Author: Katie Sellers

We want to speak up. Whenever marginalized and minority communities are being attacked, we speak up and live as Upstanders, a term celebrated by our own local Holocaust & Humanity Center. Yet, the recent events in Israel and Gaza have caused our own interfaith leaders to pause and even be fearful of saying something, knowing for sure that one community or another will feel as though they’re not being heard.

Desperate times require that we stick together. For those who know us and our history of interfaith work, we were the National Conference of Christians and Jews, BRIDGES for a Just Community, and now EquaSion. We are a broad coalition of people of faith, who are always seeking to be inclusive, while moving the needle toward justice and peace. Following many conversations and e-discussions, we met as a board and agreed that our core values lead us to stand-up, rather than stand-by.

It’s complicated. We acknowledge there are trigger words being used that can shut down the conversation, inflame passions, and strike fear in those who live knowing that there are people who hate you, just because you live as “the other.” As a community, we are bewildered and disheartened by the tragic events that have unfolded over the last two months.

The horror continues. The horrors we initially witnessed in the attack by Hamas on Israel and capture of hostages were beyond words. 1,200 Israelis were killed as a result of the October 7th assault. Our hearts break for the families of those who have lost lives and the 300,000 Israelis who have been displaced. Our hearts break for the loss of life in Gaza, over 14,500 according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency says 1.7 million civilian Palestinians have been forced from their homes causing a humanitarian crisis.

It’s most definitely local. Even though this is all happening thousands of miles away, it is as local as it can be and is impacting us directly. We have relatives and friends caught up in the conflict. Our neighbors are taking to social media to express a side or a point of view. Our local universities are struggling with what to say, and how/when to make a statement. As more of our community members choose sides, we run the risk of dehumanizing our neighbors. Dehumanization leads to more hatred and violence.

This we know is true. We are neighbors. We work together. We break bread together. Our children go to school together. We must recognize the humanity in one another and will continue to fight antisemitism and Islamophobia right here in our own community. Despite our differences, we keep the lines of communication open, and we listen.

Phone a friend. The war is so far away. We feel helpless, not sure what we can do that’s constructive. As communities of faith, we pray for peace. We pray for humanity and an end to the fighting. As individuals, we can reach out to our neighbors who are feeling the pain of this conflict to let them know we’re thinking of them with words of love and support.

Respect for human life is the most basic tenet of all religions. EquaSion, a coalition of 12 world religions, has collected and will post prayers for peace in our monthly email and on our website in the coming days—please visit equasion.org. We call upon all people of faith to employ compassion through action as we pray for and work TOGETHER towards peace AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING HERE AT HOME.

– Board of Directors, EquaSion –
Umama Alam
Tammy Bennett, Esq.
James Buchanan, Ph.D.
Jan Armstrong Cobb
Alfonso Cornejo
Chip Harrod, J.D., Executive Director
Michael W. Hawkins, Esq.
Dan Hoffheimer, Esq.
Sandy Kaltman, Esq.
Aasees Kaur
Inayat K. Malik, M.D.
Raj Manglik, Ph.D.
Evans Nwankwo
Tamara Sullivan

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[P.S. We are encouraged by the current, albeit temporary, truce and hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, and we pray that this leads to the return of all hostages and an end to the hostilities. We are also keenly aware of the dramatic rise in Islamophobia and antisemitism as well as anti-Palestinian and anti-Israeli prejudice in America and around the world, and EquaSion stands firmly against hate in our communities and across the globe.]

* This is an excerpt, reprinted from Jewish Family Services.*

Dear friends and colleagues,

Jewish Family Service requests your help to encourage Jewish individuals or those living in Jewish households between the ages of 12 and 26 to complete a Youth Metal Health Survey, the results of which will help assess our community’s mental health gaps and needs for this age demographic.
That survey is accessible at the QR code and link below.
The Ask—please share this link and/or QR code in any upcoming external or internal communications such as emails, printed newsletters, or via your social media channels.
The survey was developed by the Jewish Federation of North America’s BeWell initiative, in consultation with Rosov Consulting. The Miami Jewish community has already fielded this survey.

The Backstory.

The Federation funded a one-year mental health pilot initiative at Jewish Family Service (JFS) in 2021. Last year, the Foundation committed three (3) years of support for JFS to expand that effort. Recently, the Foundation, in partnership with the Federation and JFS, launched a local Mental Health Resiliency Roundtable, comprised of professionals, practitioners, and community volunteers to work collectively to identify gap areas and generate creative solutions on how to address them.

Why is this Important? 

In an uncertain world, young people face increasing levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns of an accelerating mental health crisis, with more than 4 in 10 teens reporting that they feel “persistently sad or hopeless,” and 1 in 5 saying they have contemplated suicide. Now that we’ve heard from them, we want to hear from their parents to determine where there is alignment and where additional work might need to be done.

Mobilizing for Change. 

