Interfaith event fosters new insights
By ANN ZANIEWSKI
Of The Oakland Press
OAK PARK - Beheejah Shakoor learned from a rabbi that the yarmulke is worn as a reminder of a higher power, something she said she also believes. "You realize we have more in common than differences," Shakoor, a Muslim nurse from South Lyon, said. Shakoor was among about 100 women of various faiths who attended Sunday's "A Day of Learning: Women in Judaism" at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park.
Organizers of the event aimed to foster a mutual understanding and trust among women of all faiths, said chairwoman Fran Hildebrandt, a member of the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Shalom.
"We believe that if we get to know each other, if we become friends, friends don't fight with friends. If we start in our own back yard and create peace here, it's like a pebble thrown in the water," she said.
The event was presented by the Sisterhood, or women's group, of Congregation Beth Shalom and a group called WISDOM, which stands for Women's Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in Metro Detroit. Last year, "A Day of Learning" was held at a mosque in Bloomfield Hills.
The participants heard from several speakers including Rabbi Dan Wolpe, who gave an overview of Judaism. The lunch menu included salads and traditional Jewish dishes such as kugel, a noodle pudding, and triangle-shaped cookies served during Purim called hamantaschen. Women took a facility tour, which included a stop in the sanctuary, where slim, stained-glass windows and wall panels are ornamented with Hebrew letters.
Six women from the Metro Detroit area representing the three main branches of Judaism - Orthodox, Conservative and Reform - led a panel discussion that ranged from religious practices to views on interfaith marriage.
Responses varied in a conversation on whether following religious laws concerning food is an integral part of keeping with the spirit of Judaism. Panelist Ellen Racusin, a member of Congregation Beth Shalom's Sisterhood, said keeping a kosher kitchen means more to her than just separating milk and meat.
"It helps me feel closer to Judaism," she said.
The women also discussed traditional foods and how they observe Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, in light of the technology of the modern world. Panelist Pessie Novick said there's no watching TV or answering the phone in her home, as Shabbat is a time for reflection and rest.
A question about interfaith marriage drew varied responses. Panel member Judy Lewis, whose mother was Jewish and father was not, said she didn't marry a Jewish man, but has a child who practices the faith.
"I am living proof that interfaith can end up positive," she said.
Panelist Pam Goldberg-Danzig said she's thrilled that her 18-year-old daughter has a Jewish boyfriend.
"I really think it's important to be on the same page," she said.
After the discussion, retired nurse Raheema Sabir of Detroit approached the panelists with a smile and said, "You ladies were so enlightening!"
Sabir, a Muslim, said her eyes were opened to the common threads Islam and Judaism share.
"I'm so happy I came out," she said.
Sunday was the first time that Shakoor, the nurse from South Lyon, had ever set foot in a synagogue.
"I've got a new perspective, and a profound delight of the Jewish religion," she said.
Shakoor, a member of WISDOM and of the Muslim Center of Detroit, said she believes that women have a special role.
"I truly feel that it is going to be the women who move this world forward in becoming one human family," she said. "We're human beings under one God first."
Contact staff writer Ann Zaniewski at (248) 745-4628 or ann.zaniewski@oakpress.com.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
An interesting discussion of Good Friday and more!!
DEAR WISDOM Sisters:
I am including in this e-mail an article from Time.com that was sent to me by WISDOM’s Vice-President Trish Harris. It is a belated, but interesting, article about all the holidays that occurred last Friday. I have been out of town, and thus am just getting around to this posting, but I thought it was worthwhile, even if a bit late.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you who have registered for our Women in Judaism Educational Day at Congregation Beth Shalom this Sunday, March 30th. We will be about 100 women of different faith traditions – a great turnout!!
Gail Katz
WISDOM President
Good Friday! Happy Purim, Eid, etc...
By DAVID VAN BIEMA WITH SIMON ROBINSON/NEW DELHI Fri Mar 21, 2:05 AM ET
On Friday more than a billion Christians around the world will mark the gravest observance on their Calendar, Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross. (To be followed in two days by Easter Sunday, to mark his Resurrection).
