Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

WISDOM

A non-profit 501( c )3 corporation

Join Us On
SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2008

For a Day of Celebration & Reflection
WORSHIP SERVICE, EXHIBIT TOURS & DINNER

Worship Service: 11:00AM
HARTFORD MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH - Pastor: Rev. Dr. Charles G. Adams
18700 James Couzens Detroit, Michigan 48235
(Off John C. Lodge service drive and 7 Mile)


Exhibit Tour and Dinner: 1:30PM—5:00PM
CHARLES WRIGHT MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
315 E. Warren Detroit, MI 48201

Permanent Exhibit:
The journey begins in prehistoric Africa, the cradle of human life. Guests then witness several ancient and early modern civilizations that evolved on the continent. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean, they experience the tragedy of the middle passage and encounter those who resisted the horrors of bondage, emancipated themselves and sometimes took flight by way of the Underground Railroad. Throughout this trip, the efforts of everyday men and women who built families, businesses, educational institutions, spiritual traditions, civic organizations and a legacy of freedom and justice in past and present-day Detroit are hailed. What an awesome journey!

Visiting Exhibit:
Soul Sanctuary is an exhibition that captures the essence and rhythms of the black church. Over the course of ten years, photographer Jason Miccolo Johnson traversed the country, visiting large "mega-churches," and small "store-front" churches. During that time he took more than 15,000 black and white images of which 75 are included in the exhibition and the companion book.


REGISTRATION FORM FOR JANUARY 20TH EVENT

PLEASE MAKE YOUR $35 CHECK OUT TO
WISDOM
(A portion of your check will be tax-deductible)
AND MAIL TO:

MICHIGAN ROUNDTABLE
FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
ATTN: FREDA SAMPSON/WISDOM
525 New Center One
3031 W. Grand Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48202-3025

Please get all registrations and checks mailed to Freda by January 15th

Carpools encouraged – parking limited at the church!!
Public Parking lot available at the museum.
Feel free to register for just the museum if you cannot
make it to the church service.

NAME _______________________________________________________

STREET ____________________________________________________

CITY _______________________________________________________

ZIP CODE ___________________________________________________

HOME PHONE _______________________________________________

CELL PHONE ________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS ___________________________________________

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION ____________________________________

ATTEND FULL DAY FOR $35.00 (church service, dinner and tour at museum) □
ATTEND CHURCH SERVICE ONLY (No charge) □
ATTEND MUSEUM ONLY (with meal) FOR $35.00 □
CHECK IF VEGETARIAN OPTION DESIRED FOR DINNER □

Questions??? Call Gail Katz, WISDOM President at 248-978-6664

Happy New Year!!

Dear WISDOM Subscribers:



Our best wishes from the WISDOM Board of Directors for a Happy and Healthy 2008. May it be a year where we, as women, make progress toward a more peaceful world.



Please get your registrations in for the WISDOM Martin Luther King event on Sunday, January 20th. We look forward to a day of coming together at the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church for a prayer service in the African American Faith Tradition, and an interfaith gathering at the Charles Wright Museum of African American History.

We would also like to direct your attention to the World Sabbath for Religious Reconciliation on Sunday, January 27th at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. This is a wonderful interfaith gathering for World Peace that involves our youth from various religious institutions around Metro Detroit. Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Baha’i, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Zoroastrian children will be making peace banners that will be woven into a peace quilt after the World Sabbath is over, and displayed at various religious institutions in Metro Detroit. We will have music and dance along with prayers for peace!! Check out the website at (www.wsdayofpeace.org). As soon as the brochure is ready, it will be sent out to all of you.



We would like to share the following prayer with all of you from Gather the Women. (http://www.gatherthewomen.org).



Dear Women of the World,

We are clearly entering a time when each of us is being asked to hold the human family in our tender care. Whether that holding is required in our personal lives or in the global theatre, the nurturance that is the biological heritage of women everywhere is sorely needed.

Yesterday, via our global nervous system, we witnessed the murder of a courageous Pakistani woman, Benazir Bhutto, who came forward to make a difference. Coming as it does at this time of the year, her death seems a talisman of what is to come as the world faces its issues and crises. Many of us can feel the choice as it presents itself to us in this moment… to turn toward fear, or to continue to believe in a positive future for us all.

Let us take the season to reaffirm our love for each other and for humanity, to join together in family and community wherever we are, however we may, and affirm our commonalities… the inherent value of our children, the beauty and abundance of nature, the love of life itself.

Now is the time more than ever to master our personal conflicts, to love deeply and whole-heartedly, to gather together and support each other as we seek to turn our crises into opportunities for change. We invite you to join us in holding a field of compassion and nurturance for humanity, today and throughout the coming year... to stretch beyond fear into the truth of who we are... one interconnected human family.

With deep appreciation for the many women everywhere who trust that human beings will overcome our local and global difficulties, with love and greatness and deep compassion for one another,



Gather the Women Global Matrix

An Interfaith Holiday Celebration

Dear WISDOM Subscribers:

The following article was sent to me by my interfaith soul mate, Sande Hart, founder of SARAH (Spiritual and Religious Alliance for Hope) in Orange County, California, and I thought I would share it with you. This interfaith holiday gathering took place in Israel, and brought Jews, Christians, and Muslims together to educate each other about their holidays. This is a great example of what we should think about for next year’s celebrations.

Gail Katz
WISDOM President

EID AL ADHA MUBARAK!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Happy Chanukah!!

The TRUST WIN CC and the Wasatia CC held a joint celebration for more than 40 Muslims, Christians, and Jews -- Israeli, Palestinians, Americans, Europeans -- of Hanukah, Eid Al Adha, and Christmas in Rafael Marrache's beautiful restored home in the narrow alley-ways of Yemin Moshe -- the first Jewish neighborhood built outside of the Old City almost 200 years ago. They were greeted by candles illuminating the path and the delicious food and classy ambiance. Michelle Katz, the Jewish Coordinator of the TRUST WIN assisted in creating a gracious and welcoming atmosphere -- even inviting the two local young musicians who assisted her to find the home to join us -- and they ended up playing music late into the night with lovely young women who had come with guitar, violin, and drums. Several different people who arrived late related separately that each felt enveloped by light, warmth, and happiness entering the crowded room.

Everyone ate potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts -- traditional Hanukah treats, while listening to Reva Unterman explain the history of the Maccabees vanquishing the Greeks in the Second Century BCE and restoring their Holy Temple in Jerusalem. There was a great miracle when the small amount of oil for rekindling the Eternal Light over the Holy Ark lasted for eight days. She said "This is a time when we have the potential to access something precious, it is a time of miracles, a time of experiencing primordial light created on the first day, on accessing what is deeply rooted in us.. the light we all hope that will bring peace to us all." Rebbitzin Emuna Witte shared words from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach who taught that when you're lighting the Hanukah candles, it's as if you're standing in the Holy Temple. One secular Jewish women who shared that she normally does nothing on holidays -- was glowing with happiness to be celebrating holidays with everyone. An Orthodox rabbi shared about the universality of Hanukah stressing that our Temple one day will be a "house of prayer for all people". Everyone had an opportunity for personal sharing about their holiday -- many of the Jews speaking of the special beauty of all the different generations of the family lighting candles together and the public nature of the holiday -- where menorahs are lit in the shops, restaurants, streets.

Dr Mohamed Dajani, Director of Wasatia, spoke about the background of Eid Al Adha as the holiday commemorating when God asked Abraham/Ibrahim to sacrifice his son and the lamb being sent as a replacement. He spoke personally about his excitement as a young child to wake up very early on the holiday and put on all the new clothes that his parents had bought him for the holiday. Nadia related that even as a mother of teenagers, she still enjoys all of the new clothes. Haj Ibrahim spoke about all the preparations for the holiday -- cleaning and presents -- but that all the food must be cooked fresh on that day and not beforehand. Daniella translated for the young Palestinian friends she had brought and Mohammed, Yassir, and Ashraf spoke about how everyone is giving gifts of money to the children and slaughtering a lamb but only eating one third -- the other two thirds are given to the poor through special charity organizations that are set up to distribute the food. The Christians came from Belgium, Germany, Spain, and France -- and shared about Christmas and their excitement to be joined here by their families to go to Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations in the place where Jesus was born and the holiday originated.

And everyone spoke about the beauty and peace of sitting together as friends in a Jewish home and sharing our holidays together -- everyone mentioned the special and moving feeling of celebrating together, and were grateful for the opportunity to come together and began planning future gatherings in other homes in East and West Jerusalem. One woman said this is how it should be -- and we pointed out this is the way it is now -- we must enjoy and strengthen and increase these precious moments. We were so pleased to welcome our URI brothers and sisters from the Jerusalem Peacemakers CC, Abrahamic Reunion CC, and the Reut/Sedaka CC. One Jewish woman related later that now she was feeling so connected to Muslims after learning that they're celebrating a holiday connected to our Father Abraham. She was asking all the Muslims in her world about their holiday preparations and encouraging her neighbors to wish Arabs an Eid Mubarak. She is an example of being the change we want to see in the world.

