Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia

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The Interfaith Center Offers Thanksgiving for our Fantastic Summer Interns!

Three summer interns Ari (back left), Danielle (front center) and Sharan (front right) with the staff of the Interfaith Center and the Medical Mission Sisters during our first Staff Learning Lunch.

This summer, we were blessed with four interns—Louis Lesser, Danielle Heitmann, Sharan Metha, and Ari Saks—as part of newly developed summer internship program that included weekly staff learning lunches, one-on-one mentor pairings with board members, and a chance to work on specialized projects that met both the interns' diverse interests and the Center's most pressing needs.

Combined, these fabulous interns gifted the Interfaith Center staff with more than 1,000 hours of work. We cannot thank them enough for the gifts, creativity, energy and enthusiasm with which they worked on important projects for the Center, as well as their open sharing of their faith traditions and experiences over our learning lunches. They will not be soon forgotten!

Gateway to Religious Communities Continues to Open Doors

Last May and June, "Gateway to Religious Communities" participants visited two more houses of worship in the Philadelphia region – Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Mosque and Fellowship (Islamic), Soka Gakkai International (Buddhist), and Our Lady of Hope (Catholic). Upon reflection, the participants reported that the visits enabled them to learn a lot of new information, to make acquaintances of other faith traditions, and, often, to become energized and inspired by their new understanding. The Interfaith Center is excited to see Gateway to Religious Communities, our first fully public program, take root so quickly, and we look forward to continuing the program throughout the fall and into 2011.

Learn more and register online for future Gateway to Religious Communities events.

Download Program Flyer

Meet Walking the Walk's new Student Group Leaders!

Congratulations to the following youth who have been selected as Student Group Leaders for Walking the Walk in the 2010 - 2011program year. They are:

For the Havertown Network:
Miriam Jason, rising 11th grader, Grace Trinity United Church of Christ
Hannah Schaeffer, rising 11th grader, Suburban Jewish Community Center, B'nai Aaron

For the Suburban West Network:
Aniqa Hassan, rising 11th grader, Foundation of Islamic Education at Villanova
Anisa Tavangar, rising 11th grader, The Philadelphia Baha'i Center

For the West Philadelphia Network:
Sheanah Conneen, rising 11th grader, St. Mary's Episcopal Church of Ardmore
Mara Pliskin, rising 11th grader, Beth Am Israel Synagogue
Baseerah Watson, rising 11th grader, Quba Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies

Walk the Talk - Youth and Adults Join Together in Service

On Sunday April 18, 2010, teenagers from across the city came together to celebrate the "Youth Day of Environmental Action." 171 people (111 youth and 61 adults) participated in the Day of Service, representing 25 diverse religious communities from across the area. The day focused on the theme "Walk the Talk: Be A Good Ancestor" and included presentations from members of the youth-led Green Team, removing invasive vines, planting trees, planting wild flowers, and digging a pond. After planting a ceremonial tree, the day culminated with an opportunity for participants to reflect on their work through drama, poetry, composting, sketching, and journal making. The day was sponsored by the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia in partnership with Fairmount Park, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center, the Arts & Spirituality Center, City Year and State Farm. Take a moment to view more pictures from the Day of Service and check out the latest newsletter reflecting on the empowering theme chosen by the youth leaders.

Zones of Peace Launched

On Monday, March 22nd the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia celebrated its fourth year as a Council.  Members gathered to share their wisdom as they face common challenges.  They also decided to launch ‘Zones of Peace’, an interfaith, grassroots initiative will bring together congregations and schools throughout the region to address the root causes of violence and work for peace.

The Council includes 26 Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Baha’i religious leaders dedicated to “building relationships of mutual support, serving as a moral and spiritual voice, and taking action on issues of critical concern in our region.”

Watch a video telling the story of the 'Zones of Peace' Pilot Projects: 

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