But unlike some holy days - say, Christmas, which some non-Christians in the U.S. observe informally by going to a movie and ordering Chinese food - on this particular Friday, March 21, it seems almost no believer of any sort will be left without his or her own holiday. In what is statistically, at least, a once-in-a-millennium combination, the following will all occur on the 21st:
Good FridayPurim, a Jewish festival celebrating the biblical book of EstherNarouz, the Persian New Year, which is observed with Islamic elaboration in Iran and all the "stan" countries, as well as by Zoroastrians and Baha'is.Eid Milad an Nabi, the Birth of the Prophet, which is celebrated by some but not all Sunni Muslims and, though officially beginning on Thursday, is often marked on Friday.Small Holi, Hindu, an Indian festival of bonfires, to be followed on Saturday by Holi, a kind of Mardi Gras.Magha Puja, a celebration of the Buddha's first group of followers, marked primarily in Thailand.
"Half the world's population is going to be celebrating something," says Raymond Clothey, Professor Emeritus of Religious studies at the University of Pittsburgh. "My goodness," says Delton Krueger, owner of www.interfaithcalendar.org, who follows "14 major religions and six others." He counts 20 holidays altogether (including some religious double-dips, like Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) between the 20th (which is also quite crowded) and the 21st. He marvels: "There is no other time in 2008 when there is this kind of concentration."
And in fact for quite a bit longer than that. Ed Reingold and Nachum Dershowitz, co-authors of the books Calendrical Calculations and Calendrical Tabulations, determined how often in the period between 1600 and 2400 A.D. Good Friday, Purim, Narouz and the Eid would occur in the same week. The answer is nine times in 800 years. Then they tackled the odds that they would converge on a two-day period. And the total is ... only once: tomorrow. And that's not even counting Magha Puja and Small Holi.
Unless you are mathematically inclined, however, you may not see the logic in all this. If it's the 21st of March, you may ask, shouldn't all the religions of the world celebrate the same holiday on that date each year?
No. There are a sprinkling of major holidays (Western Christmas is one) that fall each year on the same day of the Gregorian calendar, a fairly standard non-religious system and the one Americans are most familiar with.
But almost none of tomorrow's holidays actually follows that calendar. All Muslim holy days, for instance, are calculated on a lunar system. Keyed to the phases of the moon, Islam's 12 months are each 29 and a half days long, for a total of 354 days a year, or 11 days fewer than on ours. That means the holidays rotate backward around the Gregorian calendar, occurring 11 days earlier each year. That is why you can have an "easy Ramadan" in the spring, when going without water all day is relatively easy, or a hard one in the summer. And why the Prophet's birthday will be on March 9 next year.
Then there is the Jewish calendar, which determines the placement of Purim. It is "lunisolar," which means that holidays wander with the moon until they reach the end of what might be thought of as a month-long tether, which has the effect of maintaining them in the same season every year.
Good Friday, meanwhile, like many of the other most important Christian holidays, is a set number of days before Easter. The only problem is that the date of Easter is probably the most complicated celebratory calculation this side of Hinduism, which has a number of competing religious calendars. The standard rule is "the Sunday after the first full moon on or after the day of the vernal equinox." But in fact, the actual divination of the date is so involved that it has its own offical name: "computus." And so challenging that Carl Friedrich Gauss, one of history's greatest mathematicians, devoted the time to create an algorithm for it. It goes on for many lines. You can look it up. And, of course, it doesn't work for Eastern Orthodox Easter (about one month later than the Western Christian one this year, on April 27).
So, should we celebrate all these celebrations? Yes, says William Paden, the author of Religious Worlds: The Comparative Study of Religion and a professor at the University of Vermont - at least to the extent that we revere the drive to carve out sacred time in the middle of the day-by-day profane. "Each of these religions is creating its own world, with its own time and space and memory system," he says. They recognize what's of real value, and they encode it, and it forms an architecture of memory." Yes, says Bruce Lawrence, the head of Islamic Studies at Duke University, who was invited to speak at a nearby synagogue when the beginnings of Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan happened to coincide last year.
But be cautious, since human nature is as fickle as coincidence. "When one group is grieving and one is jubilant there are some unfortunate tensions," says Anand Kumar, with the Centre for the Study of Social Systems at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, a city with considerable experience with multiple faiths. Such conjunctions have led to conflicts and even riots, not just when moods clash, but because "the public sphere is being contested." Kumar is convinced, however, that "a new generation is emerging that is more pluralistic and they don't feel threatened just because someone is from another religion."
And that will be what this writer meditates on this Friday.