I bless us all to have many wonderful holidays and occasions to celebrate together.

Love,
Elana



Elana Rozenman
Executive Director
TRUST - Emun
15 Naomi Street Jerusalem 93552 Israel
elana@trust-emun.org
Office: 972 26749698 Mobile: 972 522861779

Islam in the News in Metro Detroit

Dear WISDOM Subscribers:

I thought I would share with you two news items about Islam. One is an article about Muslim children learning about the Hajj (Pilgimage to Mecca), the completion of which is celebrated today during a festival called Eid Al-Adha. The other is about an interfaith opportunity to learn about Islam. Please see below.

Gail Katz
WISDOM President

EXPLORING ANOTHER FAITH – ISLAM


In an attempt to better understand our sisters of other faiths, Presbyterian Women will on Saturday, January 19, 2008, visit a mosque (the house of worship for muslims), enjoy fellowship with each other over a middle eastern meal, and finish with dessert at a reknowned bakery and café.

If you would like to join the Presbyterian Women, meet at the Allen Park Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 7101 Park Ave. at Cleveland at 9:45 a.m. to carpool and caravan to the Islamic Center of America, 19500 Ford Road (just west of Southfield Freeway) in Dearborn. The existing Islamic Center represents the first two of four phases of construction. When all four phases are complete, the Islamic Center of America will be the largest in North America. It is customary for women to cover their heads, and shoes to be removed before entering their sanctuary.

From the Islamic Center, we will proceed to lunch at Al-Ameer Restaurant, 12710 W. Warren Ave., also in Dearborn for a family style sampling of Lebanese and middle eastern cuisine. Cost will be approximately $8.00 including tax and tip. You may also order separately from the menu if you wish.

To finish our exploration, we will have dessert at the Shatila Bakery & Café, 14300 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn. Cost there will depend upon whether you want to pay with money or your wasteline. $1.40 for one scoop of luscious ice cream, or really splurging on high calorie middle eastern or French pastries — it’s up to you! Sugar free items are also available.

Expect to arrive back in Allen Park mid-afternoon. If you would like to join the Presbyterian Women for this day of exploring the Islamic faith and culture, even if you’re not a woman, please let us know by calling our church office at (313) 383-0100, or stopping in to sign up.

Suggested resources of interest:
Websites:
www.icofa.com
www.alameerrestaurant.com
www.shatila.com
www.interfaithwisdom.org
Book: “The Faith Club” by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner published by Simon & Schuster New York
Video/DVD: “Three Faiths, One God: Judaism, Christianity, Islam” directed by Gerald Krell, ASIN: B000BN


DEARBORN
Kids learn hajj by doing
Ceremony grows as it teaches Islamic basics
December 19, 2007
BY NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Held at the Islamic Center of America, the ceremony was a vivid display of the growing role that Islamic education plays in the lives of many young metro Detroiters.
About 360 students, ages 3 to 14, recited Islamic prayers and walked around the Kaaba seven times. They later hurled crumpled pieces of foil -- representing pebbles used during the real hajj in Saudi Arabia -- at three pillars that symbolized the devil.
"What a beautiful scene," Salah Hazime, 53, of Dearborn said as he watched his 8-year-old son walk.
The children are students at the Muslim American Youth Academy, which is affiliated with the Islamic Center, a Shi'ite mosque that is one of the largest in the United States.
In recent years, the number of students participating in the ceremony has increased, reflecting the Muslim community's growth and the importance parents place on teaching Islam to their children.
"They have been practicing for the past month on a daily basis," Fiema said. "They get so excited."
"I feel great going around the Kaaba," said Fiema's daughter, Sarah Bazzi.
Contact NIRAJ WARIKOO at 248-351-2998 or warikoo@freepress.com.


Dressed in white flowing robes, hundreds of young Muslims praised God as they walked through a Dearborn mosque in a simulation of the Islamic pilgrimage under way in Saudi Arabia.

"It makes you want to cry," Tamara Fiema of Dearborn said Tuesday after her 7-year-old daughter encircled a replication of the Kaaba -- the black cube in Mecca that Muslims consider a holy site.

Muslim American Youth Academy students walk seven times around a replication of the Kaaba, a Muslim holy site, during a simulation of hajj Tuesday. The ceremony took place at the Islamic Center of America. "They have been practicing for the past month," says parent Tamara Fiema.


A primer on hajj

What is it? It's the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Why it's important: Pilgrims go to pray in Mecca, Islam's holiest site, which Muslims face during daily prayers.

Who goes: It's a duty for able-bodied Muslims to complete at least once in their lifetimes.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Dear WISDOM subscribers:

We at WISDOM would like to wish a very merry Christmas to all of our Christian friends.

And to our Muslim friends we would like to wish everyone a healthy and happy Eid Al-Adha. On December 19th, Muslims all over the world will celebrate this holiday.

Eid Al-Adha is celebrated at the end of the Hajj. The Hajj is a religious pilgrimage taken during the last month of the Islamic year. It is a pilgrimage to Mecca. The pilgrimage to Mecca (in Saudi Arabia) is an obligation to all Muslims to be performed at least once a year. The Hajj consists of traveling to Mecca, Medina, Mina, the Plain of Arafat, and Muzdalifah. The total travel time is generally 5 days. Newcomers to Mecca stop at Miquat to wash, pray, and put on an Ihram, which is two pieces of white cloth that is draped around the body. This article of clothing is a must to enter into Mecca while on the Hajj. Eid Al-Adha is celebrated by everyone, not just those who have completed the Hajj.
This festival represents the day when Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son in the name of God. Allah gave the gift of a ram in place of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.
On Eid Al-Adha, families that can afford it sacrifice an animal such as a sheep, goat, camel or cow, and then divide the meat among themselves, the poor, friends and neighbors. Eid Al-Adha is a public holiday in Muslim countries. It begins with communal prayer at daybreak of its first day, which takes place at the local mosque. Worshippers wear their finest clothes for the occasion. It is also a time for visiting friends and family and for exchanging gifts.

AND TO EVERYONE WE WISH YOU A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2008!!

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE WISDOM JANUARY 20TH MARTIN LUTHER KING CELEBRATION AT THE HARTFORD MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH IN DETROIT, AND THE CHARLES WRIGHT MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY.

THE WISDOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

WISDOM's January 20th, 2008 event

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Join WISDOM On
SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2008
For a Day of Celebration & Reflection

Worship Service: 11:00AM
HARTFORD MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH
18700 James Couzens Detroit, Michigan 48235
(Off John C. Lodge service drive and 7 Mile)
Pastor: Rev. Dr. Charles G. Adams

Exhibit Tour and Dinner: 1:30PM—5:00PM
CHARLES WRIGHT MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
315 E. Warren Detroit, MI 48201

Permanet Exhibit - The journey begins in prehistoric Africa, the cradle of human life. Guests then witness several ancient and early modern civilizations that evolved on the continent. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean, they experience the tragedy of the middle passage and encounter those who resisted the horrors of bondage, emancipated themselves and sometimes took flight by way of the Underground Railroad. Throughout this trip, the efforts of everyday men and women who built families, businesses, educational institutions, spiritual traditions, civic organizations and a legacy of freedom and justice in past and present-day Detroit are hailed. What an awesome journey!

Visiting Exhibit: Soul Sanctuary is an exhibition that captures the essence and rhythms of the black church. Over the course of ten years, photographer Jason Miccolo Johnson traversed the country, visiting large “mega-churches,” and small “store-front” churches. During that time he took more than 15,000 black and white images of which 75 are included in the exhibition and the companion book


COST FOR MUSUEM TOUR & DINNER
(catering by Brown Bag Catering) $35.00


REGISTRATION FORM FOR JANUARY 20TH EVENT

PLEASE MAKE YOUR $35 CHECK OUT TO
WISDOM
(A portion of your check will be tax-deductible)
AND MAIL TO:

MICHIGAN ROUNDTABLE
FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
ATTN: FREDA SAMPSON/WISDOM
525 New Center One
3031 W. Grand Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48202-3025

Please get all registrations and checks mailed to Freda by January 15th

Carpools encouraged – parking limited at the church!!
Public Parking lot available at the museum.
Feel free to register for just the museum if you cannot
make it to the church service.

