Author Archives: sivicouncil

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Silicon Valley Interreligious Council (SiVIC)

A Blessed Ramadan!

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Ramadan_moon-A blessed Ramadan to all the Muslim communities in our area! During this sacred month of fasting, prayer, and acts of compassion and generosity, many local groups are inviting friends and neighbors to join them to break the fast with an iftar meal. If you’ve wanted to learn more about Islam, or just want to get to know your Muslim neighbors better, this is the perfect time.

Check our calendar for upcoming Ramadan events. Among those sponsoring iftar dinners are:

  • Pacifica Institute in Sunnyvale, on June 23 & 30 and July 7 & 14 (details); beginning with a special session on “The Path to Peace through Interfaith Dialogue“
  • Muslim Community Association in Santa Clara, on June 27 (details)
  • Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Milpitas, on June 27 (details)
  • Pacifica Institute and Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, on June 28 (details)
  • West Valley Muslim Association in Saratoga, on July 10 (details)

On the shootings in “Mother Emanuel” Church

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June 18, 2015

Our hearts go out to the people of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and to the families and friends of the nine victims who were killed as they studied the Bible and prayed together. No religious community – no community—should ever have to bear the pain of having their sacred space invaded by hatred and violence. Our sacred places—be they church, temple, Gurdwara, synagogue, meditation hall or mosque—should be places of sanctuary and peace.

We grieve again for victims of the racism and prejudice that continue to distort our nation. SiVIC reaffirms its commitment to building a more just and compassionate society, and pledges to work together with the local African American community and religious communities to stand against violence and hatred and to celebrate the richness and strength that diversity brings to all of us in Silicon Valley.

SiVIC Board members attend Zen festival

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Several members of the SiVIC Board were invited to attend the annual “Bathing the Buddha” ceremony at the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale on Sunday, May 24. Abbot JianYing not only welcomed them to the celebration, but invited them and others to bring greetings from their home communities. He emphasized the need to make connections among our different traditions.

Interfaith Leaders at Chung Tai Zen Center

Interfaith leaders at Bathing the Buddha Ceremony at Zen Center 2015

Continue Reading →

We’re going to the Parliament!

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Parliament of the World's ReligionsWe have just received word that our proposal for a panel discussion at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City in October has been accepted! Our presentation, “From Partner City to Interreligious Council: Promoting a Just and Compassionate Society” will cover what we have learned over the past several years as SiVIC was founded and as we have grown and developed our work to make a more just and compassionate society.  The panelists will include Rev. D. Andrew Kille, Girish Shah, Joy-Ellen Lipsky, Diane Fisher, and Rowan Fairgrove. Continue Reading →

Ethical Eating

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For those of you who may not have been able to attend the Interreligious Leaders Forum session last week on “What Our Religious Traditions Tell Us about the Food We Do—and Don’t—Eat,” here is a video of the presentations.

The event was co-sponsored by the Markkula Center for Business Ethics at Santa Clara University, and featured a panel that included Ven JianYing, Sunnyvale Zen Center; Dr. Inder Mohan SIngh, San Jose Gurdwara; Madhulika Singh, PreetiRang Sanctuary; and Deven Shah, Jain Center. The panel was moderated by Dr. Sarah Robinson.

 

 

Aid to Nepal

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Nepal EarthquakeA note from SIVIC Board Member Mihir Meghani, MD:
The recent ‪#‎NepalEarthquake‬ has left the international community heartbroken. With over 4,000 lost, many are looking for a way to support the Nepalese community as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

are just some charities who are leading on the ground humanitarian efforts. Look below for links on how you can contribute to one of these organizations.

I have done medical work in Nepal and know these groups.

New Mexico Interfaith Immersion Trip for Teens

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Join us for the Trip of a Lifetime!

Dates: July 28 – August 1, 2015, New Mexico

Download a flyer: New Mexico Teen Immersion 2015

Silicon Valley Teen Interfaith CouncilIn partnership with Shinnyo-en Foundation, the Teen Interfaith Council of Santa Clara County hosts 10 service-oriented high school students on a New Mexico Interfaith Immersion Trip. In addition to youth from diverse religious traditions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism and Islam, five Shinnyo-en Buddhist teens will also join the trip. With adult guidance and supervision in New Mexico’s Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos regions, you and your new friends will have the chance to engage in interfaith dialogue, community service, organic farm work, and various cultural experiences. After the immersion trip, you will continue to engage in meaningful service, dialogue and social justice actions that address issues of poverty, social inequity and promote the common good in Santa Clara County.

Contact Co-directors of Teen Intefaith Council of Santa Clara County Today!
Deacon Steve Herrera, or Diane Fisher
You have the ability and power to be agents of social change!

In Support of the Yezidis

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Statement at Press Conference, April 15, 2015
Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley
(see program: Genocide Before Our Eyes)

On Monday afternoon, I once again had the honor of attending the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day that has been sponsored by the Santa Clara County Supervisors for fifteen years. Each year, the event brings together people from across the community, including students, religious and community leaders, and those in our midst who survived the Holocaust that swept across Europe in the 1930’s and 1940’s, leaving six million Jews dead along with millions of other despised people—Gypsies, the mentally ill, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and more. Continue Reading →

What You Wanted to Know About Other Faiths (but were afraid to ask)

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Menlo Park Presbyterian Church presents a weekend with a panel of scholars from Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish, and Muslim faiths. See full details in our Events Calendar.

Saturday, April 25, 5:00 pm
Sunday, April 26, 8:00 am , 9:30 am, and 11:00 am

At the church in Menlo Park; also viewable at satellite campuses in Mountain View, San Jose, and San Mateo. See locations.

See a video of last year’s presentation.

Do We Need a National Day of Prayer?

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National Day of PrayerMay 7, 2015, will be the National Day of Prayer, observed on the first Thursday of May every year since 1952. Although the day has been observed by people of the diverse religious traditions of the country, for the most part it has been developed, promoted, and observed by more conservative groups of Christians. Continue Reading →