Where: East Side Community High School, 11th street entrance between 1st Avenue and Avenue A, New York, NY

“Debate in the Neighborhood” culminates in this final tournament that brings teams of high-school aged students together to debate the topic:

Ethnic profiling is a justified means of combating terrorism

The students, from the Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, the Jamaica Muslim Center, and the Sikh Cultural Society and Gurdwara in Ozone Park (in partnership with UNITED SIKHS) have been honing their debate skills since late February when the program launched, and will compete this Sunday in a final, prize-winning competition.

The public is invited to come cheer on these future leaders of the City of New York.  Media are encouraged to attend at any time, but please note that elimination rounds will be taking place throughout the day, and that the most exciting debates are likely to be the final ones, which begin at 4:30 pm, and will be followed by an awards ceremony.

“Debate in the Neighborhood,” a collaboration of The Interfaith Center of New York (ICNY) and the International Debate Education Association (IDEA) New York office, and funded by Open Society Youth Initiative, brings debate beyond the conventional school environment directly to immigrant and first-generation students, giving them access to an enriching educational tradition. Additionally, the program fosters understanding, cooperation, and a free and lively exchange of ideas among students from diverse cultures, ethnicities, and religious traditions demonstrating that opposing views can be explored in ways that connect rather than divide people.

The program’s debate topics are centered on “Securing Liberty”, a text published by IDEA about reconciling the threat of terrorism and democratic values in the post 9/11 United States.

Contact:
Kevin Childress
Interfaith Center of New York
(212) 870-3510
kevin@interfaithcenter.org

A full text of the letter can be accessed here.

~ Meeting one another across lines of faith, culture, country of origin and other lines of difference
~ Learning and building collective strength as neighbors
~ Making Astoria the kind of place that reflects values of welcome, friendship, and collaboration

DATE: Thursday, May 31
TIME: 6:00 pm
LOCATION: Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens, 23-40 Astoria Blvd., Astoria, NY 11102.

This conversation began in November 2011 as part of city-wide discussions during the tenth anniversary of 9/11 that brought New Yorkers together to remember how strong we are when we connect: in shared service, through sharing our faiths and our traditions, in shared action on behalf of a shared community.

At the November conversation a vision emerged of a Welcoming Astoria, and an Astoria in which neighbors work together to make Astoria a welcoming community for all, whether they have lived in the community for generations or they have just recently moved into the neighborhood. The Interfaith Center of New York then received funding from the New York Community Trust to help the conversation continue.

Come join us on April 26 where we continue the conversation and create an action plan for how we can make Astoria a welcome home for everyone.

For more information, contact Anushavan Margaryan, (212) 870-3515 or anushavan@interfaithcenter.org.

Date: Sunday, May 20

Time: 9:00 am Welcome; 10:00 – 4:00 pm Elimination Rounds; 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm Final Tournament and Awards Ceremony

Location: East Side High School, 420 E. 12th Street (near 1st Avenue)

FREE – No RSVP required.

A collaboration of ICNY and the International Debate Education Association (IDEA), and funded by Open Society Youth Initiative, Debate in the Neighborhood aims to engage immigrant and first-generation students in the enriching educational tradition of debate, and to foster understanding, cooperation, and a free and lively exchange of ideas among young New Yorkers from diverse cultures, ethnicities and religious traditions.

For more information, contact Kevin Childress at (212) 870-3510 or kevin@interfaithcenter.org.

Youth from the Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, the Jamaica Muslim Center, and the Sikh Cultural Society and Gurdwara in Ozone Park (in partnership with UNITED SIKHS) will be divided into teams to argue a topic chosen by producers and viewers of India Talks!

Please tune in, to cheer on the future leaders of our city as they engage in Debate in the Neighborhood.  Note: the final tournament of Debate in the Neighborhood will be a public event, and is scheduled for Sunday, May 20.  Stay tuned for future announcements regarding the location and time of this event.

A collaboration of ICNY and the International Debate Education Association (IDEA), and funded by Open Society Youth Initiative, Debate in the Neighborhood aims to engage immigrant and first-generation students in the enriching educational tradition of debate, and to foster understanding, cooperation, and a free and lively exchange of ideas among young New Yorkers from diverse cultures, ethnicities and religious traditions.

In honor of Mother’s Day, we invite you to join Jewish and Muslim women to share all we have in common as mothers and daughters. We will study Biblical and Quranic texts, as well as selections from the Hadith of Muslim tradition and the midrashim of Jewish tradition. Participating will be Daisy Khan (pictured, left), Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) and JCC Executive Director Rabbi Joy Levitt (right).  Co-sponsored by the JCC, ASMA, and the Interfaith Center of New York.

How to Become a “Welcoming Community” for Members, Family and Friends Returning From Prison — A Training by the Rev. Darren A. Ferguson and Others

When someone comes home from prison to your community, including your faith community: how can you let them know that you are glad they are back? How can the faith community offer active support to the individual and their family? There is a lot you can do!

Date: Monday, May 21

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Location: Infinity Mennonite Church, 2522 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. NY, NY, 10039

To RSVP, or for more information, Contact: Rev. Darren Ferguson, Outreach Coordinator: 212-870-3513, Darren@interfaithcenter.org.

