORTH AMERICAN INTERFAITH NETWORK
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By
Judy Lee Trautman jltrautman@sbcglobal.net
“The
North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) offers a unique opportunity
to include younger representatives (ages 16-35) in a valuable
interfaith encounter during the 2012
NAINConnect in If
you are passionate about interfaith work, we welcome your energy and
enthusiasm and encourage you to apply!
You do not need to be part of a NAIN member organization to
apply. Recipients are
selected by the NAIN Young Adult Committee, according to the
directives of the NAIN Board of Directors. See below for
complete information about the application process and requirements. Scholarship recipients will receive: - A $500 stipend to help cover the cost of registration, housing, travel, and meals. - A reduced registration fee of $125 for attendance at the summer Connect. - The option of sharing a hotel room with another scholarship recipient. We encourage scholarship recipients to take advantage of this opportunity, which will enhance the Connect experience and save money.”
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| BOOKS
OF INTEREST
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MINEFIELDS AND
MIRACLES: A Global
Adventure in Interfaith A
new book by Ruth Broyde Sharone
Marianne Williamson interviewed Ruth on her talk radio show. They discussed
the global interfaith movement, religious ignorance, Muslim
stereotypes, and grass roots interfaith engagement. CLICK
TO VIEW THE INTERVIEW The book is endorsed by a very impressive list of faith and interfaith
dignitaries: Marianne Williamson, Jack Miles, Rabbi David Rosen,
Reza Aslan, Swami Swahananda, Eboo Patel, Valarie Kaur, Rabbi Zalman
Schacter-Shalomi, Rev Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, Amir Hussain, Rabbi
Leonard Beerman, Jaylani Kirpalani, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Varun
Soni, Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Dr. Mehnaz M.
Afridi, Reuven Firestone, Lee Baca, Rev. Paul Chaffee, The Rev. Dr.
Gwynne Guibord, Dr. Marc Gopin, Reverend William Lesher, Gustav
Niebuhr, K.L. Seshagiri Rao, Rabbi David Wolpe, The Rev. Canon
Charles Gibbs, and Yoland Trevino. More details and the release date are available at www.minefieldsandmiracles.com
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Ruth
Broyde Sharone, Nain Associate Member and longtime friend of the
North American Interfaith Network, has published a new book to be
released soon, 
as
one of the first interfaith organizations in the
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RESOURCES
STATE OF
Over the past few months, contributors from State of
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RESOURCES New Video: World Premiere - March 2012 THE THREE LIVES OF PANDITJI The
story moves back and forth between snow-covered As
Shiv Shankar unfolds his story, we see into the mysteries of the
world’s oldest religion, and how one man struggles for balance on
his extraordinary path towards moksha, spiritual
liberation - while living in the material world ... (The
Three Lives of ) Panditji
is a fascinating personal story of a man who is a teacher and a
student, a guide and a seeker, a much-loved and respected priest. He
has a foot in two worlds and a heart set on a timeless third - being
perfectly at home everywhere by cultivating a permanent
state of grace. (The
Three Lives of) Panditji is
the first in what is being called The Heritage Series
- documentaries that highlight the contributions of members of
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Acharya
Shiv Shankar Dwivedi. The Vedic pandit, or priest, at the Edmonton
Hindu Cultural Centre was born in a small, remote Indian village and
sent off to an ashram when he was eleven, after his mother died.
Shiv Shankar became an 
TORONTO| NEWS
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–
A PILOT STUDY Posted on The NAIN blog March 2, 2012
by Bettina Gray
Infrastructure
covering 20
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Harvard’s
Pluralism Project has released a report of its pilot study of 
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BECOMING GOOD WHILE DOING GOOD Marmur:
“Mary Jo Leddy is a religious leader, a Catholic theologian and
a social activist. For the last two decades she has been the moving
spirit of Romero
House, now a community housed in four buildings in the west end
of Toronto that provides shelter and advocacy for refugees. Here she
has fused her three vocations into one monumental project.