NAME _______________________________________________________

STREET ____________________________________________________

CITY _______________________________________________________

ZIP CODE ___________________________________________________

HOME PHONE _______________________________________________

CELL PHONE ________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS ___________________________________________

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION ____________________________________

ATTEND FULL DAY FOR $35.00 (church service, dinner and tour at museum) □

ATTEND CHURCH SERVICE ONLY (No charge) □

ATTEND MUSEUM ONLY (with meal) FOR $35.00 □

CHECK IF VEGETARIAN OPTION DESIRED FOR DINNER □

Questions??? Call Gail Katz, WISDOM President at 248-978-6664

Interfaith Retreat - All WISDOM Women welcome!!

Dear WISDOM Subscribers,

There is a wonderful opportunity coming up to participate in an Interfaith Retreat from Sunday February 17th starting at 2:00 PM through Monday, February 18th ending at 2:00 PM. The retreat is sponsored by the Interfaith Partners of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion (of which I am a proud member and plan to participate). The retreat will be held at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat Center at 23333 Schoolcraft in Detroit. The cost is $55.00. The Registration deadline is on February 4th, 2008. The retreat is limited to 40 people, so if you are interested, register soon!! Kosher, Halal and vegetarian meals will be offered, and prayer times for all faiths will be honored in the schedule. To register please contact the Rev. Sharon Buttry (WISDOM secretary) at Sharon_buttry@yahoo.com or (586) 943-7259. What a wonderful opportunity for WISDOM women to get to know people of different faiths by spending quality time together, and sharing our stories.

The registration form for the retreat is below.

I look forward to sharing with some of you on February 17th and 18th!!

Gail Katz
WISDOM President


REGISTRATION INFORMATION
NAME____________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________
CITY/ZIP_________________________________________________________________
E-MAIL__________________________________________________________________
PHONE ____________________ CELL PHONE ___________________

I plan on spending the night at the Retreat Center. (All rooms are private, with
private bath). Single bed room Double bed room
I will attend as a daytime participant only.

NOTE: All meals and snacks are kosher, halal, and/ or vegetarian.
PAYMENT OPTIONS: $55.00 per Participant:

1. BY CHECK: In the amount of $55.00 made out to MRDI with ”IFP Retreat” on the
memo line.
2. CREDIT CARD PAYMENT BY PHONE: Please call Sharon Buttry (586) 943-7259
3. CREDIT CARD PAYMENT BY MAIL VISA ____ MASTERCARD _____
NUMBER ______________________________________ EXP. DATE ______________
SIGNATURE ______________________________________________________________
My signature authorizes the payment of $55.oo U.S. for Retreat Registration to MRDI.
St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat Center
23333 Schoolcraft, Detroit, MI 48223-2405

The Center is located on the south side of I-96
(Schoolcraft) one quarter mile east of Telegraph,
between Telegraph and Outer Drive.
Directions will be sent with Registration Confirmation.

MAIL CHECK OR
CREDIT CARD PAYMENT
BY FEBRARY 4, 2008 TO:
IFP RETREAT
REV. SHARON A. BUTTRY
12101 JOSEPH CAMPAU
HAMTRAMCK, MI 48212
(586) 943-7259

INTERFAITH
PARTNERS RETREAT
February 17, 2008 2 PM – February 18, 2008 2 PM
St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat Center
23333 Schoolcraft, Detroit, MI 48223

Happy Chanukah

Dear WISDOM Subscribers:

I would like to wish all of our Jewish women of WISDOM a very happy Chanukah which begins at sundown tonight.

I would also like to share with you David Crumm’s most recent Read the Spirit column about Chanukah, and one of our WISDOM Board of Directors, Brenda Rosenberg. You can read David’s Crumm’s online column by going to
www.ReadTheSpirit.com/explore/

I look forward to seeing all of you on January 20th at our next WISDOM event. Stay tuned for more details.

Gail Katz
WISDOM President


December 03, 2007
052: What are you reading for Hanukkah?

"What else can we do to build bridges?" That’s the question that peace activist Brenda Rosenberg asks herself every day –- and, from our perspective here at ReadTheSpirit, that alone is an inspiring personal story to hear on the eve of Hanukkah. We’ll tell you more about Brenda’s work –- but, first, a word about Hanukkah:

The Festival of Lights starts at sundown Tuesday evening. It’s considered a minor celebration in the Jewish calendar, but it has taken on much greater significance in the 20th Century for a couple of reasons:

One reason is practical: Hanukkah sometimes is lifted up as a Jewish alternative to the Christmas season –- a time for Jewish children to receive year-end gifts and a time for neighbors and co-workers to exchange year-end holiday greetings in a religiously diverse way. Retailers have jumped onto the diversity bandwagon in recent years, as we all can see this time of year. It’s the second reason that’s more important to us: Hanukkah is a celebration of religious liberty and the freedom to fully proclaim one’s religious identity in the world. The story from more than 2,000 years ago, in a nutshell, is that Judaism was threatened with extinction by a ruthless ruler. This ruler was forcefully replacing Jewish religious practices and culture with Greek-inspired culture. Judaism itself was endangered. Finally, a brave band of Jewish loyalists reclaimed the temple in Jerusalem and re-lit the temple lights. Not only was this a heroic moment for religious freedom –- but, as Christians and Muslims, if the story of Hanukkah had not unfolded, then we wouldn’t have had an environment for Jesus to emerge eventually -– as a savior for Christians and as a great prophet for Muslims. So, as Christians and Muslims, we’ve actually got a tiny share in this traditional Jewish celebration, as well. AND, hopefully, whatever our faith may be, we all can agree that the world is a better place when we are free to express ourselves religiously. That's the basic message celebrated in this holiday season today. It was true thousands of years ago. And it’s profoundly true now.

That brings us back to Brenda Rosenberg’s story, because all of Brenda’s work is focused on shaping our various religious expressions to build stronger communities, not to destroy them. Her latest idea –- which she developed with the Michigan Chapter of the American Jewish Committee –- is shaping up as a tremendous pilot program that could be picked up by communities all across the U.S. and, potentially, around the world. It’s called Building Bridges Through Books. Now, as the founding Editor of ReadTheSpirit, I have to say: I know! I know! That sounds like our motto at ReadTheSpirit -- building bridges through books!

But, Brenda has a fresh approach to this idea. She has raised money to purchase sets of books (she refers to this as "a small Jewish library") that she presents to Muslim leaders who welcome this addition to their congregational libraries. This is a natural bridge to build -– because Islam has a rich tradition in the literary arts. Islamic book design and calligraphy always rank among the world’s cultural treasures in any complete overview of world history. Even if we are not Muslim ourselves, we collectively have Muslim scholars to thank, some centuries ago, for preserving major portions of our human knowledge in books about about math, science, geography and other disciplines. So, building a bridge by giving Jewish books to a people steeped in the rich heritage of the literary arts –- well, it’s a brilliant connection to make.
This isn’t the only thing Brenda does –- and this is another reason that she represents an important spark of light in the interfaith realm. "The reason that I ask myself that question about building bridges every single day is this: There’s never one answer to bringing peace and understanding into our world," Brenda told me in an interview about her book program. "People’s hearts are opened in different ways," she said. "Some people find it very easy to do service projects together like building for Habitat for Humanity or feeding the hungry. Other people like to study together and find their real connections through scholarship. Other people connect through the arts. Others like to talk face to face with another person. "Not too many people want to do all of those things. So, we need to find lots of different strategies to connect people." And these libraries of Jewish books –- just waiting there on the shelves of Muslim centers for people to thumb through the books and learn about Judaism at their own pace –- is a great new strategy.

ALSO –- Throughout this week, as Hanukkah starts, we’ll be celebrating Jewish faith and culture. Later this month, we’ll be celebrating Christmas on ReadTheSpirit, as well. And -– in January –- do not miss our special month-long series –- and our first book published by ReadTheSpirit -- in the 1st Annual National Interfaith Heroes Month! It’s January 1 through 31, 2008, and you won’t want to miss this historic observance!

WISDOM News on November 25, 2007

Dear WISDOM Subscribers:

WISDOM hopes that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost December!!

For your information, there is a wonderful program on NPR entitled “Speaking of Faith” with Christa Tippet on Sunday morning at 7:00 AM. If you are not up at that early hour you can access the programs on their website http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/ . The most recent program had to do with a Hindu scientist!!


Below are the WISDOM interfaith programs in the works!!

“Soul Sanctuary – Exploring the African American Spiritual Experience”
Sunday, January 20th, 2008

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Services at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, 18700 James Couzens Fwy. Detroit 48235

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Dinner at the Charles Wright African American History Museum

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Viewing of “Soul Sanctuary” and “And Still We Rise” Exhibits at the museum followed by Discussion


We will be arranging carpools from various points in Metro Detroit. The cost for the dinner and the admission to the museum is still to be determined. Stay tuned!!

