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
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
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
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
Saturday, October 13, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, October 5, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, September 17, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, September 7, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
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.
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.
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