We Dwell in Common:Ecumenical Resources for Interfaith EngagementOn May 1, 2024, please join Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, the Interfaith Center of New York, and an international panel of distinguished experts, for a webinar exploring the repertoire of ecumenical perspectives and methods that are crucial resources for interfaith engagement today—particularly important as ecumenical training is increasingly marginal in most programs of theological education and interreligious dialogue. Following a presentation by Dr. Linda Hogan, Professor of Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin and Former Head of the Irish School of Ecumenics, we will hear responses from and conversation among leading figures in US interfaith engagement and interreligious studies. May 1, 2024 1:00-2:30 pm Eastern (UTC-4) Online via Zoom: REGISTER NOW Our panel:
This program is co-sponsored by: |
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Centro Pro Unione:Summer Course in Ecumenical & Interreligious MovementsThere is still time to register, until March 31, 2024, for the Centro Pro Unione summer course. This course is designed to introduce participants to the ecumenical and interreligious movements from a Catholic perspective. It will offer a historical and theological overview of the issues that divide Christians as well as the bonds that unite them. The program will also explore relations with other religious traditions. The course, which is in English, is for seminarians or graduate students in theology and religious studies, those who are in preparation for ministry or religious life, those who are in the mission field, those who are ecumenical officers or members of ecumenical commissions, or those who are looking for a sabbatical experience led by qualified professors and ecumenists. Visit the Centro’s website for full details and to register. |
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North American Academy of Ecumenists2024 Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada:“Memory, Truth, and Reconciliation”The North American Academy of Ecumenists (NAAE) will hold its 2024 Annual Conference on September 27-29 at the Toronto School of Theology, in Toronto, Canada. Our theme for 2024 centers on the history of displacement, violence, abuse, and genocide of Indigenous Peoples in which the Christian churches are implicated – especially through the Canadian Residential School system but also in the USA, Mexico, and elsewhere in Greater North America. More broadly, we recognize that church communities regularly sustain traumatic and alienating memories, including accounts of betrayal, oppression, violence, and scapegoating, which are narrated differently and often incompatibly in the ecclesial communities that have been shaped and divided by these experiences. Thus, retrieving, revisiting, and countenancing these memories together are critical tasks for ecumenical engagement and intercommunal reconciliation. We invite proposals that consider (1) any ecumenically pertinent dimension of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, (2) analogous questions of justice and reconciliation in other North American ecclesial communities, or (3) other resonant ecumenical questions around truth, reconciliation, and conflictual memory. Please review the full Call for Papers on the NAAE website. Please send an abstract of roughly 300 words, along with a CV, to the NAAE programs committee at submissions@ecumenists.org no later than June 1, 2024. Visit GEII Online |
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March Newsletter
We had a reflective month full of interesting discussions about faith, community, and tradition. This month get ready for some lovely spring festivities!
Survey
Grand Iftar
Sunday, March 17th, 6:45 PM EST
REGISTER
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Purim Party and Play
Saturday, March 23rd, 7:00 PM EST
REGISTER
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Spring Fling: A Celebration of Nowruz and Easter
Sunday, March 24th, 6:15 PM EST
REGISTER
Spring is the perfect time to do some #gatheringnotothering as we look forward to warmer weather, growth, and better times ahead!
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Intern Spotlight: Linus Glenhaber
Interfaith work is an intergenerational endeavor. That’s why we at IFC prioritize working with undergraduate and graduate students through our internship program. One of our current Spring interns is Linus Glenhaber, who is a Master’s candidate at the University of Bonn. Melia, IFC’s Communications Intern, sat down with Linus to learn more about him and his work at IFC.
What drew you to interfaith work?
I like how interfatih works feels momentous yet personal. Interfaith work like the kind IFC does reaches across boundaries to unite people during a time of extreme divisions while making sure to care for the specific faith communities that make it up.
What does your average day as an intern look like?
Right now I’m working on IFC databases and making sure those are nice and organized. I’ m also creating handouts to raise awareness and dispel harmful streotypes of the different religious groups in Washington DC.
Is interning at IFC inspiring you to continue to do interfaith work in the future?
I think so! I’m finishing up my master’s degree in Ecumenical Studies now so I hope that is in the cards for me.
Do you have a favorite interfaith memory?
Last year, I hosted a Hanukkah celebration for my dorm. I was the only Jewish person there and loved sharing something so important with the people around me. Part of the act of the Holiday is putting the menorah in the window for other people to see. For me, adapting this tradition and sharing it made the ceremony itself richer.