As part of Cincinnati 2030, the Jewish community is mobilizing to create the support young people need as they face challenging moments. As a community, we are working to counteract:
  • Social stigma which prevents people from seeking help.
  • Lack of practical knowledge about the stressors young people face.
  • Professionals, educators and parents don’t know where to turn for information, guidance, or a supportive community.
  • A critical shortage of accessible or affordable mental health professionals.
Please help us get the word out starting today! JFS will share key take-aways with the community once results are final. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Sincerely and Shabbat Shalom,
Brian Jaffee, Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati,
Danielle V. Minson, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Liz Vogel, Jewish Family Service

RefugeeConnect Welcomes Afghan Refugees to Cincinnati

RefugeeConnect’s mission is to connect refugees (people forced to flee their country to escape persecution or war) with resources to rebuild their lives as United States citizens. The Junior League of Cincinnati launched RefugeeConnect in 2013 after a routine community needs assessment determined that connecting refugees to existing resources was a pressing need for women and children in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. In 2018, RefugeeConnect became an independent nonprofit and today offers support to refugees across the region to navigate often unfamiliar systems, new cultural norms, and language barriers. RefugeeConnect promotes coordinated services so that this specific population of new Americans, who may be unaware of the patchwork of crucial resources already in place, reach their full potential as individuals, families, and civic and community leaders. Programs such as our Community Navigator program ensure that refugee families have access to information and resources in their native language. Our Community Navigators are cultural leaders, many of whom came here as refugees themselves. A Community Navigator will work to develop a strong relationship with identified families in need and help them navigate often complex and confusing systems while supporting a family’s long-term goals.

Our work is not done in a silo, as we recognize that for refugees to be successful in their new communities, we must all work together to create a more welcoming, safe, and supportive environment for our newest neighbors. This is why we partner with over 150 organizations and service providers across the region to ensure that refugees can access the myriad of social, financial, and health supports that will enable them to thrive. We partner with other nonprofits, faith communities, and healthcare providers through a collaborative effort to make the Greater Cincinnati area truly a welcoming city.

As the current administration announced that it will raise the Presidential ceiling of new refugee admittances to the United States and as the crisis unfolds in Afghanistan and we evacuate Afghan allies and process SIV applicants (special immigrant visas), we are preparing to welcome more refugees into our city. Our hope is that as there becomes a greater awareness of refugees across the globe and the need to resettle them, more people in our community will come forward as supporters and help us to welcome our newest neighbors.

RefugeeConnect specifically needs support through private donorship and volunteerism. You can donate directly to support our Community Navigator program, our Scholarship fund, or to assist our general operations by visiting our website at https://www.refugeeconnect.org/ . We are always looking for people who want to be more involved through volunteerism, such as being a peer or family mentor to a college aged student or family, sitting on a planning committee for our fundraising events, or helping us with administrative tasks. As the local resettlement agency, Catholic Charities of SW Ohio, prepares to welcome new refugees, they also need assistance with finding affordable housing to place refugee families, household goods, and volunteer support. Please, visit their website at https://www.ccswoh.org/programs/refugee-resettlement-services/ to learn more.

4th Annual Festival of Faiths  Acknowledges “We are in it Together”

Registration is Open as Hundreds Sign-up for Online Events Starting Sunday, August 22nd at EquaSion.org

CINCINNATI, OH – July 26, 2021 – The 4th Annual Cincinnati Festival of Faiths, the signature program of the interfaith group EquaSion, is drawing hundreds of online participants for a 7-day program, August 22 through 28. This year’s theme, “Compassion Through Action: We are in it Together,” will deliver a program filled with interfaith prayer, music, spiritual meditations, lunchtime webinars about faith, workshops for teachers and spiritual leaders, a panel discussion for youth, and more. Click Here to view the entire 2021 schedule of programs.

In its fourth year and in response to the lingering threat of the pandemic, the Festival will again be presented virtually.  More than 50 community leaders joined this year’s Festival of Faiths Co-Chairs Penny Pensak, Afreen Asif, Bishop Marvin Thomas Sr., and Jaipal Singh to create 15 events with broad appeal for communities of faith, families, and all individuals seeking inspiration from the collegial and respectful interfaith relations they will witness throughout the weeklong festival.

For the first time, the Festival is honoring a local individual as Honorary Chair of the Festival.  To inaugurate this recognition, the EquaSion board selected James P. Buchanan, Ph.D., the recently retired Executive Director of the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University.   Dr. Buchanan, a widely recognized scholar and civic leader, has devoted twenty years to promoting interfaith education, dialogue and collaboration both locally and nationally.  He is currently the director of Interfaith Cincy and A Blessing to One Another and serves on the boards of numerous charitable organizations.

The Festival activities will again embrace the 30 faith communities and 13 world religions that have participated in previous festivals. A few highlights include:

  • An Opening Interfaith Devotional involving prayers from more than a dozen religious traditions
  • Spiritual Meditations practiced by 10 different faith traditions (3 sessions)
  • Social Action workshop, ”Faith and Food:  Moving from Insecurity to Sustainability”
  • Compassionate Conversations:  “What is the meaning of GRIT?”
  • Workshop on “How to be a Sacred Activist for Racial Justice”
  • Beloved Community Youth Panel Discussion on the topic of Food Insecurity
  • “People Got to Be Free” – An Interfaith Celebration in Music, Song and Dance, followed by the Closing Interfaith Devotional on August 28th at 4:45 pm.

For a complete listing of events, days & times, and Zoom sign-up links for each, please visit https://www.equasion.org/festival-of-faiths/calendar-of-activities/

 

About EquaSion

EquaSion is a nonpartisan civic association whose mission is to promote Compassion through Action: acting on our compassion, we engage people of all faiths to discover their shared humanity and spirituality, and to work together for an equitable and just community for all. Its signature program is the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths. For more information on EquaSion’s interfaith community and the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths, visit www.equasion.org.