I am including in this e-mail an article from Time.com that was sent to me by WISDOM’s Vice-President Trish Harris. It is a belated, but interesting, article about all the holidays that occurred last Friday. I have been out of town, and thus am just getting around to this posting, but I thought it was worthwhile, even if a bit late.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you who have registered for our Women in Judaism Educational Day at Congregation Beth Shalom this Sunday, March 30th. We will be about 100 women of different faith traditions – a great turnout!!
Gail Katz
WISDOM President
Good Friday! Happy Purim, Eid, etc...
By DAVID VAN BIEMA WITH SIMON ROBINSON/NEW DELHI Fri Mar 21, 2:05 AM ET
On Friday more than a billion Christians around the world will mark the gravest observance on their Calendar, Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross. (To be followed in two days by Easter Sunday, to mark his Resurrection).
But unlike some holy days - say, Christmas, which some non-Christians in the U.S. observe informally by going to a movie and ordering Chinese food - on this particular Friday, March 21, it seems almost no believer of any sort will be left without his or her own holiday. In what is statistically, at least, a once-in-a-millennium combination, the following will all occur on the 21st:
Good FridayPurim, a Jewish festival celebrating the biblical book of EstherNarouz, the Persian New Year, which is observed with Islamic elaboration in Iran and all the "stan" countries, as well as by Zoroastrians and Baha'is.Eid Milad an Nabi, the Birth of the Prophet, which is celebrated by some but not all Sunni Muslims and, though officially beginning on Thursday, is often marked on Friday.Small Holi, Hindu, an Indian festival of bonfires, to be followed on Saturday by Holi, a kind of Mardi Gras.Magha Puja, a celebration of the Buddha's first group of followers, marked primarily in Thailand.
"Half the world's population is going to be celebrating something," says Raymond Clothey, Professor Emeritus of Religious studies at the University of Pittsburgh. "My goodness," says Delton Krueger, owner of www.interfaithcalendar.org, who follows "14 major religions and six others." He counts 20 holidays altogether (including some religious double-dips, like Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) between the 20th (which is also quite crowded) and the 21st. He marvels: "There is no other time in 2008 when there is this kind of concentration."
And in fact for quite a bit longer than that. Ed Reingold and Nachum Dershowitz, co-authors of the books Calendrical Calculations and Calendrical Tabulations, determined how often in the period between 1600 and 2400 A.D. Good Friday, Purim, Narouz and the Eid would occur in the same week. The answer is nine times in 800 years. Then they tackled the odds that they would converge on a two-day period. And the total is ... only once: tomorrow. And that's not even counting Magha Puja and Small Holi.
Unless you are mathematically inclined, however, you may not see the logic in all this. If it's the 21st of March, you may ask, shouldn't all the religions of the world celebrate the same holiday on that date each year?
No. There are a sprinkling of major holidays (Western Christmas is one) that fall each year on the same day of the Gregorian calendar, a fairly standard non-religious system and the one Americans are most familiar with.
But almost none of tomorrow's holidays actually follows that calendar. All Muslim holy days, for instance, are calculated on a lunar system. Keyed to the phases of the moon, Islam's 12 months are each 29 and a half days long, for a total of 354 days a year, or 11 days fewer than on ours. That means the holidays rotate backward around the Gregorian calendar, occurring 11 days earlier each year. That is why you can have an "easy Ramadan" in the spring, when going without water all day is relatively easy, or a hard one in the summer. And why the Prophet's birthday will be on March 9 next year.
Then there is the Jewish calendar, which determines the placement of Purim. It is "lunisolar," which means that holidays wander with the moon until they reach the end of what might be thought of as a month-long tether, which has the effect of maintaining them in the same season every year.
Good Friday, meanwhile, like many of the other most important Christian holidays, is a set number of days before Easter. The only problem is that the date of Easter is probably the most complicated celebratory calculation this side of Hinduism, which has a number of competing religious calendars. The standard rule is "the Sunday after the first full moon on or after the day of the vernal equinox." But in fact, the actual divination of the date is so involved that it has its own offical name: "computus." And so challenging that Carl Friedrich Gauss, one of history's greatest mathematicians, devoted the time to create an algorithm for it. It goes on for many lines. You can look it up. And, of course, it doesn't work for Eastern Orthodox Easter (about one month later than the Western Christian one this year, on April 27).
