News

A Reflection on “How to Navigate Religious Differences in Our Divisive World"

The Interfaith Center at Miami University Geneva Blackmer, Interim Director On May 17 th , 2024, at 2:00pm ET, the Interfaith Center at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio welcomed author Deborah Levine for a virtual presentation titled "How to Navigate Religious Differences in Our Divisive World". This presentation, based on the content in her book, “Religious Diversity in Our Schools” drew attention to current cultural trends exasperating fear, anger, and frustration in our local communities. She connected the rise in such tensions to the increased spread of information and misinformation online, the lack of separation between religion and political elections, growing international conflicts such as the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas wars, and policy changes across university campuses regarding DEI activities. Levine suggested that efforts to promote religious literacy on campus must also inspire goodwill and prioritize common values. This includes the incorporation of multi-faith calendars which observe all major religious holidays, the recognition of sacred food practices, the importance of language, and an understanding of important life cycle events. She recommended unifying diverse groups through mutual concern for community issues, such as participating in service projects at food banks and homeless shelters. Further, she stressed the importance of honoring these works by holding award ceremonies on campus for those leading initiatives with meaningful impact. Most significantly, she recommended strategies for countering culture clashes on campus that can lead to hate speech, violence, and vandalism, encouraging participants to not blame individuals for international conflicts and to engage in ongoing learning. She suggested a model for engaging in constructive dialogue around the Middle East through the creation of an Abrahamic sub-committee, comprised of faculty and students. She stressed the importance of a limited number of participants, and the creation of a reading list and appropriate guidelines for dialogue. The group should begin with low impact themes and gradually progress towards conflict-oriented themes as trust is built. With time and growth, opportunities for broadened dialogue participation may be cultivated. Increasing polarization has led to dangerously high hate incidents of Islamophobia and Antisemitism across North America, with reports from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Anti-Defamation League citing an increase of 300-400% since October 7th. It is more important now, than ever, that interfaith leaders do their best to mitigate tensions on our local campuses and communities that can lead to religiously motivated violence. To participate in upcoming Interfaith Center programs, please visit https://www.oxfordinterfaithcenter.org/.

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The Skirball Museum Presents New Exhibit

[caption id="attachment_5228" align="alignleft" width="265"] Six Yads from The Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers[/caption] The Skirball Museum on the historic Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is pleased to present The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers, on view through Sunday, July 28, 2024. A Torah pointer is often called a yad, the Hebrew word for hand, because a pointing finger was characteristically a prominent feature of early examples. Pointers are tools exclusively used to keep one’s place in the Torah scroll, the central text of the Jewish faith, which is densely hand-written in Hebrew. The yad also assists in protecting the integrity of the quilled letters and the delicate vellum of the Torah scroll. For hundreds of years, Jews used simple tapered wooden sticks to point the way through the text of the Torah, or Five Books of Moses. Virginia resident Clay H. Barr began acquiring Torah pointers nearly [caption id="attachment_5230" align="alignleft" width="300"] John Okulick (American b. 1947), Cosmic Wand, 2020, painted wood. Photo courtesy of the Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers[/caption] 30 years ago in memory of her late husband, Jay D. A. Barr. Her collection of more than 250 Torah pointers includes antique and contemporary examples that represent the full range of elaborate historic forms. Barr’s yads, 130 of which are on view in this exhibition, range in length from a few inches to nearly two feet. While some are made from traditional materials such as wood, silver, gold, or ivory and date to the 18th century, Barr has reached beyond Jewish artisans to commission Torah pointers from artists who fashioned them from Lucite, glass, beading, concrete, and even a skateboard among other unconventional materials. Yads by Tobi Kahn, Wendell Castle, and Albert Paley are among the commissioned pieces that appear in the Skirball show. Because yads have no design restrictions, the design possibilities are endless. As a complement to The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Collection of [caption id="attachment_5229" align="alignleft" width="300"] Jennifer Banks (American b. 1966), Torah Pointer and Stand, 2007, pointer: ebony, copper, silver; stand: copper, silver, multiple layers of resin mixed with red pigment. Photo courtesy of the Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers[/caption] Torah Pointers, the Skirball is offering an online exhibition of its own yads, which includes examples by Stuart Golder, M. Goldsmidt, Ludwig Yehuda Wolpert, and Fred Fenster. Upcoming public programs in conjunction with the exhibition include Make Your Own Yad! with Cincinnati artist Judith Serling-Sturm on Sunday, May 5; Lunch and Learn with curatorial consultant Abby Schwartz and collections manager Sheri Besso on Thursday, June 6; and Functional and Fabulous: The History and Artistry of the Yad with Abby Schwartz on Tuesday, July 16. To register, visit https://csm.huc.edu,  email awheeler@huc.edu, or call 513.487.3231. Transcending religious iconography, this dazzling exhibition is certain to appeal to all who appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of fine art.  