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for a very special day.


The World Sabbath for Religious Reconciliation
An Interfaith Service for World Peace
Sunday, January 27, 2008 4:00 – 6:00 PM

Led by children of many faiths from the religious institutions in Metro Detroit, at Christ Church Cranbrook, 470 Church Road in Bloomfield Hills. Program and details will be forthcoming. You won’t want to miss this uplifting program, filled with prayer, music and dance, showcasing the Children of Peace and their peace banners that will be made into a Children’s Peace Quilt and displayed at various religious institutions in Metro Detroit. The annual World Sabbath Peace Award will be presented to Thomas and Susan Cucuzza and Robert Cucuzza who produced and directed “The Armed Man: A Concert for Peace”.


WISDOM/Congregation Beth Shalom Educational Day about Judaism
Sunday, March 30, 2008

14601 Lincoln, Oak Park
Details to be announced soon


Peace Through WISDOM – a joint program with Peace X Peace
Sunday, May 18, 2008

St. John’s Episcopal Church in Royal Oak
Forming Sister Circles to connect with women around the globe
Details to be announced soon

WISDOM News for November 2007

Dear WISDOM Subscribers:

Here is an update of WISDOM activities for November, 2007. This is a reminder that The Faith Club authors will present on Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 PM at the Book Fair at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center - 6600 W. Maple. Gail Katz, president of WISDOM, will be introducing the three authors and Brenda Rosenberg from Pathways to Peace and a new WISDOM board member will be giving the closing remarks. The authors will be signing books following their presentation. At the end of this e-mail is a copy of the article that appeared in today’s Detroit News about The Faith Club authors and WISDOM.

Upcoming events include the following:

1) WISDOM women are invited to attend an Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 7:30 PM at the Sikh Gurdwara Sahib, 40600 Schoolcraft R. in Plymouth, MI. For more information call 734-420-1718.

2) WISDOM’s next event “Soul Sanctuary – Exploring the African American Spiritual Experience” will be on Sunday, January 20th, 2008. From 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM we are invited to attend services at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church at 18700 James Couzens Freeway in Detroit (313-861-1300). From 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM we will share a soul food dinner at the Charles Wright African American Museum. From 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM we will view the photography exhibit called “Soul Sanctuary” and the permanent exhibit entitled “And Still We Rise” at the museum, followed by discussion. Mark your calendars. More details will be forthcoming!!

3) On Sunday, January 27th, 2008 from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at Christ Church Cranbrook, 470 Church Rd. in Bloomfield Hills, the Ninth Annual World Sabbath for Religious Reconciliation will take place. This annual call for prayers for peace in different faith traditions will feature our youth from different religious institutions in the area, and the Children of Peace will be displaying their peace banners which will be woven into a peace quilt to be displayed at various religious institutions around Metro Detroit. Please mark your calendars for this very spiritual and uplifting event.

4) On Sunday, March 30th, 2008 the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Shalom, 14601 Lincoln in Oak Park, will put together a day of learning about Judaism and invite WISDOM women to come to the synagogue to take part in their educational and inspirational event.


Here is the article that appeared in the Monday, November 12th edition of the Detroit News.

Interfaith book shatters barriers, fosters dialogue
Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News

After the national trauma of Sept. 11, 2001, three women decided to write a children's book about similarities among their faiths -- Judaism, Islam and Christianity. But Priscilla Warner, Ranya Idliby and Suzanne Oliver say they discovered they needed to fight about some things before they could work together. "Who's going to go to heaven? What does it mean to be in a temple, a church or a mosque? Does God care what faith institution you belong to?" said Oliver, recalling some of the simpler issues in their early debates. "We are not about editing ourselves; we are about engaging each other. That can only happen when we get out of our comfort zone and go to those sometimes difficult places." The women ended up writing a different sort of book, and "The Faith Club" has been a best-seller for 17 weeks. It is a hot paperback for several Metro Detroit reading clubs associated with faith institutions. While religions struggle toward a greater understanding of each other, some of the faithful in the pews, on prayer rugs and in temples throughout Metro Detroit are taking matters into their own hands. Reaching across barriers, the desire to know "the other" is leading Christians, Jews and Muslims and others to explore other religions as a matter of practicing their own. When Idliby, a Muslim; Oliver, a Catholic who became an Episcopalian; and Warner, a Jew, appear Tuesday at the 56th annual Jewish Book Fair, some 60 members of a reading group at the First United Methodist Church in Birmingham will climb into their church vans to go hear the authors. "It's probably one of the most thought-provoking books we have read in a while," said Phyllis Holmes of Bloomfield Township, a member of the group. "It deals with our different prejudices and the faiths. Mostly, though, it is really a challenge to rethink your own beliefs."

Discovering other faiths

"The women in our group range in age from their 40s to their 80s, and there are a number of us who grew up in Metro Detroit who can even remember when Birmingham had housing developments with signs that said, 'No Jews,' said Margaret Valade, also of Bloomfield Township. "If we can find a book like this that really raises questions and really stretches us, it is valuable for us from a Christian point of view." Members of Women's Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in MetroDetroit (WISDOM) say the book has driven new members to their group. Established by four women, WISDOM now claims 250 members. " I was invited to speak at St. John's Episcopal Church in Royal Oak, because a group of women there were reading the book in their book club and they wanted my input as a Jewish woman," said Gail Katz of West Bloomfield, one of the founders of WISDOM. "Because of 'The Faith Club,' I organized my own interfaith Passover Seder at my home with the co-founders of WISDOM. As the book shows, coming together is really a learning experience," Katz said. "The book refers to religious rituals in a way in which we can discover why we all do the things that we do, and the meaning behind them. Religious rituals are actions that perhaps we don't normally stop to think about." As people of faith start out on the path of discovering other religions, the experience of the three authors provides a road map to lower barriers and foster dialogue. Many of the faithful realize that such efforts are not only fundamental in making peace, but also a requirement of their religions.

'A common call'

"The three Abrahamic faiths -- all faiths, really -- have a common call: to be compassionate toward the other, which brings with it a responsibility to know and authentically and to value the other," said Daniel Krichbaum, president of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion. There is, in Judaism, a mandate to welcome "the stranger." The Bible commands the loving of neighbor, and is replete with stories about embracing those who are different. The Quran says that God, Allah in Arabic, created different tribes and nations so that people would come to know each other. What the authors' experiences reveal is that while there is both "a call" and the ideals of faith, the process of answering God's summons and achieving often creates an intimate awareness of human failure.
"We are not theologians. We are not experts, and that is precisely the point," Idliby said. "When change happens, it happens from the bottom up. This is the very dialogue we need to stop vilifying people of other faiths, to stop vilifying people of other cultures."

You can reach Gregg Krupa at (313) 222-2359 or gkrupa@detnews.com.

If you go

Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner, authors of "The Faith Club," will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, 6600 W. Maple at Drake, in West Bloomfield.

For information on the event, visit www.jccdet.org

For information on interfaith activity in Metro Detroit, visit www.interfaithwisdom.org and www.miroundtable.org

For information about the book and to join or find Metro Detroit faith clubs, visit www.thefaithclub.com

WISDOM News for October 13, 2007

Dear WISDOM Subscribers,

We thought you might like to know about the event described below that will take place at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary on October 21st.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on November 13th at 7:00 PM at the Jewish Community Center Book Fair for the presentation by the authors of The Faith Club.

We also hope to see you at the Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner held on November 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sikh Gurdwara Sahib - Hidden Falls. The place of worship is located on 40600 Schoolcraft Road, in Plymouth Township. The event is free and open to the public.

We are now looking at hosting an event at the Charles Wright African American History Museum on January 20th, Sunday, to visit their photo exhibition entitled “Soul Sanctuary” in the afternoon, preceded by a visit to an African American church and lunch. Stay tuned for more details, but mark this day in your calendars for a spiritual WISDOM experience!!


Opera Legend Jessye Norman Sings to Benefit ETS:The Detroit Opera House October 21, 2007Tickets available now! Legendary Opera Soprano Jessye Norman Performs to Benefit the Ecumenical Theological Seminary"[a performance of] extraordinary intelligence, taste, and emotional depth..." -Donald Henahan, New York Times Come to the Detroit Opera House to hear the world-renowned operatic soprano Jessye Norman on October 21, 2007 at 5 p.m.Allow yourself an evening with the voice of this legendary singer to soothe your soul and lift your heart!Jessye Norman's performance will benefit the Ecumenical Theological Seminary located in Detroit. This promises to be an evening of music to dream and live by!Tickets start at $50 and go through $250Tickets starting at $200 include the Gala Afterglow Reception following the performance.