So, should we celebrate all these celebrations? Yes, says William Paden, the author of Religious Worlds: The Comparative Study of Religion and a professor at the University of Vermont - at least to the extent that we revere the drive to carve out sacred time in the middle of the day-by-day profane. "Each of these religions is creating its own world, with its own time and space and memory system," he says. They recognize what's of real value, and they encode it, and it forms an architecture of memory." Yes, says Bruce Lawrence, the head of Islamic Studies at Duke University, who was invited to speak at a nearby synagogue when the beginnings of Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan happened to coincide last year.
But be cautious, since human nature is as fickle as coincidence. "When one group is grieving and one is jubilant there are some unfortunate tensions," says Anand Kumar, with the Centre for the Study of Social Systems at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, a city with considerable experience with multiple faiths. Such conjunctions have led to conflicts and even riots, not just when moods clash, but because "the public sphere is being contested." Kumar is convinced, however, that "a new generation is emerging that is more pluralistic and they don't feel threatened just because someone is from another religion."
And that will be what this writer meditates on this Friday.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Jewish Holiday of Purim
Dear WISDOM Sisters:
The Jewish holiday of Purim will begin at sundown on Thursday, March 20th. Below is some information about Purim taken from the website called “Judaism 101.” For more information about Judaism, please join us on March 30th at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM for a day of learning about “Women in Judaism” and an interfaith kosher and hallal lunch!! Registration form is attached.
Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.
The story of Purim is told in the Biblical book of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.
The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech that is all too familiar to Jews, Haman told the king, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's, and they do not observe the king's laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them." Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.
Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, and then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.
The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of God. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to God. Mordecai makes a vague reference to the fact that the Jews will be saved by someone else, if not by Esther, but that is the closest the book comes to mentioning God. Thus, one important message that can be gained from the story is that God often works in ways that are not apparent, in ways that appear to be chance, coincidence or ordinary good luck.
Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, which is usually in March. The 13th of Adar is the day that Haman chose for the extermination of the Jews, and the day that the Jews battled their enemies for their lives. On the day afterwards, the 14th, they celebrated their survival. In cities that were walled in the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, because the book of Esther says that in Shushan (a walled city), deliverance from the massacre was not complete until the next day. The 15th is referred to as Shushan Purim.
In leap years, when there are two months of Adar, Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar, so it is always one month before Passover. The 14th day of the first Adar in a leap year is celebrated as a minor holiday called Purim Katan, which means "little Purim." There are no specific observances for Purim Katan; however, a person should celebrate the holiday and should not mourn or fast. Some communities also observe a "Purim Katan" on the anniversary of any day when their community was saved from a catastrophe, destruction, evil or oppression.
The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre.
The Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther's three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king.
The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the reading of the book of Esther. The book of Esther is commonly known as the Megillah, which means scroll. Although there are five books of Jewish scripture that are properly referred to as megillahs (Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations), this is the one people usually mean when they speak of The Megillah. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle graggers (noisemakers; see illustration) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The purpose of this custom is to "blot out the name of Haman."
We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordecai," though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is. A person certainly should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill. In addition, recovering alcoholics or others who might suffer serious harm from alcohol are exempt from this obligation.
In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos (lit. sending out portions). Among Ashkenazic Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (lit. Haman's pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman's three-cornered hat.
It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests. Americans sometimes refer to Purim as the Jewish Mardi Gras.
Purim is not subject to the sabbath-like restrictions on work that some other holidays are; however, some sources indicate that we should not go about our ordinary business on Purim out of respect for the holiday.
Peace!!
Gail Katz
WISDOM President
>
The Jewish holiday of Purim will begin at sundown on Thursday, March 20th. Below is some information about Purim taken from the website called “Judaism 101.” For more information about Judaism, please join us on March 30th at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM for a day of learning about “Women in Judaism” and an interfaith kosher and hallal lunch!! Registration form is attached.
Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.
The story of Purim is told in the Biblical book of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.
The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech that is all too familiar to Jews, Haman told the king, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's, and they do not observe the king's laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them." Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.
Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, and then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.
The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of God. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to God. Mordecai makes a vague reference to the fact that the Jews will be saved by someone else, if not by Esther, but that is the closest the book comes to mentioning God. Thus, one important message that can be gained from the story is that God often works in ways that are not apparent, in ways that appear to be chance, coincidence or ordinary good luck.
Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, which is usually in March. The 13th of Adar is the day that Haman chose for the extermination of the Jews, and the day that the Jews battled their enemies for their lives. On the day afterwards, the 14th, they celebrated their survival. In cities that were walled in the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, because the book of Esther says that in Shushan (a walled city), deliverance from the massacre was not complete until the next day. The 15th is referred to as Shushan Purim.
In leap years, when there are two months of Adar, Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar, so it is always one month before Passover. The 14th day of the first Adar in a leap year is celebrated as a minor holiday called Purim Katan, which means "little Purim." There are no specific observances for Purim Katan; however, a person should celebrate the holiday and should not mourn or fast. Some communities also observe a "Purim Katan" on the anniversary of any day when their community was saved from a catastrophe, destruction, evil or oppression.
The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre.
The Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther's three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king.
The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the reading of the book of Esther. The book of Esther is commonly known as the Megillah, which means scroll. Although there are five books of Jewish scripture that are properly referred to as megillahs (Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations), this is the one people usually mean when they speak of The Megillah. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle graggers (noisemakers; see illustration) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The purpose of this custom is to "blot out the name of Haman."
We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordecai," though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is. A person certainly should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill. In addition, recovering alcoholics or others who might suffer serious harm from alcohol are exempt from this obligation.
In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos (lit. sending out portions). Among Ashkenazic Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (lit. Haman's pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman's three-cornered hat.
It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests. Americans sometimes refer to Purim as the Jewish Mardi Gras.
Purim is not subject to the sabbath-like restrictions on work that some other holidays are; however, some sources indicate that we should not go about our ordinary business on Purim out of respect for the holiday.
Peace!!
Gail Katz
WISDOM President
>
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
WISDOM Newsletter March 4, 2008
Dear WISDOM Subscribers:
1) Good News!! WISDOM now has its own post office box. Our new “snail mail” address is:
WISDOM
PO Box 525
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303
However, if you are planning on registering for our March 30th event at Congregation Beth Shalom called “A Day of Learning – Women in Judaism” please continue to send your $18.00 checks to Judy Satterthwaite, 1250 Dutton Road, Rochester, MI 48306. We will officially start using this mailbox for all of our future WISDOM events.
2) Below is information about an interesting event at Allen Park Presbyterian Church called “A Shared Future” – a presentation and video clips about the history of Northern Ireland’s troubles and an evening of coffee, conversation and questions.
Allen Park Presbyterian Church
In conjunction with St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church presents:
“A Shared Future”
A presentation and video clips about the history of Northern Ireland’s troubles and an evening of coffee, conversation, and questions.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Sanctuary/Parlor
Steve Pointon and Joe McKeown are two youth workers from Northern Ireland who grew up on opposite sides of the 40 year conflict. They have spent the last six years working in conflict transformation and trying to bring both sides of the community back together.
Joe is employed by the Catholic Church in Ireland and Steve works at Allen Park Presbyterian Church in Allen Park, Michigan
Presentation/Clips at 5:30 p.m. - Coffee House opens at 7 p.m.
Steve and Joe will host Q & A at 7:30 p.m.
Allen Park Presbyterian Church (USA)
7101 Park Avenue - Allen Park, MI 48101
R.S.V.P. or questions, please contact: Steve Pointon
(313) 383-0100 or e-mail: steve@appc.us
3) This Thursday, March 6, 2008 is the Hindu holiday of Maha Shivratri. Please read below for information on how our Hindu WISDOM sisters and their families will celebrate this holiday.
Maha Shivratri, the night of the worship of Shiva, occurs on the 13th night /14th day of the new moon during Krishna Paksha during the month of Phalguna. It falls on the day before a moonless February/March night, when Hindus offer special prayer to the lord of destruction. Shivratri (Sanskrit 'ratri' = night) is the night when he is said to have performed the Tandava Nritya or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. The festival is observed for one day and one night only.
