InterfaithCincy, in partnership with A Blessing to One Another, is offering Interfaith Community Engagement Grants. Any Faith community or any faith-based youth group that partners with a faith community or youth group from another faith tradition to work on a community engagement project can apply. To view the grant application, please click here. For Information and application form contact Dr. James Buchanan at A Blessing to One Another at interfaithcincy@gmail.com.
My family is religiously eclectic. I am in the midst of my studies to become a rabbi of the Reform Jewish movement. My wife is in the process of converting to Judaism. Her family is Mexican Roman Catholic in origin; my mother-in-law attends mass every day if she can. My mother, a Jew-by-Choice of 26 years, raised my siblings and I in the Reform Jewish denomination. My sister and brother recognize their cultural ties to Judaism, but are largely areligious. My mother’s family is German Baptist; my godparents are Baha’i.
And when we get together during the holidays or other important family events, our meals, our conversation, our protests, and our laughter, instill a sense of belonging around our table. We find amongst ourselves many differences and many commonalities, all of which served to unite us rather than divide.
I see the same trends at other interfaith events that I attend. The event entitled Why We Stay, held back in September, I consider to be similarly successful. According to the surveys submitted by participants, the women’s interfaith event met a need in the community for conversations about religion, across religious divides.
I’ve noticed that interfaith events we consider successful have 3 key elements:
3. Trust
I postulate that we each already hold a sense of trust for the others around the table when we come together for these events. We trust that our loved ones would not invite to the table individuals whom we could not trust ourselves. And so the inner barriers we all have inside to keep the “other” on the outside were permeable.
At Why We Stay, the participants with whom I sat expressed to me a sense of relief and safety to be able to be in company of other women of faith who want to talk about the roles of women in religious community and the challenges they face, even across faith traditions. They inherently trusted the intentions of the other participants to join with them in honest, open dialogue.
2. Time to Mingle
I have also attended interfaith events that absolutely tanked. When I was in Hebrew High, my congregation’s teen religious school program, we visited a church so that we could meet their teen religious school class. I am ashamed to say that I, like my fellow classmates, spurned the initial attempts by our Christian peers to engage in conversation. We didn’t feel comfortable in the new environment to start these conversations, and we knew that if we could hold out for 15 minutes, the organized programming would begin. We did not have the trust necessary, nor enough time to mingle.
The social element of an interfaith event cannot be understated. Virtually no one will remember the content of the presentation verbatim – but we’ll remember how pleasant the conversation was with the kind Buddhist gentleman who sat next to us at the event. We’ll remember that the 7th Day Adventist woman we met by the drink table is from the same home town. These social connections forge within us positive associations that take an interfaith event from ‘good’ to great.
1. Focus
That being said, an interfaith event must have a focus in order to be successful. Only mingling will not create the lasting impact that our best interfaith events achieve. There must be a focus, a main point around which we rally. At Why We Stay, it was the roles and experiences of women in faith communities, through the lens of the Faithfully Feminist book and its authors. I sit on an interfaith panel once every two months in Joplin, MO, and for each panel we convene, we panelists focus on a particular topic. Last weekend, the topic was: one holiday from my tradition, and what it says about my tradition. Previous topics include: misconceptions about my faith, life cycle events, origins of my religion, etc. Even in my home, my “interfaith events” are centered around enjoying ourselves as a family.
Each event needs a focus. Now, 5 months after Why We Stay, we are thinking about another possible women’s event. What shall our next event’s focus be? If you have suggestions, please submit them to us at interfaithcincy@gmail.com.
A Town Hall Meeting:Cincinnati Riots 15 years Later
“We must change their hearts.” – 77 year old African American attendee
On February 2, Xavier University hosted a town Hall event reflecting on the 15th Anniversary of the riots in Cincinnati. The sad story of human events in our city is a common and related story found in other cities across our country. The true story is not just about the police shootings of Roger Owensby and Timothy Thomas, or of protests or of riots, but of something else that has been a part of our culture since slavery. This is a story of racism and indifference. Donna Jones Baker moderated a panel of guest speakers including Brian Taylor, Iris Roley, Rev Damon Lynch III, Capt Maris Harold, Al Gerhardstein who spoke of the changes that the city has taken to change how policing is done in the city and the impact of the Collaborative Agreement. There have been tremendous efforts to make the changes systematically, but have our hearts really changed?
