Laurie Wohl’s Birds of Longing: Exile and Memory

An Art Exhibition March 14th – May 2nd
Artist Reception with Laurie on Thursday, March 31st | 5:30pm

This project interweaves Muslim, Jewish, and Christian poetry and spiritual texts from the period of convivencia (co-existence) in Spain (8th-15th centuries), and from modern Middle Eastern poets, particularly Palestinian and Israeli.

Emphasis is on the common themes and striking parallels between Arabic and Hebrew texts, similarly rich in their poetry of spiritual love, an extensive poetry of exile, and poetry of nostalgia for Andalusia.

The project contains Wohl’s weavings, as well as an audio component which consists of readings in English, Arabic, and Hebrew that are interwoven to create a soundscape illustrating the commonality of the Middle Eastern languages.

Wohl will be at the JCC on March 31st as part of an interfaith panel discussion.

ING Panel : Combating the Cancer of Extremism

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Panelists:

Eli Taub: After a long career at Kaiser Permanente as a pediatrician, Eli retired and is now an active member in many Jewish organizations. He served on the Santa Clara County’s Human Relations Commission and has helped plan the County Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony. Eli attended the University of Michigan and received his M.D. at the University of Chicago. He and his wife have two grown children and three granddaughters. Eli represents the Jewish religion.

Henry Millstein: Henry holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies, with a focus on Jewish-Christian relations, from UC Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union,  and has taught humanities and history of religion at Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and the Graduate Theological Union. He worked for 16 years in language and cultural preservation with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon, where he participated in their traditional religious life. His interfaith experience also includes involvement with Jewish and Buddhist communities. Henry represents the Christian religion.

Maha ElGenaidi: Maha is the founder of ING and author of training handbooks on outreach for American Muslims as well as training seminars for public institutions on developing cultural competency with the American Muslim community. She has an M.A. in religious studies from Stanford University and received her bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the American University in Cairo. Maha has been recognized with numerous awards, including the “Civil Rights Leadership Award” from the California Association of Human Relations Organizations and “Citizen of the Year Award” from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Maha represents the Muslim religion.

Learning About Other Traditions

interfaith symbolsIn Commemoration of The 50th Anniversary of Vatican II’s Nostra Aetate (The Church and Other Religions), Santa Teresa Parish presents a five part series about non-­Christian traditions. Promoting mutual respect and understanding to create a more peaceful world characterized by tolerance and good will. Featured speakers come from Muslim, Hindu, Zen Buddhist, Jain, and Jewish traditions. All are welcome! The series begins on Wednesday, November 18, 2015, 7:00 – 8:30 pm at Santa Teresa Parish, 794 Calero Ave, SJ 95123. See the Events Calendar for additional sessions.

“The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.” Nostra Aetate, Vatican II

Download a flyer: Santa Teresa Interfaith Poster