Silicon Valley Interreligious Council (SiVIC) builds interreligious harmony and understanding so as to promote a just and compassionate society in Silicon Valley.
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The Silicon Valley Interreligious Council wishes to once again say how very sorry we are for our religious friends who suffered losses during this holiday season. It is passed time for everyone to condemn these horrific crimes by people who should be in treatment rather than taking the lives of others. May we find the courage in 2020 to change the pattern.
From the invocation at the Pacifica Institute Silicon Valley’s Interfaith Thanksgiving and Forum
Mother Teresa said “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” What a world it would be if we all followed that direction! Imagine if we each sent blessings to one another and gave thanks for all the diversity and variety there is. Each of us is a miracle and we all deserve to be loved and cherished. There should be no room for hote or prejudice directed at any person or group. Instead, let us ensure through our words and deeds that we are on the side of love. May peace, love and joy surround us and may we be thankful this year and every year for what we have been given.
Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste, Ameen
Ar the end of a fun day, at a local festival, the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, tragedy struck by the hands of a gunman. This was not in some far away place, but in our own backyard. How do we once again mourn the loss of children, young people, along with a multitude of wounded? Sending thoughts and prayers is good, but not enough. Not enough to truly assuage the grief of the loved ones. May we find a way for people of all stripes, all beliefs, to come together to help prevent another such tragedy.
SiVIC lends its voice to those faith and interfaith groups around the world in condemning the horrific attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is up to all of us to show our support to all of those affected in this terrorist tragedy. For those who wish to take some action, consider going with a group to a mosque to hold space around the building and be a visible supporter of interfaith relations.
Of course, let them know you would like to do this…
And from Fred Fielding, Global Council Trustee, North America Leadership Council member, United Religions Initiative
Greetings of sorrow but hope for peace,
I received this request from Valerie Kaur and the Revolutionary Love Project. It is a request for support of the victims of the terrorist attack in New Zealand, and for our Muslim and Sikh communities in the U.S. as they worship this weekend.
Please share this with your organizations and communities as soon as possible. Gathering messages of support in these first hours can help bring a sense of comfort as communities gather.
We can show that where one or two people bring violence and hatred, thousands upon thousands bring love and peace.
Thank you,
Northern and Southern California have been ravaged by wildfires and many of us want to help. Here are some of the places where you can donate directly to help those in need:
American Red Cross – Choose California Wildfires from the I Want to Support pull down list
California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund
Enloe Medical Center (near the Camp Fire and acting as the site for multiple evacuation centers)
The Humane Society of Ventura County
Our hearts are broken at the destruction and the loss of life from these fires. We thank all those who have put their lives in harm’s way to fight the fires, rescue those in peril, and tend those who have been hurt and have lost all their possessions. SiVIC sends our prayers and condolences to all affected.
I leave it to the Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian of URI, who provided a beautiful response to the devastating event in Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018. May peace be with all those affected and all of us who are trying to understand how this keeps happening… Rev. Joy-Ellen Lipsky, SiVIC Board Chair
Our hearts break with the news of the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, USA. We weep for the families and friends of the victims. And we stand in love and solidarity with our Jewish sisters and brothers in the face of this horrific act of anti-Semitic violence. The United Religions Initiative global community condemns this act of hate. In our Charter we state that “We value voices that respect others, and believe that sharing our values and wisdom can lead us to act for the good of all.” In a climate in which the violence of vitriolic and hate-filled speech is becoming normalized, acts of violence born of prejudice are the direct result of such dehumanizing rhetoric and the division that it creates. Today’s violence reminds us of the urgency of our work to confront prejudice and counter hate, as we create cultures of peace, justice and healing in our communities and in our world.
In peace…
The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian Jr.
Executive Director
United Religions Initiative
Bells of Peace: A World War I Remembrance
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the World War I Armistice congregations from throughout our County are invited to join citizens and organizations across the nation to ring bells in their communities 21 times at 11:00 am local time on Sunday, November 11, 2018 in remembrance of when fighting ceased.
Peace be with us all!
The Islamic Networks Group (ING) forwarded a link to SiVIC for an article in the LA Times regarding anti-Semitic flyers that went up at UC Davis. Some were also found at UC Berkeley. This type of hate speech is antithetical to everything that our Bay Area Interfaith groups stand for. We need to be vigilant and use our voices against such hate rhetoric.
SiVIC will always show our support for those religions that are the victims of hate speech and violence.
Here is the link to the LA Times article: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ucdavis-flyers-20181009-story.html
The Silicon Valley Interreligious Council congratulates our own, Garth Pickett, SiVIC Treasurer as the
the recipient of the Hindu American Foundation 2018 HAF Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Pluralism. This award is bestowed upon those individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to furthering the cause of pluralism and respect. Garth Pickett’s work in increasing interreligious understanding and strengthening interfaith relations is indicative of this commitment.
The HAF awards ceremony will be held in conjunction with HAF’s Annual Silicon Valley Gala. (See
the SiVIC Events page for more information.
As part of A Day of Jewish Learning event, Venerable JianHu, Abbot of Chung Tai Zen Center, and Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia, Community Engagement Director, Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, had an dialogue on:
“When Bad Things Happen to Good People: Jewish and Buddhist Perspectives”
To view the transcription of this dialogue, click this link to a Dropbox entry: https://www.dropbox.com/s/68f0z7p957b2rdf/20180128%20Jewish%20Buddhist%20Dialogue%20v2.1.docx?dl=1
A Day of Jewish Learning is sponsored by Jewish Community Relations Council.