Dear Friends,
At times, in my darker moments, it seems like American political life has been entirely transformed since ICNY’s last monthly newsletter, which was sent out just days before the presidential election. A national registry for Muslims? A deportation force for DREAMers? Stripping citizenship from flag-burners? Um . . . excuse me? Have we all gone through the alt-right rabbit hole?
But in the weeks since the election, in my brighter moments, I have been reminded of the enduring vitality of our grassroots, multicultural democracy. On November 14th, speaking at a conference on religious pluralism co-sponsored by Kingsborough Community College, ICNY, and others, Rabbi Yehuda Sarna called upon interfaith leaders throughout the country to work with mayors and civic officials, building local structures of resistance to xenophobia. And on November 21st, in a public address at Cooper Union, Mayor Bill de Blasio reminded all New Yorkers of the enduring values of inclusion and respect at the heart of New York’s civic life, and told us simply: “This is who we are. Nothing is going to change that. The results of an election don’t change who we are. . . . We are 8.5 million strong, and we ain’t changing. We are always New York.” Can we get an Amen somebody?
In this context, ICNY is particularly proud of our work with secular civic officials and institutions — weaving a respect for religious diversity into the day-to-day life of the city we love. On November 17th, for example, we worked with partners in the New York City Police Department to convene an interfaith dialogue on “Public Safety in Today’s Multi-Faith New York,” which included a screening of ICNY’s new religious diversity training video for NYPD officers. Through partnerships like these, we will ensure that New York remains a “sanctuary city” in the deepest sense of the term — a place of refuge, security, and spiritual sustenance for every member of our beloved community.
ICNY is planning to continue this work in the coming months, by exploring the theme of “Interfaith Leadership under the Trump Administration” in this spring’s Rabbi Marshall Meyer Retreat for Social Justice. How, we will ask, can New York’s religious and civic leaders best respond to the President-Elect’s xenophobic rhetoric and policy agenda? Stay tuned for details about this important conversation.
Closer to home, the past few weeks have also seen changes here at ICNY. We are deeply sorry to say goodbye to our fantastic Director of Operations, Elly Mason-Murray, but we’re also excited for Elly’s new opportunities — and jealous of her easy commute! ICNY is now seeking a new Operations Manager, and we hope you will share this job description with any strong candidates in your own community or professional network. And finally, you may have noted that our Executive Director, The Rev. Chloe Breyer, is not writing the preamble to this month’s newsletter. Chloe will be on leave for the next two months, making progress on her doctoral dissertation in Christian Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. I’m sure you will all join us in wishing the future Rev. Dr. Breyer a productive sabbatical, and I hope you’ll help us keep the lights on until she returns. Please click here to contribute to ICNY’s ongoing annual appeal, and help us defend the vibrant religious diversity of New York.
ICNY’s newsletter for December is available here.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Henry Goldschmidt
Interim Executive Director
Director of Programs
The Interfaith Center of New York