The book tells how working at Romero House reflects and renews
her faith. She writes: “My faith was strengthened by those whose
faith was different from mine.” We of other faiths sit at her feet
in humility and admiration. As a token of esteem, This Jewish tribute was paid to her as a distinguished exponent
of contemporary Christianity. Leddy writes in The Other Face of
God: “The type of spirituality I have attempted to describe is
the discovery of Christ as our spirits are awakened by something or
someone entirely other than ourselves.” One of the issues that concern her as a theologian is how to be
true to your own faith yet reach out to others. She writes that
“some type of personal boundary is essential to personal
identity” — on condition that it’s drawn out of shared
commitments, not as a way to exclude the other.”
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In
addition to telling moving stories about some of the people who’ve
gone through Romero House since it was established, Leddy’s new
book, The Other Face of God, is a fascinating account of the
creative interaction between her faith, her thinking and her
commitment to what Jews call tikkun olam, mending the world.
FAITH
LEADERS, POLICYMAKERS
TO DISCUSS ROLE OF RELIGION IN DIPLOMACY
Religion
News Services Feb. 2012
U.S.,
Indonesian delegation of 25 Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders
to meet with senior lawmakers, Administration officials.
Washington
Twelve
religious leaders from the
Earlier
in the day, the delegation is scheduled to meet with senior officials from
the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and
Labor; Office of International Religious Freedom; and Bureau of East Asian
and Pacific Affairs, as well as the White House National Security Council.
RELIGION
IS UNDER-APPRECIATED
SAYS
THE QUEEN IN MULTI-FAITH SERVICE
The Queen has delivered a staunch and strongly-worded defence of the Church
and religion in the face of a growing divide between faith and
secularism.
In
a timely address at “The
concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and,
I believe, commonly under-appreciated,” she said. “Its
role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other
religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free
practice of all faiths in this country.” The
Queen, speaking to leaders of …
The speech represented a rare intervention in the war of words
between critics of the Church and faith communities. The Queen
rarely speaks publicly about her religious beliefs despite being
Supreme Governor of the Church. …”
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Martin
Luther King Jr.’s Interfaith Perspective
Rev. King practiced his faith in a way that was both personal and public, pious and prophetic, and his commitment to pluralism and justice has influenced a generation of religious leaders from all faiths. HuffPost Religion is proud to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by offering these testimonies from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhists religious leaders on MLK's influence upon them, and how he might influence all of us as well.
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The
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was many things to many people, yet
central to his identity was his role as a Christian pastor and
religious leader.|
Muslims and Jews Under One Roof A MOSQUE AND SYNAGOGUE Near the corner of The only unusual detail: This synagogue is a mosque. Or rather, it’s housed inside a mosque. That’s right: Members of the
Chabad of East Bronx, an ultra-Orthodox synagogue, worship in the
Islamic Cultural Center of North America, which is home to the Al-Iman
mosque. “People have a misconception that Muslims hate Jews,”
said Baumann. “But here is an example of them working with us.” Indeed, though conventionally viewed as adversaries both here and abroad,
the Jews and Muslims of the “Nowhere in the world would Jews and Muslims be meeting under the same
roof,” said Patricia Tomasulo, the Catholic Democratic precinct
captain and Parkchester community organizer, who first introduced
the leaders of the synagogue and mosque to each other. “It’s so
unique.” [READ
MORE…]
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Yaakov
Wayne Baumann stood outside a graffiti-covered storefront on a
chilly Saturday morning. Suited up in a black overcoat with a
matching wide-brimmed black fedora, the thickly bearded 42-year-old
chatted with elderly congregants as they entered the building for
Shabbat service.| INSPIRATION |
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I
have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing
is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. Leonardo
da Vinci
We build too many walls and not enough bridges
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information and cannot guarantee its accuracy. Please
confirm with the contacts listed. You
are welcome to FORWARD this to interested persons and
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