Origin Of Shivratri
There are many stories about the origins of Shivaratri. One is the story of the churning of the ocean. During the great mythical churning of the ocean called Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. The gods and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they ran to Shiva for help, he, in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue, and since then he came to be known as Nilkantha, the blue-throated one. Shivratri celebrates this event by which Shiva saved the world. Another story is how Shiva appeared as the endless linga made of fire, and Lord Vishnu (the Preserver) and Lord Brahma (the Creator) searched fruitlessly, and prayed to Lord Shiva on Shivaratri. A third story is related to this one. While traveling upwards, Brahma spotted a ketaki flower falling from the top of the linga and made it promise to support his tale of reaching the top. When he met Lord Vishnu, he claimed to have taken the flower from the top, and the flower agreed. Lord Shiva then became enraged and cursed the flower that it shouldn't be used in Shiva worship. He also banished Brahma, cursing him that he would never have any temples built in his name. And to this day, there are no known Brahma temples. Another story is that of a hunter who could travel no more and was forced to sleep in a Bilva tree in a dangerous forest. All night, he lay awake, plucking leaves, dropping them, and repeating "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA". In the morning, he discovered a linga right where he had been dropping the leaves. It is said that Lord Shiva saved him. Finally, it is also said that Parvati and Shiva were united on this day, which is most likely why Shivaratri may be considered auspicious for women.
A Festival Especially For Women
Shivratri is considered especially auspicious for women. Married women pray for the well being of their husbands and sons, while unmarried women pray for an ideal husband like Shiva, who is the spouse of Kali, Parvati and Durga. But generally it is believed that anyone who utters the name of Shiva during Shivratri with pure devotion is freed from all sins. He or she reaches the abode of Shiva and is liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
Shiva Rituals
On the day of Shivratri, people often fast throughout the whole day, and take a bath in holy waters if possible. Then they head to the temple to witness or perform the traditional abhishekam, or bathing a linga in a liquid mixture formed from milk, honey, sugar water, ghee (clarified butter) and yogurt. The meaning of these ingredients is basically this:
Milk is for the blessing of purity and piousness.
Yogurt is for prosperity and progeny.
Honey is for sweet speech.
Ghee is for victory.
Sugar is for happiness.
Water is for purity.
Then vermilion (red orange pigment) is applied to the linga. According to the Shiva Purana, these six items have a special symbolic meaning.
Bathing of Shivalinga with milk, honey, sugar, water, and yogurt, along with wood apple or betel leaves added to it, represents purification of the soul.
The vermilion paste applied on the linga after the ritual bath represents virtue.
Offering of fruits symbolizes longevity and gratification of desires.
Burning of incense sticks yields wealth.
The lighting of the lamp symbolizes attainment of knowledge.
Offering of betel leaves marks satisfaction with worldly pleasures.
Throughout the night, devotees sing bhajans (short hymns) and chant "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA"
.
The murti or physical representation of Shiva is called the lingam and is usually made of granite, soapstone, quartz, marble or metal. Devotees circumambulate the lingam and worship it throughout the night.
"Om Namah Shivaya!"
All through the day the devotees keep a severe fast, chant the sacred Panchakshara mantra "Om Namah Shivaya", make offerings of flowers and incense to the Lord amidst ringing of temple bells. They maintain long vigils during the night, keeping awake to listen to stories, hymns and songs. The fast is broken only the next morning, after the nightlong worship. In Kashmir, the festival is held for 15 days. The 13th day is observed as a day of fast followed by a family feast.
1) Good News!! WISDOM now has its own post office box. Our new “snail mail” address is:
WISDOM
PO Box 525
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303
However, if you are planning on registering for our March 30th event at Congregation Beth Shalom called “A Day of Learning – Women in Judaism” please continue to send your $18.00 checks to Judy Satterthwaite, 1250 Dutton Road, Rochester, MI 48306. We will officially start using this mailbox for all of our future WISDOM events.
2) Below is information about an interesting event at Allen Park Presbyterian Church called “A Shared Future” – a presentation and video clips about the history of Northern Ireland’s troubles and an evening of coffee, conversation and questions.
Allen Park Presbyterian Church
In conjunction with St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church presents:
“A Shared Future”
A presentation and video clips about the history of Northern Ireland’s troubles and an evening of coffee, conversation, and questions.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Sanctuary/Parlor
Steve Pointon and Joe McKeown are two youth workers from Northern Ireland who grew up on opposite sides of the 40 year conflict. They have spent the last six years working in conflict transformation and trying to bring both sides of the community back together.
Joe is employed by the Catholic Church in Ireland and Steve works at Allen Park Presbyterian Church in Allen Park, Michigan
Presentation/Clips at 5:30 p.m. - Coffee House opens at 7 p.m.