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Fluidity Concert To Benefit Faith Communities Go Green

Concert: Mysterium: Earth, Water, Wind, Void, and Fire -The Five Elements. Fluidity: A Creative Choral Community for a Cause is a chorus of passionate and diverse singers that gives back to our community by putting on choral concerts that benefit non-profit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area. Twice a year, spring and fall, Fluidity’s board selects and performs unique, creative concerts, that inspire and educate their audience to the mission and importance of the chosen non-profit organizations. Fluidity will perform on April 13th a concert to benefit Faith Communities Go Green, a collaboration with Green Umbrella, our region’s premiere environmental organization and EquaSion, our region’s premiere interfaith organization. Faith Communities Go Green partners with religious communities to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all by mobilizing their moral voice to reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change by integrating care for our world in their lives and society. Hear from Faith Communities Go Green leaders about their engagement with communities representing all faiths and ethnic backgrounds, working for all generations, to becoming better stewards of the Earth, our common home. Join us for refreshments following the concert. First Lutheran Church, 1208 Race Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Tickets go on sale March 1, 2024, here: https://tickets.chorusconnection.com/fluidity/events/962 Tickets are $25 each. Seating is limited.

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The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers (Hybrid - Exhibit Opening)

Be dazzled by over 100 antique and contemporary Torah pointers, known by the Hebrew word yad for hand. The yad is used to keep one’s place in the Torah scroll, the central text of the Jewish faith, which is densely hand-written in Hebrew. Created by artists from different ages and cultures and made of diverse materials including wood, precious metals, jewels, ceramics, paper, and more, these yads chronicle the timeless, universal aesthetic guide in reading the Torah. The collection was formed by Virginia resident Clay H. Barr, who began collecting Torah pointers nearly three decades ago in memory of her late husband, Jay D.A. Barr. In addition to acquiring pointers that represent the historic forms of the object, she continues to commission creative new yads from contemporary artists such as Tobi Kahn, Wendell Castle, and Albert Paley. Transcending religious iconography, this exhibition appeals to all who appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of fine art. All events below will take place at Mayerson Hall, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH.  A live stream option is also available by registering through links below. Opening Night Reception: Reservation Suggested

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Investing in the Future Means Investing in Sustainability

By: Kathleen Sellers Cincinnati, OH – On February 26, Faith Communities Go Green (FCGG), an initiative of the Green Umbrella, hosted the webinar Save (for) the Planet: Know the POWER of your Dollars, which was attended by more than thirty people. This educational event was designed to teach participants how to make Earth-friendly choices with their money, by exploring how banking choices impact the planet and climate change. Ditte Wolin, Member of TH!RD ACT, Ohio Working Group; Howard Fischer, Steward and the Chief Evangelist at Gratitude Railroad; and Kyle Väth, Parishioner at Christ Church Cathedral Episcopal Church engaged in a conversation in which they shared insights from their decades of combined experience with sustainable investing, divestment, and collective action concerning sustainable finance. Becca Desai, Co-Leader of FCGG Education/Lifestyles Working Group, moderated the conversation.  While each speaker had distinct experiences and training in this topic, they agreed that thoughtful engagement with the banking system is one of the most impactful ways that we can individually and collectively live out sustainable values. “Every dollar we spend impacts the environment,” explained Howard Fischer, an emeritus leader in capital management, which is why people should be intentional that their spending can and should “best serve your values and needs.”  One key way that people can do this is by investing in companies that share their values for sustainability. Fischer explained that there are financial management companies that specialize in impact investing and sustainable investment, and many firms today offer  investment portfolios that do not include any fossil fuel companies, for example.  Investing is not the only way that presenters recommended aligning their money with their values for sustainability. Kyle Väth described how the choice of where to bank, what credit card to use, and even where to purchase auto or home insurance can have significant impact on the environment, because each of these financial tools and institutions uses our money for some “downstream” purpose. That is, they profit by investing our money in other companies, companies which may or may not be sustainable. If we are deliberate about the financial institutions we work with we can be more confident that our money is supporting a sustainable future. The choice to act so deliberately is necessary in our capitalistic society. As Väth asserted, “Where there is profit, we need prophets.” Both Väth and Ditte Wolin were clear that while our individual actions do matter, working together with others increases our impact. Wolin, who is active in an organization called TH!RD ACT, which mobiles citizens over 60 to fight for climate justice and democracy, reflected, “What do you tell your grandkids [you did to respond to climate change]?” One clear answer, she suggests, is to move your money. But by working with TH!RD Act, Wolin shared how collective action among concerned citizens can encourage larger financial institutions to move their money too, like when a petition from tens of thousands of concerned citizens prompted the new CEO of Costco to reconsider their ties to CitiBank.  Väth brought the idea of collective action even closer to home, by reflection on how congregations can also take action to make more sustainable investments. And he explained, people of faith should address this issue because climate change is indirectly causing harm to the most vulnerable in our society. If we care about the vulnerable, and care about future generations, we need to reckon collectively with the fact that “money is where the power is.” Väth recommended several steps that congregants can take to start moving their faith communities toward more sustainable action, beginning with forming a “Green Team.”  Anyone interested in exploring this idea further, or wanting to learn more about sustainable investing, divesting, and reinvestment strategies can begin with this Program Toolkit, provided by the presenters at this event.  You can also get more engaged in sustainability work in the Southwest Ohio region by visiting the Faith Communities Go Green website: https://fcgg.org/.

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