Some great facts about Jessye Norman:One of only four singers in the history of the Grammy Awards to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for Classical Music. Named Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations by U.N. Secretary-General Xavier Perez de Cuellar, 1990Invited to sing the French national anthem ("La Marseillaise") in Paris during the celebration of the bicentennial of the French Revolution, 1989
Tickets may be purchased through ETS by contacting Judy Holmes at 313-831-5200 ext. 209
Tickets may also be purchased at Ticketmaster.
For student, senior and group rates, contact the Detroit Opera House at 313-961-3500.

October 2007 WISDOM Newsletter

Dear WISDOM Women,

It has been a while since we’ve had an e-mail about WISDOM initiatives. First, I would like to remind you all that WISDOM will be sponsoring the three authors of THE FAITH CLUB at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center’s Book Fair on Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 PM. I still do not have any details about their arrival and departure times. We will look into the possibility of a dessert reception, but I don’t know if they will be spending the night in Detroit. Stay tuned, but please plan on coming to this event. Second, I am including an announcement of an Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner that will take place on Wednesday, November 21st at the Sikh Gurdwara in Plymouth. I have gone to these wonderful interfaith Thanksgiving services over the last several years, and I have come away with a warm spiritual high. Please join WISDOM at this event as well. I have posted this information below. Third, I would like to let you know that WISDOM now has an Executive Board and a Board of Directors, and we are in the process of filing the papers to become a non-profit 501c3. That means that soon WISDOM will be able to accept checks that are tax deductible. The Board of Directors will be firming up by-laws and discuss membership, and all of that will be made available to you in the near future.

The WISDOM Executive Board is as follows:

President – Gail Katz
Vice President – Trish Harris
Vice President – Shahina Begg
Vice President – Beth Applebaum
Secretary – Sharon Buttry
Treasurer – Shahina Begg

The WISDOM General Board (so far) is as follows:

Lynn Davey, Mary Miller, Sheri Schiff, Fran Hildebrandt, Judy Satterthwaite, Ellen Ehrlich, The Rev. Marsha Foster Boyd, Rehana Qureshi, Dr. Ghalia Katranji, Muna Salman, Brenda Rosenberg, Paula Drewek, Freda Sampson, Supreet Singh, Gigi Salka

Fourth, I would like to tell you that Trish Harris and I gave a presentation on WISDOM to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at a seminar entitled “Women’s Initiatives After 9/11”, and the experience was very enriching. In my next newsletter I would like to highlight some of the other women’s interfaith groups that we met, and who gave us a wealth of ideas for WISDOM. All of the women’s interfaith groups plan to stay in touch, and in the near future I hope to post links to their websites on the WISDOM website.

I hope you are all enjoying our warm October weather.

Peace, and I hope to see you all soon.

Gail Katz
.



An Interfaith Celebration:
Thanks at All Times

Contacts: Rev. Dan Appleyard
Christ Episcopal Church
120 Military Road
Dearborn, MI 48124
313-565-8450

Mr. Michael Hovey
Archdiocese of Detroit
305 Michigan Ave GRB-6th Floor
Detroit, MI 48226
313-962-0340



The day before Thanksgiving in Southeast Michigan this year, there will be a mosaic of faces packed under one roof.

About a dozen faiths and languages will be represented during Metropolitan Detroit's 21st Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration sponsored by various area faith organizations. The event takes place November 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sikh Gurdwara Sahib - Hidden Falls. The place of worship is located on 40600 Schoolcraft Road, in Plymouth Township.

Traditionally, the interfaith service draws hundreds of people en route to celebrations of what is regarded as the quintessential American holiday. The annual service began in the late 1980s after members of the interfaith community decided they could find common ground in recognizing that Thanksgiving goes deeper than turkey and football.

"This gathering will highlight how each of our region's diverse faith communities can come together to give thanks to God for the abundance that so many of the people of our nation enjoy," says event co-chair Michael Hovey.

Many of the religions represented (including Native Americans, Bahais, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, and Muslims) bring children who illustrate themes of their faith, which includes the single thread that ties together all faiths: prayer.

"This celebration recalls the fact that we are one community," says event founder Rev. William Gepford.

The ceremony will involve prayer and music from the different faiths. Please be our guest during this unique spiritual event.

The event will also join hands with Gleaners Community Food Bank in an effort to feed thousands of hungry children in our area. In the spirit of giving, we encourage you to bring canned goods to the event. The food collected that night wil allow Gleaners to feed those families needing food.

We look forward to seeing you Wednesday evening, November 21.

WISDOM UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 17, 2007

WISDOM is happy to make the following announcements:

1) Monday, September 24th through Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 7:15 PM at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, a showing of the documentary “Zeitouna: Refusing to be Enemies”. The movie profiles the twelve women of an Ann Arbor dialogue group called Zeitouna ("olive tree" in Arabic) and documents their developing relationship over a four-year period. Six of the Zeitouna women are of Arab descent and six are of Jewish descent. Some are native born and some are immigrants. What they all have in common is their humanity and their desire to bridge the gulf that has developed between their two communities. They chose the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the focus of the group and use the dialogue process as a means of personal transformation leading to socio-political transformation.The film includes personal narratives and dialogue footage from the group's spring 2006 "Journey of Peace" trip to Palestine/Israel.

2) The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, located in the Pivnick Center for Humanistic Judaism at The Birmingham Temple 28611 West 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, is sponsoring a colloquium entitled “Jews and the Muslim World: Solving the Puzzle.”

Friday, October 19th at 8:00 PM - Keynote by Fawaz A. Gerges, Sarah Lawrence College

Saturday, October 20th at 9:30 AM – “Islam: Then and Now” by Jacob Lassner, Northwestern University

Saturday, October 20th at 11:00 AM – “Jews in the Muslim World” by Jane Gerber, Columbia University

Saturday, October 20th at 1:30 PM – “Zionism and the Muslim World” by Derek Penslar, the University of Toronto

Saturday, October 20th at 3:00 PM – “Antisemitism and the Muslim World” by Yehuda Bauer, Hebrew University

Sunday, October 21st at 9:30 AM “What Can Be Done? The Muslim Response” by Amir Hussain, Loyola Marymount University

Sunday, October 21st at 10:30 AM “What Can Be Done? The Jewish Response by Yehuda Bauer, Hebrew University

For more information and registration call 248-476-9532 or go to this website to see the entire brochure: http://www.iishj.org/images/CLQM07.pdf


3) November 13th, Tuesday, The Faith Club authors are coming to the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center Book Fair at 7:00 PM. WISDOM is one of the organizations sponsoring them. We are still waiting for specifics on the authors’ travel schedule to Detroit. We hope you will join us at the Center for this exciting event!!

4) Gail Katz, on behalf of WISDOM, was interviewed by Kartemquin Films on September 5th for a documentary that they are making about the religious pluralism of the Metro Detroit area, and the interfaith efforts taking place around town.

5) An interfaith women’s group, called “The Museum Group”, had a showing of the documentary “The Power of Good: the Nicholas Winton Story,” about what one British man did during World War II to save the lives of Jewish children living in Prague from the Nazis, at the Farmington Library on Sunday, September 16th. This might be a great documentary for a WISDOM event in the future. Gail talked about WISDOM to this group, and encouraged them to register on our WISDOM website and get involved with WISDOM activities as well.

Happy and Healthy Holidays to our Jewish and Muslim Sisters

We at WISDOM would like to wish everyone of the Jewish and Muslim faiths happy and health holidays.

Rosh Hashanah, the first Jewish holiday of the year, begins at sundown on Wednesday, September 12th and ends at sundown on Friday, September 14th. Rosh Hashanah literally means “head of the year” and is New Year’s Day for the Jewish people. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the day when God created Adam and Eve. At this time God judges everyone and weighs their good deeds, or mitzvot, next to their sins. Thus, Rosh Hashanah is also called the Day of Judgment. If you have a superabundance of good deeds, you will immediately be inscribed in God’s Book of Life and Blessing. If you have way too many sins, and you are wicked, you will be inscribed in the Book for Death and Misfortune. Most people, however, are not in either of these extremes. So God gives people an extra ten days to improve their lives by committing to the Ten Commandments, and by asking their fellow human beings for forgiveness for hurtful words that may have been said, or hurtful acts that may have been committed during the year. Jews are supposed to be mindful of making peace and reconciliation.

These ten days of repentance end on Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown on Friday, September 21st and ends at sundown on Saturday, September 22nd. This repentance must be accompanied by a commitment to change. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the day when God’s written decree for each Jewish person for the coming year is about to be sealed. This day is supposed to be spent fasting, in prayer and meditation, in confession of sin, and in reconciliation with God and with his/her fellow man and woman.

