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Upcoming Events
Happy Holidays to Our Christian and Jewish Friends!
The current week is holy to both Jews and Christians, for it marks the celebration of Pesach, or Passover, for Jews, which started Monday evening, and of Holy Week, the commemoration of Jesus’ death and resurrection, which started last Sunday, Palm Sunday, and concludes on Easter Sunday, April 16th. We wish Happy Holidays/Chag Sameach to our Jewish and Christian staff, volunteers, and friends!
Interfaith Speakers Bureau Training This
Thursday, April 13th, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
ING Office in San Jose
To learn more about this upcoming Interfaith Speakers Bureau training program or to register please visit our site or contact ING Interfaith Coordinator Kate Chance at [email protected]
Know Your Neighbor Webinar: Demystifying Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam – Wednesday, April 19th – 11:00 AM Pacific Time
Hate crimes against Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim Americans have increased over the past few months. This free webinar aims to inform audience members about the basics of Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam, including, but not limited to, a presentation of core principles and fundamental beliefs and refutation of various stereotypes. Register at our site.
Interfaith Unity Panel at Berkeley Buddhist Temple
Sunday, April 23rd in Berkeley
ING Content Director Ameena Jandali will be a part of an Interfaith Unity Panel in which various minority communities will speak on the issues they are facing and what they can do to support one another. It is sponsored by the Berkeley Buddhist Temple and the Japanese-American Citizens’ League.
Muslim-Jewish Cooking Series Part 2:
Community Dinner – Sunday, May 7th in Los Gatos
There have been two cooking events where Muslim and Jewish women learned new recipes representing one another’s faith traditions and cultural backgrounds. Now we will conclude this series by opening up to both communities at large and inviting all–men, women, children–of these traditions to come together for a shared potluck.
Commonwealth Club’s “Understanding Islam” Series
ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi and Content Director Ameena Jandali will participate in the Commonwealth Club speaker series entitled “Understanding Islam” at the Embarcadero Room of the Rinconada Library in Palo Alto at 7 p.m. on May 9 and May 22. You can find details and registration links for the individual events below or on our site.
Tuesday, May 9th
Fear of a Faith: Sharia. Surveillance. Terrorism. The Muslim Ban. What’s real, and what’s not?
Monday, May 22nd
Women and Islam
Highlights of Past Events
ING Reaffirms Values Central to Islam and Stands in
Solidarity with Christians in Egypt and Around the World
Following a series of bombings against Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday, ING released a statement reaffirming the values central to Islam:
“The timing and brutality of the attacks are shocking, and no words can express our grief and outrage once again not only over attacks against the sanctity of houses of worship which Islamic law declared sanctified, but also over the violation of a holy day that is dear to all Christians. Once again these attacks show the level of depravity and inhumanity which has characterized ISIS time and again.”
You can read the entire statement on our site.
On the afternoon of Palm Sunday, ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi joined Imam Alaeddin El-Bakri of Santa Clara and Father Jon Pedigo of the Catholic Diocese of San Jose in a march and rally at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. The Mercury News sent a reporting team who recorded Imam El-Bakri’s speech, which you can view here. KNTV, our local NBC affiliate, also covered the event.
Muslim-Jewish Halaqa-Seder Brings Over 200
Friends Together for Dinner and Dialogue
Over 200 members of the Bay Area’s Muslim and Jewish communities met earlier this month at Congregation Beth Jacob in Redwood City for an incredible examination of the Exodus story in their respective scriptures. You can watch video of ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi’s remarks at our site, as well as view a slideshow of pictures from the event. Other media from the dinner as well as past Halaqa-Seders are also available at our site.
Maha Elgenaidi Speaks at PACT South Bay: People Acting
in Community Together Press Conference
ING Executive Director Maha Elgenaidi, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, Supervisor Dave Cortese, District Attorney Jeff Rosen, and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo made statements of solidarity this morning alongside Jewish, Christian, and Buddhist faith leaders, community members, and other elected officials to denounce acts and laws of hate that separate our families and communities. Read Maha’s speech at our staff blog, and watch video of the event (with Maha just after the 5-minute mark).
Interfaith Panel in Santa Rosa Explores Shared Values
The ING Interfaith Speakers Bureau delivered a panel on shared values among the world’s religions. ING Interfaith Coordinator Kate Chance, Content Director Ameena Jandali, and Content Manager & Programs Analyst Henry Millstein participated along with ING speakers Dr. Sulochina Lulla, Jian Hu Shifu, and Esther Heller. The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reported on the event, and you can watch a recorded livestream of the panel here. You can also use our site to request an interfaith panel in your area.
ING Office Hosts French Interfaith Leaders
French interfaith leaders visited the ING office recently to learn more about our national interfaith efforts and ways to further similar initiatives in France. Among them were Bordeaux Deputy Mayor Mr. Fetouh, Director of Strasbourg’s Coexist Mr. Niane, City of Marseille elected official Ms. Soilhi, and Mr. Hammou, the founder of “Too Young to Die.” Our deep thanks to them all for taking the time to visit our office and talk about issues facing both France and the United States!
ING Content Director Ameena Jandali Wins Our
First “Employee of the Quarter” Award
Pictured left to right – Ishaq Pathan, INGYouth Coordinator; Kate Chance, Interfaith Coordinator; Ameena Jandali, Content Director; Tim Brauhn, Communications Manager (by Skype); Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director; Aaron Choy, Program Coordinator; Henry Millstein, PhD, Content Manager & Programs Analyst.
Congratulations to ING’s Content Director Ameena Jandali (holding the balloons) for winning our first “Employee of the Quarter” award for her tireless dedication to ING’s mission and core values. She is a source of inspiration for our staff. We’re not entirely sure how Ameena participates in as many presentations about Islam or interfaith panels as she does, but she certainly covers a lot of ground (educational and physical) week after week. Not pictured above: Paky ElHossamy, Accounting Manager; Hind Ghandour, PhD, Programs Manager; Steven Cohen, Media Consultant.