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This week, IFC Board Members Aman Shergill (Sikh), Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky (Jewish), and Carrie Marriott (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), together with her congregation, received a Community Service Award from Interfaith Works. Congratulations!
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Interfaith Programs Around the DMV
March 3 @ 3:00pm
At a home in Bethesda, JIDS will be holding a relatively small, intimate dialogue on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. This is the third such dialogue since October 7th, and the attendees at our first two sessions did a great job of being respectful to the thoughts and feelings of the other participants. Please RSVP — first come, first served — at jids.washington@gmail.com.
March 17 @ 3:00pm
On Sunday, March 17th, JIDS will be joining forces with JAMAAT to present a dialogue on “Islamophobia and Antisemitism.” There will be presentations by an expert on Islamophobia, Todd Green (Director of Campus Partnerships at Interfaith America) and an expert on antisemitism, Rabbi Abbi Sharofksy (Director of Intergroup Relations at the Jewish Community Relations Counsel of Greater Washington). There will also be guidance from Mindy Weinstein, Field Office Director of the U.S. EEOC, on what to do if our loved ones encounter Islamophobia or antisemitism in the workplace. Some time will additionally be provided for Q&A and small group discussions. RSVPs for the March 17th event should be sent to jids.washington@gmail.com.Building the Minds of Peace Gala and Gallery
March 21
Join Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL) as they commemorate the 8th Annual Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War with the event “Building the Minds of Peace: Promoting Institutional Peace via Intercultural Dialogue and Understanding.” In order to inspire the spirit of peace and further promote close cooperation and understanding, this event will bring together U.S. government officials, embassy representatives, NGO leaders, education leaders, and religious figures, through an interactive peace gala and gallery. To RSVP, email ariana.hwpl@gmail.com with your name and your organization, along with any guests who plan to accompany you and any additional accommodations you may need.* We do not take responsibility for the quality or content of events listed that are not sponsored by us. Furthermore, IFC does not necessarily endorse events listed on the calendar.
Not sure what major religious holidays are coming up? Download the IFC Interfaith Calendar and you’ll always be in the know!
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Interfaith Resources
The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has just released its “Allied Against Hate: A Toolkit for Faith Communities.” This toolkit describes practical steps faith communities can take to prevent acts of hate, discrimination, and bias, and to demonstrate solidarity with targeted communities if such acts tragically do occur. To download a copy Click here.
Pepco currently has a House of Worship and Not for Profit assistance program which would provide a credit to qualified Washington, DC organizations. Qualified organizations will receive a reduction to their energy delivery (distribution) rate.
- The metered demand of these customers will be reduced up to 7 kilowatts (kW) monthly for a 12-month period.
- The maximum credit would range between $70 and $115 each month if the customer’s demand is 7kW or greater.
- Customers must fall in the GSLV, GS3A, GT3A, MGT LV, or GT LV rate class which is listed on the bill. Click here to learn more.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, developed the Protecting Places of Worship: Six Steps to Enhance Security Against Targeted Violence Fact Sheet to outline actions that faith-based organizations and community leaders can take to increase security, focusing on six overarching steps. Click here to learn more.
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February Newsletter
We started off 2024 with two fantastic events, a joyful celebration of the Jewish rites of passage and a respectful dialogue around a divisive topic.
The Lord’s Prayer: A Jewish Perspective
Saturday, February 3rd, 1:00 PM EST
Give us this day our daily bread…
The Lord’s Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity that Jesus taught his disciples. But did you know that it has deep connections to Judaism and its ancient texts?
Join Abrahamic House DC as we attend a public lecture at Adas Israel synagogue on understanding this important prayer through a 1st century Jewish context.
In this talk, Rabbi Dr. Noah Bickart will use texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament and Rabbinic Literature to help us better understand the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Prayer.
Adas is a Conservative synagogue in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The lecture will be in the Biran Beit Midrash room.
REGISTER
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The Saints Go Marching In
Tuesday, February 13th, 6:30 PM EST
REGISTER
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Nourishing the Soul:
Fasting Insights and Lenten Fish Fry Convo Club
Friday, March 1st, 6:00 PM EST
REGISTER
With all these great events lined up, we hope to see you at one of them! If you can’t make it, we hope you keep #gatheringnotothering in your own amazing way!
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Reflection on Ecumenism
By Anne Mulqueen, OFS
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Ecumenical / Interfaith Committee Network Summer 2018 Newsletter
(Click on Icon to go to the Ecumenical / Interfaith Newsletter)
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