Open Doors #4: Protestant Worship, focus on social justice

Rachel Berkowitz '09 from the Interfaith Justice League sends in some info about the fourth event in the Open Doors series:

Curious about social justice, spirituality, or religious observance on campus?

On Sunday, January 25, 2009, in Memorial Chapel at 2PM, join guest minister The Reverend Dr. A. Knighton Stanley, author of A View From My Window and The Children is Crying along with Pastor Joan Cooper Burnett, Protestant Chaplain, the Chapel Ministers, Praise and Worship Team, and the Interfaith Justice League, as we gather to celebrate our covenant relationship with God and are reminded of our relationship with neighbor.

This Open Door gathering is designed as a cry to God for justice in the midst of injustice, a call to God's people to practice justice, and a proclamation of God's vision of a just world.

This is the fourth event in an "Open Doors" series of open religious/spiritual gatherings around campus, organized by the Interfaith Justice League and various faith communities, in which we visit a different religious/spiritual service each week, and invite the greater campus community to join us. Keep your eyes open for more upcoming events!

What: Social justice-focused Protestant Worship with Reverend Dr. A. Knighton Stanley
When: Sun, Jan. 25th at 2 pm
Where: Memorial Chapel

Interfaith Shabbat - in just a few hours!

Rachel Berkowitz '09 sends in word that tonight's Shabbat services will be the first in a series of events, where different religious communities will especially invite people of all different faiths to come participate:

Curious about spirituality or religious observance on campus? Came to the Fast-a-Thon, and would like to get involved with interfaith action here at Wesleyan? The Interfaith Justice League's planning to visit a different religious/spiritual service each week, and you're invited!

This week we're going to Shabbat services, 6:15 this Friday at the Bayit! Shabbat is a great time to take a break between the schoolweek and the weekend to rest, sing, pray, and eat good food. The service will be specially designed to be inclusive and open to all, and will be followed by a delicious home-cooked dinner. If you have questions, feel free to e-mail bsachshamilt@wes.

This is the first event in an "Open Doors" series of open religious/spiritual gatherings around campus, organized by the Interfaith Justice League and various faith communities. Keep your eyes open for more upcoming events.

When: 6:15 pm (today! like in two hours)
Where: the Bayit (157 Church St., the big brick building across the street from Open House, near the corner of Church and High)

Fast-a-Thon is here!!

The Fast-a-Thon is TOMORROW. This means that if you want to donate meals/points to the Amazing Grace food pantry, you need to RSVP right away. It's easy - all you have to do is e-mail how many points or meals you want to donate (it can be anything - donate just 3 points, or do what most people are doing, and donate the points you would have spent on food that day, ~13. maximum of donating 3 meals, though)

2nd Annual Fast-a-Thon and Annual Ramadan Banquet
Join the campus in FASTING for a day, DONATE the day's unused meals/points to the local food pantry, Amazing Grace, and eat FREE and delicious Indian food from HAVELI INDIA at the RAMADAN BANQUET. First-comers get a FREE T-SHIRT for participating in Wesleyan's annual FAST-A-THON!!!!!!

Fast-a-Thon
Who: ANYONE!!!! Students, faculty, staff of any/all/no religious affiliation and Middletown residents as well
When: 5:00AM to 6:45PM, Thursday September 25th 2008
Where: All across campus
Why: Because many people in Middletown go hungry every night, and because none of us (regardless of background) think that its okay. Donate your unused points or meals for the day.
RSVP: interfaith.fastathon@gmail.com to participate, or for more info. RSVP is required! Include Name, ID, and how many points (unlimited)/meals (max 3) you want to donate.

Ramadan Banquet
Who: Everyone!!! You don't need to have fasted to attend.
When: 5:45PM, Thursday September 25th 2008 (tomorrow!)
Where: Beckham Hall, Fayerwether
Why: To eat delicious free Indian food from Haveli, meet new people, hear Michael Roth speak, learn about fasting across cultures, learn about Ramadan, and demonstrate solidarity in the face of local poverty.

Sponsored by: Interfaith Justice League, Muslim Student Association, Haveli India, Bon Appetit, Middletown Mayor, University Chaplains, OCS, Reslife, Adelphic Education Fund, SBC, SALD, Campus Progress, Middletown Clergy Association, Shakti, Havurah, CSO

Students Profiled: Fast-a-Thon organizers

I spoke to Nadeem Modan '10, Rachel Berkowitz '09, and Ann-Marie Illsley '10 about their work in organizing the second annual Fast-A-Thon, an event where participants fast from dawn until dusk, and donate the money/points/meals they would have used on food to the Amazing Grace food pantry. Last year, over $4,500 was donated and 250 individuals fasted for one day.

Me: So, this is the second year of running the Fast-a-Thon, right?
Rachel: Right.
Me: So how did the idea of the program start?
Nadeem: The Muslim community used to have a Ramadan banquet every year, and then it just made sense to expand it beyond the Muslim community, because fasting is something shared by so many different faiths.
Rachel: And the goal of alleviating hunger is a goal shared by many different faiths, and, independently, a number of faith and other organizations contribute to the Amazing Grace food pantry. But this is a way of us all coming together on the same day to all fast and raise money together, as one big community.
Me: Last year, this was an entirely Wesleyan event. How did you decide to expand the Fast-a-Thon event beyond the Wesleyan bubble?
Ann-Marie: Hunger is a community issue.
Nadeem: There's no reason not to.
Rachel: This is an opportunity to bring Wesleyan and Middletown together.
Me: So would you say that this whole event is about coming together in general, for communities of all sorts? Middletown and Wesleyan, different faiths, etc...
Nadeem: People coming together for a shared cause or goal, yeah.
Me: So you guys are all involved in the Interfaith Justice League. What other kinds of things does the IJL do?
Rachel: Well, in the past we've done...
Ann-Marie: the Interfaith Banquet during Wesfest...
Rachel: We had an interfaith film series...
Nadeem: And especially just coming together around issues of social justice.

Watch out for more details about the event to be posted next week, or join the facebook group for the Fast-a-Thon and Ramadan Banquet 2008, taking place next Thursday the 25th.

Interfaith Film Festival starts tonight!

The Interfaith Film Festival will be running this whole week, starting tonight at 8:00 with Samsara. Each night, a (FREE) film with themes from a different faith tradition will be shown. Here's the full schedule:

Monday: Samsara (Buddhist)
Tuesday: To End all Wars (Christian) in PAC 004
Wednesday: Cape of Good Hope (Bahai)
Thursday: Arranged (Jewish/Muslim)
Friday: Adi Shankaracharya (Hindu)

All movies start at 8:00 pm in PAC001 (except To End All Wars)