Steve and Joe will host Q & A at 7:30 p.m.
Allen Park Presbyterian Church (USA)
7101 Park Avenue - Allen Park, MI 48101
R.S.V.P. or questions, please contact: Steve Pointon
(313) 383-0100 or e-mail: steve@appc.us
3) This Thursday, March 6, 2008 is the Hindu holiday of Maha Shivratri. Please read below for information on how our Hindu WISDOM sisters and their families will celebrate this holiday.
Maha Shivratri, the night of the worship of Shiva, occurs on the 13th night /14th day of the new moon during Krishna Paksha during the month of Phalguna. It falls on the day before a moonless February/March night, when Hindus offer special prayer to the lord of destruction. Shivratri (Sanskrit 'ratri' = night) is the night when he is said to have performed the Tandava Nritya or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. The festival is observed for one day and one night only.
Origin Of Shivratri
There are many stories about the origins of Shivaratri. One is the story of the churning of the ocean. During the great mythical churning of the ocean called Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. The gods and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they ran to Shiva for help, he, in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue, and since then he came to be known as Nilkantha, the blue-throated one. Shivratri celebrates this event by which Shiva saved the world. Another story is how Shiva appeared as the endless linga made of fire, and Lord Vishnu (the Preserver) and Lord Brahma (the Creator) searched fruitlessly, and prayed to Lord Shiva on Shivaratri. A third story is related to this one. While traveling upwards, Brahma spotted a ketaki flower falling from the top of the linga and made it promise to support his tale of reaching the top. When he met Lord Vishnu, he claimed to have taken the flower from the top, and the flower agreed. Lord Shiva then became enraged and cursed the flower that it shouldn't be used in Shiva worship. He also banished Brahma, cursing him that he would never have any temples built in his name. And to this day, there are no known Brahma temples. Another story is that of a hunter who could travel no more and was forced to sleep in a Bilva tree in a dangerous forest. All night, he lay awake, plucking leaves, dropping them, and repeating "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA". In the morning, he discovered a linga right where he had been dropping the leaves. It is said that Lord Shiva saved him. Finally, it is also said that Parvati and Shiva were united on this day, which is most likely why Shivaratri may be considered auspicious for women.
A Festival Especially For Women
Shivratri is considered especially auspicious for women. Married women pray for the well being of their husbands and sons, while unmarried women pray for an ideal husband like Shiva, who is the spouse of Kali, Parvati and Durga. But generally it is believed that anyone who utters the name of Shiva during Shivratri with pure devotion is freed from all sins. He or she reaches the abode of Shiva and is liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
Shiva Rituals
On the day of Shivratri, people often fast throughout the whole day, and take a bath in holy waters if possible. Then they head to the temple to witness or perform the traditional abhishekam, or bathing a linga in a liquid mixture formed from milk, honey, sugar water, ghee (clarified butter) and yogurt. The meaning of these ingredients is basically this:
Milk is for the blessing of purity and piousness.
Yogurt is for prosperity and progeny.
Honey is for sweet speech.
Ghee is for victory.
Sugar is for happiness.
Water is for purity.
Then vermilion (red orange pigment) is applied to the linga. According to the Shiva Purana, these six items have a special symbolic meaning.
Bathing of Shivalinga with milk, honey, sugar, water, and yogurt, along with wood apple or betel leaves added to it, represents purification of the soul.
The vermilion paste applied on the linga after the ritual bath represents virtue.
Offering of fruits symbolizes longevity and gratification of desires.
Burning of incense sticks yields wealth.
The lighting of the lamp symbolizes attainment of knowledge.
Offering of betel leaves marks satisfaction with worldly pleasures.
Throughout the night, devotees sing bhajans (short hymns) and chant "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA"
.
The murti or physical representation of Shiva is called the lingam and is usually made of granite, soapstone, quartz, marble or metal. Devotees circumambulate the lingam and worship it throughout the night.
"Om Namah Shivaya!"
All through the day the devotees keep a severe fast, chant the sacred Panchakshara mantra "Om Namah Shivaya", make offerings of flowers and incense to the Lord amidst ringing of temple bells. They maintain long vigils during the night, keeping awake to listen to stories, hymns and songs. The fast is broken only the next morning, after the nightlong worship. In Kashmir, the festival is held for 15 days. The 13th day is observed as a day of fast followed by a family feast.
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