For the Muslims, Ramadan begins on Thursday, September 13th and continues for 30 days until Friday the 12th of October. During Ramadan, which is the name of both a month of the year and a period of religious observance, adults embark on a rigidly observed period of abstention, reflection, and purification. Between sunrise and sunset during Ramadan, adult Muslims do not smoke, eat, drink or have sex. They are encouraged to read the Koran from beginning to end during the holy month, which celebrates the first revelation of the Islamic scriptures to Mohammad. Ramadan is devoted to acts of charity and forgiveness, similar to the Jewish holy days. Ramadan is rooted in God’s merciful nature, and its success depends upon the Muslims’ sincere desire to repent before others, and to engage in acts of kindness and charity. This month-long sacrifice leads Muslims to a greater intimacy with God and helps them purify earthly desires.

WISDOM SEPTEMBER, 2007 UPDATE

WISDOM is proud to announce that we are in the process of becoming a non-profit organization (501c3). We are working with WISDOM Steering Committee member and attorney Beth Applebaum to complete the necessary paperwork. We now also have an active steering committee, and we will eventually form a Board, complete with officers, a monthly meeting, and minutes. We hope to have a celebration when we have gained our non-profit status.

WISDOM upcoming events are as follows:

1) September 28th and September 29th, Gail Katz and Trish Harris will be attending the Radcliffe Institute’s seminar entitled “Women’s Interfaith Initiatives After 9/11” at Harvard University, where they will make a PowerPoint Presentation about WISDOM. The other groups that will be presenting are The Faith Club (http://www.thefaithclub.org/), Spiritual and Religious Alliance for Hope (SARAH) (http://www.sarah4hope.org/ ), Women Transcending Boundaries (WTB) (http://www.wtb.org/), and Daughters of Abraham (http://www.daughtersofabraham.info/). In addition to these major presentations, we will also hear short presentations from the Muslim Women’s League, the San Francisco Zen Center and Turning Wheel, the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual, the Interfaith Alliance, and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Some of the questions for discussion are:

Why was the organization formed? How was it formed?
What is its intended purpose/mission?
What are its demographics? (religious, cultural, racial, socio-economic, etc.)
Is it self-descriptively feminist or womanist? Why or why not?
What are the organization’s current and projected plans/programs?
What is the organization’s impact on the local community?
How is it (or not) redefining women’s religious leadership, the interfaith movement, the women’s movement and local government?
How does the organization evaluate its effectiveness?

Trish and Gail will have a report on the outcome of this seminar that will be distributed by e-mail and put on the blog some time in October.

Gail and Trish’s powerpoint presentation about WISDOM can be accessed on the WISDOM website at http://www.interfaithwisdom.org/ if you go to the “About us” link on the home page, and look towards the end of WISDOM’s mission statement.

2) Tuesday, November 13th, – sponsorship of The Faith Club at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center Book Fair at 7:00 PM. Other details still need to be worked out with the agent of The Faith Club authors.

3) Sunday, January 20th - We are looking into the possibility of showing the documentary "White Rainbow" which deals with the plight of widows in India. This would fit into the general topic of building interfaith efforts to stop violence and discrimination against women. The documentary should be out in November. Another excellent movie that deals with this topic is “Water” directed by Deepa Mehta. A must see!!

4) Sunday, January 27th from 4:00 – 6:00 PM at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills - The Ninth Annual World Sabbath of Religious Reconciliation is planning a Sunday service for interfaith solidarity for World Peace. We would like WISDOM supporters to show up at this event. The focus will be on our youth getting involved in making a difference in our community by working towards world peace. Children of various religious schools in Metro Detroit will be making peace banners and participating in the service. If you have a 3rd through 6th grader and would like your child(ren) to get involved, please contact your child's religious school director and encourage him/her to connect with Gail (gailkatz@comcast.net). Also if your church, synagogue, temple, mosque, gudwara, has a choir, dance group, singing trio, etc that you think might be interested in participating in our interfaith service, please contact Gail as well.


5) Sunday, March 30th WISDOM will be co-sponsoring an Educational Day about Judaism with the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park. We will have lunch and interfaith activities in addition to the educational component. More details to follow.

6) Sunday, May 18th, WISDOM will host another Peace Through WISDOM event at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Royal Oak. If you were unable to connect with a sister circle at our last event, or you were unable to attend our July 8th Peace Through WISDOM event, please mark your calendar for May 18th. If you would like congregants from your place of worship to participate, please help us spread the word next spring!!

7) An Interfaith event that is coming on October 19th, 20th, and 21st to the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism at the Birmingham Temple is “Jews and the Muslim World: Solving the Puzzle.” Six renowned scholars representing the Muslim, Christian and Jewish worlds will explore this theme. Stay tuned for more information.

PEACE THROUGH WISDOM CIRCLES

Here is the first Peace Through WISDOM Circle news. WISDOM is anxious to hear back from any of the circles that were formed at our July 8th event. One of our circles has registered with the Peace X Peace website and gotten connected to a sister circle in Kenya. This is the first e-mail that was sent to Kenya, and they are awaiting a reply.

"Hello Kenyan sister circle!! My name is Paula and I am participating in the sister circle because of our parent organization, WISDOM, a women's interfaith network in the Detroit, Michigan (USA) area. I'm happy to be in touch with interested "sisters" in Africa, since I spent two months in Namibia and Botswana in February and March of 2007. I loved my experience and contact with African people. I haven't been to Kenya, and only know about it from friends who have visited there.

I'm a retired teacher of Humanities and Comparative Religions at a community college in the Detroit area. I have two grown sons, Chris and Doug, with their wives, Rae and Ann, and a little granddaughter who is four years old named Denice. My Mom is still living and she's 89. I just left Indiana where I was visiting her for the weekend. I'm healthy and I love to travel, especially to foreign countries. When I retired from teaching, I coordinated multicultural and international programs for my college for a year and a half, and then I quit to do some travel teaching for the Baha'i Faith in Africa. I enjoy participating in all kinds of interfaith efforts since my faith practices the "unity of humankind." You can't have unity without getting to know one another, so I'm interested in knowing about you. How long have you been interested in interfaith activities (if at all) and what have you done to promote them? What are your other interests?

I think that's all for now. My sister circle is looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Paula

AUGUST, 2007 WISDOM UPDATE

WISDOM is going to be one of the sponsors for The Faith Club. The three women authors (one Christian, one Jewish, and one Muslim) will be presenting at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center's Book Fair on Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 PM. (6600 West Maple Road) We would like to make this our November WISDOM event. Please mark your calendars. More details to follow.

Gail and Trish will be presenting WISDOM at the Harvard University seminar entitled "Women's Interfaith Initiatives After 9/11" on September 28th and 29th. They are working on a Powerpoint presentation that they hope will be posted on the website for all to see down the road. WISDOM is one of five groups presenting at this conference. The authors of The Faith Club are another group.

On March 30th, Sunday WISDOM will be hosting an Educational Day about Judaism at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park. We will have lunch and interfaith activities in addition to the educational component. More details to follow

We are looking into the possiblity of showing the documentary "White Rainbow" which deals with the plight of widows in India. This would fit into the general topic of building interfaith efforts to stop violence and discrimination against women. The documentary should be out in November. We have reserved Sunday, Jnauary 20th for this event.

The Ninth Annual World Sabbath of Religious Reconciliation is planning a Sunday service for interfaith solidarity for World Peace on January 27th from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills. We would like WISDOM supporters to show up at this event. The focus will be on our youth getting involved in making a difference in our community by working towards world peace. Children of various religious schools in Metro Detroit will be making peace banners and participating in the service. If you have a 3rd through 7th grader and would like your child(ren) to get involved, please contact your child's religious school director and encourage him/her to connect with Gail (gailkatz@comcast.net). Also if your church, synagogue, temple, mosque, gudwara, has a choir, dance group, singing trio, etc that you think might be interested in participating in our interfaith service, please contact Gail as well.

The WISDOM Steering Committee is working on running another "Peace Through WISDOM" event in the near future. If you missed the last event and did not get connected to a sister circle, or if you think your place of worship might be interested in participating, please connect with Gail. Future date and place to be announced.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!!

The Faith Club Coming to Detroit

Many bookclubs have been reading The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew - Three Women Search for Understanding by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner. Now these three authors will be coming to Metro Detroit as presenters at the Jewish Community Center's annual Jewish Book Fair on November 13th, Tuesday at 7:00 PM!! WISDOM will be co-sponsoring this presentation along with the Muslim Unity Center so far, and probably other organizations in the near future. Please mark your calendars and more details will follow.