Because Jain practice is to never eat after sunset, the evening was prefaced with an early communal vegan meal of curry, rice, yogurt and many other delicious dishes, graciously prepared by volunteers of the Jain Center.  As people dined, they learned about the principle of “ahimsa” (non-violence) and the dietary ways in which this tenet is observed by Jains, through a strict vegetarianism that includes the avoidance of root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots, the planting and harvesting of which can result in the deaths of insects in the soil.

After the meal, guests and hosts gathered in a prayer hall for an introduction to the Jain religion, which professes non-violence for all living beings.  With origins dating back more than 2,500 years, there are about 4 million Jains in India today, and a growing presence in America and elsewhere.  The word “Jain” is derived from the word “Jina,” the term for a soul that has conquered the passions which taint one’s soul with bad karma.

Several of the guests asked about the repeated use of the swastika design in Jain art and iconography.  The swastika, we learned, is an ancient emblem that, for the Jains and people of many other faiths, greatly predates the 20th century associations of intolerance and hatred.  This symbol actually dates back thousands of years, and has been used in many cultures and religions to convey a spiritual message about the cycles of death and rebirth which all souls should strive to be liberated from.

Our guide and teacher, Ms. Susmita Mehta, led us through numerous temples throughout multiple floors of the building, each featuring a place a worship that uniquely reflects the ritual practices of a particular Jain sect.  For example, the Mahavirswami Temple on the 2^nd floor is shown below:

This light and airy temple was fragrant with the scent of incense, and featured paintings and statues of “Jina” whose souls have achieved perfection.  In this temple, the figures are clothed and ornamented, in keeping with the tradition of the Swetamber group of Jains who are often called “White Clad,” in reference to the type of garment members of this sect traditionally wear.

In this temple, Ms. Gandhi led the group before a group of Jina statues, showing us how to pray to the Jina for guidance.  “The jina is like a mirror,” Ms. Gandhi observed.  “They remind each of us that our souls are also perfect.  We pray to the jina to help us find our way to that perfection.”

The main temple on the 3^rd floor is called Adinath Jinalaya, and is the worship space for the Digamber group of Jains who are also called “Sky Clad,” in reference to the practice of shedding all clothing once the soul has achieved a near-perfect state of liberation.  The deital figures in this temple were corresponding unclothed.   Other temples, including the Ashtapad Mah Tirath, were made of impressive collections of Jina statues carved from precious stones.

It is remarkable that each of the five temples in this Center is specifically designed for a particular Jain sect, and that outside the temples – in the dining hall, libraries, and meeting rooms – all Jains interact.  This would be akin to a mosque containing prayer spaces for both Sunni and Shia followers, or a Christian church containing different chapels for Lutherans, Baptists, Mormons, etc.  For the Jains, this arrangement makes perfect sense.  “We all follow the same philosophies,” Ms. Gandhi noted, “Only the ritual observances vary.”

MICAH INSTITUTE MEDIA ADVISORY:

Contact:  Gail Davis, 347-267-7465, winimge@aol.com

Director of Communications, Micah Institute at New York Theological Seminary

After Historic Campaign, Living Wage Bill Comes to a Vote

Press Conference: Today, 12 Noon, Steps of City Hall, Lower Manhattan

***Vote on the Bill to Follow in the City Council After Press Conference***

What: Culminating an historic two-year campaign, the final living wage bill will be voted on by the New York City Council today. This vote is expected to reflect the views of the vast majority of New Yorkers who favor the living wage bill, according to Quinnipiac University polling. Before the vote, RWDSU and Living Wage NYC will hold a noon press conference with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, Micah Institute Director Peter Heltzel and others on the steps of City Hall.

Who: New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, New York City Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio, New York City Comptroller John C. Liu, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, Micah Institute Director Peter Heltzel, City Council members, leading experts on living wage legislation, community leaders, workers, clergy, and other supporters.

When: Today, April 30, 12 noon.

Where: Steps of City Hall, Lower Manhattan (4,5,6 to Brooklyn Bridge/ City Hall, 2,3 to Park Place, N,R to City Hall, or A,C to Chambers)

About the Micah Institute at New York Theological Seminary

The Micah Institute educates faith leaders to fight justice and poverty in New York City and around the world.  Taking a lead role in organizing clergy for the Living Wage NYC campaign, the Micah Institute is building a faith-rooted economic justice movement for love and justice.

About the Living Wage NYC Coalition

Living Wage NYC, built and led by RWDSU, is a large, diverse and growing coalition representing many thousands of New Yorkers, including members of the faith community, anti-hunger groups, anti-poverty organizations, LGBTQ organizations, immigrant organizations, grassroots groups, and labor unions. We are calling on the city to ensure that developers and companies receiving taxpayer subsidies create living wage jobs that strengthen communities, neighborhoods, and households. For more information, visit www.livingwagenyc.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

“The reign of the rich is over! A new day has dawned in New York City. Together — faith leaders, labor leaders, community leaders and elected officials — are changing the culture of New York. We have only just begun to see the fruit of our growing faith-rooted movement for economic justice. Communities of faith will continue to organize for the dignity and respect of working people,” Rev. Peter Goodwin Heltzel, Ph.D., Director, Micah Institute at New York Theological Seminary.

Together in Service:Building Interfaith Partnerships for Social Action