Interfaith

Interfaith group works beyond vigils - The Edwardsville Intelligencer

June 5, 2019
“Vigil after vigil was the only time I’d see the other clergy,” said Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe of Moses Montefiore Temple in Bloomington, who decided, “We need to get together.” So, about a year and a half ago, Dubowe connected with the Rev. Mollie Ward, director of mission and spiritual care at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, to create the McLean County Interfaith Alliance.

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Muslims greet holy month of Ramadan fasting at first City Hall iftar dinner

May 10, 2019
For the first time in St. Louis’ history, City Hall was host to Muslims across the region breaking their fast during the holy month of Ramadan. The official recognition of the celebration meant a lot to St. Louis Muslims, said Donnel Malik Sims, a member of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis and one of about 100 people in attendance, including elected officials and representatives of more than 16 mosques in the St. Louis area. “It means we’re welcome,” Sims said. “St. Louis is a place where we ca

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Reaching out for Ramadan

May 6, 2019
Metro area Muslims hope to share the traditions surrounding Ramadan through a series of community events planned for the coming weeks. Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, will begin for many Muslims at sunset on Sunday and end at sunset June 3, followed by the annual end-of-Ramadan Eid ul-Fitr festival on June 4. The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Oklahoma (CAIR-OK), Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City and the Dialogue Institute of Oklahoma City have partnered with several community or

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New law requires professors in Washington to accommodate religious holidays 

May 2, 2019
A new state law makes it easier for college students to take time off for religious holidays. Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5166 into law on Monday (April 29), making Washington the first state requiring that institutions of higher education provide academic accommodations to students who need them for religious observances. This includes rescheduling exams and permitting absences, as long as the student notifies the professor of the needed accommodation within the first two weeks of class. College p

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In The Wake Of Recent Attacks, Boston’s Jewish And Muslim Communities Connect In Solidarity

May 2, 2019
On Massachusetts' third annual Open Mosque Day on Sunday, 18 mosques across the commonwealth opened their doors to the larger public as members answered questions and gave their neighbors a chance to get to know their local Muslim community. After prayer and a video presentation, Kashif Syed, who represents the outreach team at the Islamic Society of Boston in Cambridge, opened the floor for questions. One woman raised her hand to ask about oppression: “How does your community deal with that?” “We put ou

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In D.C., a call for restaurants to give fasting Muslims an alternative to IHOP in Ramadan

April 29, 2019
When it comes time for Muslims to break their Ramadan fast at sundown during Islam’s holy month, they traditionally start with a few dried dates. For their last full meal before a full day of fasting, many American Muslim families down a plate of pancakes at IHOP. It’s not because Muslims like pancakes more than other Americans. It’s because the 24-hour pancake house chain is often the only local restaurant open at suhoor, the meal eaten just before the ritual fast begins at daybreak. A new initiative cal

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Interfaith coalition building tiny houses for homeless youth

April 25, 2019
“I’m 19 years old. I’ve been struggling with poverty my whole life,” said Jordan Foster to a group assembled at Berkeley’s Congregation Beth El on April 14. “Ever since I’ve been 16 years old, I’ve been homeless and in and out of transitional housing.”Foster came to the synagogue representing Youth Spirit Artworks, an Oakland-based nonprofit job training organization that is in the process of building a village of “tiny houses” for homeless youth ages 18 to 25, assisted by an interfaith coalition that inc

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An interfaith clergy panel models civil discourse in public conversations about tough topics 

April 8, 2019
The Rev. Darrick McGhee was seething. He and four other clergy were gathered at one of their regular public meetings to talk about tough issues, and that day they were trying to make sense of the latest shooting of a young black man.As the hour dragged on, McGhee silently rocked back and forth on his stool. His fellow panel members talked about gun control, the right to bear arms -- anything but race, the real issue at hand, he thought.When he could no longer remain silent, McGhee, the only black member

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Texas Bans Chaplains From Execution Chamber Following Supreme Court Decision 

April 4, 2019
Texas has decided to bar all prison chaplains from its execution chamber after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state violated an inmate’s rights by denying his request for a Buddhist chaplain to be by his side at the time of his scheduled death. “In response to a recent ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has made a change to its execution protocol to only allow TDCJ security personnel in the execution chamber,” Jeremy Desel, a department spokesman,

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The Rabbi and his Church 

March 28, 2019
When Michael Lezak imagined what his future as a rabbi might look like, he didn’t foresee a needle exchange or free HIV and hepatitis C testing next door to his office, or naloxone being administered at least once a week in his hallway to someone who has overdosed on heroin. Nor, for that matter, did he imagine that his office would be in a church. That church is Glide Memorial United Methodist Church. Founded by pastor emeritus Cecil Williams and his wife, Janice Mirikitani, Glide is located in the Tende

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We the (faithful) People: A coalition of religious groups is pushing to redefine faith in Colorado politics 

March 11, 2019
coalition of faith groups is showing up at the state capitol every Tuesday and taking on two big tasks: Pushing legislators for policy that reflects their values and trying to redefine the political voice of the faithful in Colorado. At the launch of Faithful Tuesdays in February, prayers from a Reform rabbi and a Unitarian pastor caused the heads of those gathered to bow, and short sermon-style speeches from a Catholic priest and an African Methodist Episcopal layperson echoed around the grand halls on th

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