This is a wonderful book for interfaith dialogue!! From the book jacket:

"After September 11th, Ranya Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian descent, faced constant questions about Islam, God, and death from her children, the only Muslims in their classrooms. Inspired by a story about Muhammad, Ranya reached out to two other mothers - a Christian and a Jew - to try to understand and answer these questions for her children. After just a few meetings, however, it became clear that the women themselves needed an honest and open environment where they could admit - and discuss - their concerns, stereotypes, and misunderstanding about one another. After hours of soul-searching about the issues that divided them, Ranya, Suzanne, and Priscilla grew close enough to discover and explore what united them.

The Faith Club is a memoir of spiritual reflections in three voices that will make readers feel as if they are eavesdropping on the authors' private conversations, provocative discussions, and often controversial opinions and conclusions. The authors wrestle with the issues of anti-Semitism, prejudice against Muslims, and preconceptions of Christians at a time when fundamentalists dominate the public face of Christianity. They write beautifully and affectingly of their families, their losses and grief, their fears and hopes for themselves and their loved ones. And as the authors reveal their deepest beliefs, readers watch the blossoming of a profound interfaith friendship and the birth of a new way of relating to others.

In a final chapter, they provide detailed advice on how to start a faith club: the questions to ask, the books to read, and most important, the open-minded attitude to maintain in order to come through the experience with an enriched personal faith and understanding of others."

Please mark your calendars, read this book, and join WISDOM at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center at Maple and Drake on Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 PM.

Pieces of Peace Quilt Project

Eear WISDOM Women,

Please read about this peace project below, and contact Stacey if you are interested in participating.


Shalom, Salaam, Peace,

My name is Stacey Francis I was raised in Southfield and have lived in Farmington Hills with my husband Tim for the past 10 years. We have 2 sons, Benjamin 8 and Noah 5. Our community is a rich mix of religious and spiritual beliefs. It is easy for us to go through our day without connecting with the people we encounter in our daily lives.

I am participating in a community project for a course I’m taking through Landmark Education. Through this program I have learned how to live powerfully and live a life I love. This program is not a religious program although I do believe I was led by God and I am grateful for the opportunity. I invite you to take part in creating a community peace quilt. Pictures you create on paper will be scanned and transferred onto a piece of fabric which will be stitched into a quilt. My goal is to unite our diverse community by getting to know our neighbors through our ideas of peace in the world. I would be honored if you would participate in this project and invite other people you know to participate. By participating in this project we will see our neighbors as friends who have the same destination in mind but follow different paths to get there.

To participate in this project:

1. Consider Peace as a possibility throughout our world. Use any standard piece of plain 8 ½ x 11 copy paper. Please draw or write what this might look like to you. Be as colorful as possible using crayons, markers, or paint. Leaving ¼ inch borders around your picture will allow for quilting. You are welcome to do this as an individual, a family or a group. Put your name, phone and email on the back in case we need to contact you. Send to 20307 W. 12 Mile Road Suite 105 Southfield MI, 48076
2. Please send an email to me at staceyfrancisdc@aol.com that describes who you are and why you chose to participate in this project with an understanding that this will be posted on the internet next to a picture of your quilt piece.
3. Please join us for the showing of the completed quilt. This is to acknowledge our community as a role model for peace, enlightenment and education. The showing will occur on the date of October 21, 2007 at 3 o’clock pm at Adat Shalom Synagogue 29901 Middlebelt Rd. Farmington Hills, MI 48334 All are welcome to attend.
4. If you happen to have a sewing machine and can sew a straight line, your help is also needed to put the pieces together.
5. Quilt pieces must be submitted by October 1, 2007.

I would like for this to be a traveling symbol that has it’s home in all of our spiritual homes and therefore, once completed, the quilt will take temporary residence in the religious and spiritual centers in our community.

Thank you for taking it on,

Stacey Francis

WOMEN'S INTERFAITH INITIATIVES AFTER 9/11

Gail Katz, Co-Founder of WISDOM, has been invited to be part of Radcliffe Institute seminar on Women’s Interfaith Initiatives After 9/11!!

The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University is going to be sponsoring the exploratory seminar “Women’s Interfaith Initiatives After 9/11,” which will be led by Diana Eck, Director of the Pluralism Project and Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies, Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. beginning Friday morning, September 28, 2007 and concluding early afternoon on Saturday, September 29. WISDOM will be one of the featured Women’s Interfaith groups presenting at this seminar. The other groups to present are:

Daughters of Abraham, The Faith Club, Spiritual and Religious Alliance for Hope
(SARAH), and Women Transcending Boundaries (WTB).

Professor Eck has described the seminar as follows:

“Since 9/11, the interfaith movement in the United States has grown exponentially, and women’s leadership has played a critical role. Interfaith organizations and initiatives are often decentralized, removing structural barriers to women’s leadership that exist within many religious institutions. The result is both new forms of women’s religious leadership and new venues for women’s participation in American religious life. Notably, the grassroots, women-led interfaith initiatives that have emerged over the last six years offer a critical alternative to the traditional model for interfaith engagement. This seminar will attempt to explore the import and impact of these initiatives on American religious life ­ specifically on the interfaith movement and the women’s movement. An inter-disciplinary team of scholars will be joined by the founders of these various women’s interfaith initiatives, as well as by faith-based and interfaith practitioners and activists. Their task will be to identify the emerging methodologies and new models at play, and to begin to document the changing shape of American women’s religious leadership.”

Gail is so thrilled to be able to share WISDOM’s history, mission, activities and projected plans. After the seminar, Gail will post what she has learned from the other women’s interfaith groups on the blog. Stay tuned for exciting information!!

When Islam and Judaism Sang to Each Other

Rumi and the Sufi School of Mysticism

Come and learn with Rabbi Aaron Bergman
Head of Judaic Studies, Frankel Jewish Academy of Metro Detroit
Co-sponsored by Cong. Beth Ahm and The Jewish Forum

Sunday, August 5
7:30 pm

In the Tauber Family Chapel
Cong. Beth Ahm, 5075 West Maple Road, WB

$10 per person @ the door
No charge for high-school or college students

OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY – EVERYONE IS WELCOME!


ABOUT THIS LEARNING EVENT...

There was a brief moment in history when Jews and Muslims shared a mystic and intellectual vision. Rumi, poet, scholar and aesthete, was part of that world.
Rumi was born 800 years ago, but his popularity is as great today as ever. We will read his poetry and see how he and fellow Sufis influenced Judaism. We will also discuss how the rise of interest in mysticism within Judaism and Islam creates possibilities for a genuine dialogue between Muslims and Jews today.

IT WILL BE PART LECTURE, PART POETRY READING!

Reservations are encouraged but not required. Walk-ins are welcome.

For more information, call Nancy Kaplan @ 248.737.1931
Or e-mail Nancyellen879@comcast.net

Peace Through WISDOM

On July 8th, Sunday, at the Church of Today West in Farmington Hills, WISDOM held their sixth event as a joint venture with Peace X Peace. Peace X Peace focuses on empowering women as the most effective means of enriching lives locally and promoting peace globally. They connect women’s groups, called sister circles, in the United States one to one with sister circles everywhere in the world – via the internet – for direct, private exchange of information and personal experience that results in mutually supportive actions. These personal relationships established through e-mail reach across cultural and religious differences to diminish biases and misconceptions. The mission of Peace X Peace meshes beautifully with the Mission of WISDOM – to expand and intensify our knowledge about each other in order to dispel myths, stereotypes, prejudices, and fear that exist with lack of understanding.

We began our joint venture by welcoming 70 women to “Peace Through WISDOM” and followed that with a beautiful interfaith prayer by the Rev. Barbara Clevenger of Church of Today West. We then watched the 86 minute documentary entitled “Peace by Peace: Women on the Frontlines.” While the media inundates us with violent images and stories of failed peace talks, there are hundreds of thousands of women who are working on the ground to keep their countries from falling apart. In spite of the obstacles they encounter, and the lack of their voices at the peace table, women in all regions of the world are devising creative and effective strategies to advocate for education, health, human rights, increased political participation and sustainable economic development. This documentary profiles the work of women peace-builders in five countries: Afghanistan, Burundi, Bosnia, Argentina, and the United States (New York City), and how they challenge the traditional paradigms of peace-building.

After the showing of the documentary we worked toward forming our own interfaith community based groups to connect with women around the world and help to further peace and understanding. Members from the First Congregational Church of Rochester, who have been successful in forming two Peace X Peace Sister Circles, shared their thoughts about how they got their sister circles started and what has worked for them.

