First, Christ & Holy Trinity Church offered its Great Hall for the Saugatuck Congregational Church’s annual Thanksgiving feast.
Now, following last Sunday’s fire at the church, Temple Israel has opened its doors. Saugatuck Church’s regular worship service will take place this Sunday, at 10 a.m.
Temple Israel is also providing rooms for church school and child care.
A perfect example of “loving thy neighbor.”
A pastor, a rabbi and an imam walk into a room…
No, it’s not a joke. It’s what takes place at the Saugatuck Congregational Church this Sunday (Sept. 26, 4 p.m.).
The Interfaith Amigos. Can you guess which one is the imam, pastor and rabbi?
Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon and Imam Jamal Rahman — all from Seattle — were brought together by 9/11. They shared mutual respect, and a willingness to question the teachings of their own faith traditions.
Then they took their show on the road.
Their message — of deep hope and profound possibilities for healing — has been delivered to audiences in the U.S., Israel-Palestine (hey, that’s what the press release says), and Japan.
The Interfaith Amigos promise “insightful dialogue, discussion of the sameness and differences within each faith, wisdom and of course, a sense of humor.”
Neither shy nor timid, they discuss religious teachings and actions contrary to the core teaching of their faiths in areas like violence, gender inequality and homophobia.
They’ll address — with spiritual wisdom and humor — “awkward” parts of each tradition. Is Jesus the only way? Are Jews really the chosen people? And what’s up with the Koran, anyway?
Sunday’s event includes a 90-minute discussion, and 30 minutes of questions. There will be refreshments.
The event is free.
Just bring an open mind.
(“The Interfaith Amigos” is sponsored by the Westport/Weston Interfaith Council, with generous donations from the George Mangold Lecture Series and Temple Israel.)
Posted in Organizations, People, religion
Tagged Interfaith Amigos, Saugatuck Congregational Church, Temple Israel
Jews and substance abuse.
To some, that’s an oxymoron. To others — Jewish community leaders and addiction professionals alike — that denial is as much a problem as alcohol and drugs themselves.
Which is why on Wednesday, April 21, Jewish Family Service is co-sponsoring an interactive panel discussion: “Behind Closed Doors? Alcoholism & Addiction in the Jewish Community.”
The free event is set for 7 p.m. at the 420 Post Road West offices of Positive Directions, the non-profit, non-sectarian social service agency that is also sponsoring the event.
Panelists — including addiction experts; the coordinator of JFS’s J PASS program (Jewish Partnership for Addiction Support and Services), and a Jewish man in recovery — will discuss long-standing cultural and religious traditions surrounding the issue of substance abuse, and describe services available to the Jewish community.
“Alcohol, gambling and other addictions run under the radar in Jewish communities,” said Eve Moskowitz, JFS director of clinical services.
“Jews don’t have a place to address addictions, because they and their families think it’s not appropriate for them to have addictions.”
“AA is wonderful, but Jews don’t always go there,” added Marty Hauhuth, executive director of Positive Directions. “A lot of meetings are held in churches, and they end with the Lord’s Prayer.”
JFS tried a similar program, with limited success. So they’ve partnered with Positive Directions, in hopes of reaching a broader audience.
This is not Positive Directions’ 1st time addressing the issue. They’ve worked with the UJA on a “Jews in Recovery” program, as well as with the JFS on a better-attended session at the Westport Y.
Is this the 1st religious group that has partnered with Positive Directions? Hauhuth paused to think.
“Temple Israel has always been very generous with funding for Positive Directions, and so have several churches,” she noted. “And we get many referrals from religious groups, all the time. We’re always open to any community group that wants to work with us.”
(For more information, call Positive Directions at 203-227-7644, or Eve Moskowitz at 203-921-4161.)
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