This presentation was followed by dinner – where WISDOM women sat together at tables that were comprised of women of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds. There were dialogue starters at each table to help break the ice. Following dinner, we went through the handouts with everyone. The handouts consisted of the following:

1) “Step X Step” – What to do to join the Peace X Peace Network
2) Registration information for Peace Through WISDOM Sister Circles
3) Peace X Peace Suggestions of possible Circle Interests
4) Peace X Peace Frequently Asked Questions
5) Pertinent Quotes re: Women’s Circles from The Millionth Circle by Jean Shinoda Bolen
6) Key Principles for Sister Circles
7) Information on the Women’s Global Roundtable
8) Closing Prayer

Participants were asked to fill out the Peace Through WISDOM registration information pages in their packets, to put their particular topic of interest (environment, religion, education, health, cross-cultural understanding, preventing violence against women, etc.) on their name tags, and to position themselves around the room next to one of the posters on the wall that had the geographical area listed where they would like their global sisters to be from. Once the women separated themselves by areas of the world, they then sub-divided again according to the interests listed on their nametags.

About 4-6 sister circles were formed. Two interested in the Middle East, one interested in Asia, one interested in Africa, and the possibility of several others who will get back to WISDOM with their circle information in the near future. The directions to the newly forming circles were the following:

1) Before you leave, make a date with your newly formed circle to come together again some time during the summer
2) Remember that before you begin the process of communicating with women on the other side of the world, you must first establish your sister circle here in Michigan. Take the time to get to know each other.
3) Everyone must go home and register on the Peace X Peace website (www.peacexpeace.org) and become a member. (Step One on the instruction page)
4) After you have solidified your circle as to interests, and chosen a name for your circle, the e-mail captain must go to the Peace X Peace website and register the circle (steps two through seven on the instruction page). The e-mail captain will include everyone’s e-mail addresses in this registration.
5) You will receive an invitation to join Peace X Peace after you have registered your circle. You must answer this invitation.
6) You should read through the entire packet of handouts from Peace Through WISDOM on your own, or with your sister circle.
7) The e-mail captain of each circle must fill out the Sister Circle form with everyone’s names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers, and give it to WISDOM to copy and give back before you leave. That way WISDOM can contact the circle members in the future for a Peace Through WISDOM reunion.
8) Please go to the WISDOM Solutions blog (www.wisdomsolutions.blogspot.com) or go to the WISDOM website (www.interfaithwisdom.org) and click on “News and Events” which will take you to the blog, and add information to the blog about how your sister circles are coming along.
9) Feel free to contact Gail Katz for blogging help. (gailkatz@comcast.net or 248-978-6664 cell phone).
10) Gail Katz will also be sending out periodic e-mails with reminders to check the blog.

A big thank you to Church of Today West and the Rev. Barbara Clevenger and her staff for all their help and the use of their beautiful facility. Thanks to all of you for your participation in the Peace Through WISDOM event, and for your faith that women of all religions can come together to make a difference!

Please stay tuned for WISDOM’s next event!

SHARING FAITHS - An Interfaith Project in Metro Detroit

SHARING FAITHS: Program brings sacred Jewish texts to mosques
June 29, 2007
BY DAVID CRUMM
FREE PRESS RELIGION WRITER
A national pilot program to link Jews and Muslims with sacred books kicked off in Detroit on Thursday with the delivery of 17 Jewish books to one of the city's leading mosques.
"I hope this idea extends from Detroit across the U.S. and even throughout the world," Dawud Walid, Michigan director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said as a Jewish delegation from Oakland County delivered the first collection of Jewish books to a local mosque.
The books included translations and commentaries on the Torah, which Christians regard as the first five books of their Bible. Many of the early figures in the Jewish Bible, including Abraham, are considered sacred figures in Islam.
The idea of combating bigotry by sharing sacred texts isn't new. In 2002, Walid's Washington, D.C.-based group kicked off a three-year campaign to place Muslim books in nearly 8,000 public libraries across the country.
The effort launched Thursday is designed to bring Jewish books directly into Muslim centers across Michigan and eventually other parts of the United States.
Imam Abdullah El-Amin, head of the Muslim Center of Detroit, said he already had his eye on several books he plans to read as the first borrower in the new Jewish-books section of his mosque's library.
A half-dozen Jewish leaders delivered the books to El-Amin's center, then the delegation drove to the Islamic Organization of North America mosque in Warren to deliver a second collection.
"Dialogue is the only hope for humanity," Suzy Farbman of Franklin said at the Detroit stop. Her family, which owns commercial real estate in Detroit, donated money for the first three collections of books to the American Jewish Committee, which is coordinating the pilot project. A third set of books will be delivered to the American Muslim Center in Dearborn in August.
Farbman said her family agreed to underwrite the first three collections because they realized that their own congregation, Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, already has collected many books on Islam in its extensive library. However, many mosques don't have such extensive religious libraries for their members.
El-Amin said, "This is opening up new doors and windows for our communities."
Contact DAVID CRUMM at 313-223-4526 or dcrumm@freepress.com

USING THE BLOG FOR WISDOM

Dear WISDOM WOMEN:

We are going to be publishing our WISDOM newsletters on this blogspot.com account to make the WISDOM news easier to post and easier to access. You can get to the blog in the near future by clicking on the blog button on the WISDOM website. You can also add your own information and comments on the blog by registering with Google.

Below is the information about WISDOM's July 8th event called "Peace Through WISDOM".

Gail

WISDOM
(Women’s Interfaith Solutions for
Dialogue and Outreach in MetroDetroit)
www.interfaithwisdom.org
invites you to

PEACE THROUGH WISDOM
Dinner, Dialogue and a Movie
With Peace X Peace

JULY 8, 2007
3:00 – 7:00 PMCHURCH OF TODAY WEST32500 W. 13 MILE ROAD
FARMINGTON HILLS 48334

Cost: $15.00 for dinner
Make checks out to Church of Today West
Mail to: PEACE THROUGH WISDOM
P.O. Box 7519
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Contact Gail Katz for more information
gailkatz@comcast.net 248-978-6664 RSVP BY July 3rd

3:00 PM - Registration
3:30 PM – “Women on the Frontlines”
5:00 PM – Presentation about Peace X Peace
5:30 PM - Vegetarian Dinner and Dialogue
6:15 PM - Sister Circles

More than a year in the making, PEACE by PEACE: Women on the Frontlines premiered at the United Nations on October 30, 2003, and has been the centerpiece of film festivals, conferences, and celebrations around the world. Women are more likely than professional soldiers to be the casualties of war. From genocide and rape to displacement and starvation, they bear more than their fair share of the suffering. But amongst all this hardship, women around the world are standing up for peace. By advocating justice and educating future generations that war is not the answer, they are at the forefront of reconciling their communities. This special one-hour version of the documentary follows women peacemakers from four different conflict/crisis zones: Afghanistan, Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Burundi. Narrated by Academy-Award winning actress Jessica Lange, this film redefines the role of women in war. For more information, visit www.peacexpeace.org.
PEACE THROUGH WISDOM!!
WISDOM WOMEN PARTNER WITH PEACE X PEACE
TO CONNECT WITH SISTERS AROUND THE WORLD


On Sunday, July 8th from 3:00 – 7:00 PM WISDOM (Women’s Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in MetroDetroit) will invite women of all faiths to come together at the Church of Today West on 13 Mile Road in Farmington Hills to partner with Peace X Peace. The mission of Peace X Peace is to form women’s Sister Circles, where women in the United States communicate with circles of women in other countries in order to help improve the status of women worldwide and build sustainable peace. This global online network of Sister Circles will meet on a regular basis to support each other and share their stories.

WISDOM women will first watch the 86 minute award-winning documentary entitled “Peace by Peace: Women on the Frontlines,” which follows women peacemakers from four different conflict/crisis zones: Afghanistan, Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Burundi. Following the movie and a presentation about the mission of Peace X Peace (Peace By Peace), WISDOM women will discuss forming Sister Circles to reach out through e-mail to connect with circles of women in other parts of the world based on shared interests and identifications. In this way, women whose cultures or governments discourage public gatherings or travel outside their communities can take advantage of a safe and productive opportunity to interact with sisters across the globe. WISDOM women will gain access to a wider world, and learn about each others customs, faiths, families, and problems. Strangers will become friends, and friends will become family. Stumbling blocks of miscommunication and stereotypes that women of different faiths and cultures have of each other can be changed into building blocks of peace. Together WISDOM women, through the partnership of Peace X Peace, can take on peace-building projects in areas such as education, health, micro-enterprise, social equity, and leadership development.


REGISTRATION
PEACE THROUGH WISDOM
July 8, 2007


NAME: ________________________________________
ADDRESS: _____________________________________
CITY AND ZIP: __________________________________
PHONE NUMBER: _______________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS: ______________________________

Please make your check out to Church of Today West for $15.00 for the lunch.
Please mail your check and this form to:
PEACE THROUGH WISDOM
P.O. Box 7519
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

For more information please contact:
Gail Katz gailkatz@comcast.net 248-978-6664