Charlie Luken sited Fredrick Douglas speech “If there is no struggle there is no progress.” Nothing changes without demand. He stressed the importance of the dramatic events that were necessary to bring about change. Reverend Damon Lynch III explained the reasons for the riots using a quote from the movie Suffragette, “We break windows. We burn things. Because war is the only language men listen to.” This is what happened in Cincinnati. From the events, there were changes in using law suites, The Collaborative Agreement, integrative police modeling and problem solving instead of mass sweeps and profiling. Yet, Donna Jones Baker, president of the Urban League, stated “we still don’t have it right.” How is it that African Americans still make up 70% of arrests? Have we changed our hearts? Did we push all of the work onto the police department to solve society’s problems? Rev. Lynch says race is still an issue. We need to move the conversation to look at not just policing, but the racial issues as well.
Going forward, Rev. Lynch he said that we need leaders who are “willing to climb the flag pole and are willing to take on the struggle.” The biggest areas of frustration and struggle are the lack of economic opportunities for African Americans. Due to the past methods of arrests, so many African American men have some sort of record, which then keeps them in a cycle of poverty due to the inability to obtain a job. A few stories from the crowd were told that demonstrated the true suffering of living without opportunity despite having the skills like a college education. The stories were upsetting but are necessary and needed to be voiced. Iris Roley said “there is a need to tell the story right or we take the away the power from the people.” What can we do? Listen to their stories of suffering and injustice. Learn from these stories. Change our hearts. We each need to hold ourselves accountable for our thoughts and actions. We need to look at how we hire people and how we promote in the work place. We need to look at the other person without stereotyping. We need to treat each other with love and remove our indifference. I recall a story when I was a young engineer in a manufacturing plant. I had very little concern for others and just wanted to get the job done. One of my employees was an elderly African American lady. I was told that we had to replace the piece of equipment she worked on for a new one. She had been working on that same piece of equipment for many years. I did not do much to prepare her for the new equipment and did not do much to even speak to her. Then one day, the union steward, an ex-marine with giant muscles, drove up to me in his fork truck, looking very upset with me, pointing his finger at me, and said in a very strong voice, “Hey, you need to treat her like your very own Mother!” I was in shock. I had no idea how I was treating this employee. I was very indifferent to her. I never gave her much time nor considered her feelings. I never even thought to give her a job that was less stressful or even a chair so that she did not have to be on her feet the entire day. As a daughter who really loves her mother, I do not demand of my mother but I love and serve her. From then on, his words resonated within me. I try to work very hard to be in the presence of others by listening and learning from them so that I may serve them better. This ex-marine did more than defend this woman, he changed my “heart of stone and gave me a new one of flesh” (Ezk 11:19).
“We must change their hearts.” – 77 year old African American attendee
Peace Through Interfaith – Women Led Prayer Service on Fountain Square
“I am Joseph Your Brother!” ~ Genesis 45:4
On December 16th on Fountain Square, an interfaith prayer service was planned by a group of women from AJC of Cincinnati, Christ Church Cathedral and Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. This Biblical quote was one of many speeches and prayers said by a committed group of women from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh faiths in response to the growing climate of intolerance and violence. The significance to this Biblical passage is that it was quoted by Pope John XXIII in 1960 in a historical moment between the Jewish and Christian faiths. Pope John XXIII was presented with the Torah scrolls for saving the lives of Jews during the Holocaust. He responded with the statement, “We are all sons of the same Heavenly Father. Among us there must ever be the brightness of love and its practice.” He concluded by quoting Genesis 45:4 by stating, “I am Joseph, your brother.” From Scripture, Joseph’s brothers were seeking refuge in a foreign land, not knowing they had to plead with the brother they had rejected. Yet, Joseph responded and welcomed them. We are challenged again today with the refugee at our door. How are we going to treat them? The prayer service brought solidarity across faiths in hopes of peace and unity. Together through their prayers and songs, they demonstrated the common language that all faiths share in regards to the love we should have for our brothers and sisters.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” ~ Psalm 133:1
Celebrating ‘America’s Table’ – AJC Diversity Lunch and Dialogue by Judie Kuhlman
On November 19, AJC Cincinnati Chapter along with Xavier’s Brueggeman Center for Dialogue hosted their 15th Annual Diversity Lunch entitled America’s Table, celebrating our diverse roots and shared values. Many were on hand representing various traditions, organizations and faith backgrounds. The community gave thanks in prayer, shared a meal together and expressed their own family’s journey to remind us all of the very first Thanksgiving meal. The AJC invited guest speaker, Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco who was elected Hamilton County Coroner. She was the first female coroner and Asian Indian ever elected to a political position in Hamilton County. She is a board certified neuroradiologist and attended University of Cincinnati. Dr. Sammarco shared her journey as an immigrant to the United States from a small village in India. Her life story exemplified the hard work and support from her family as well as the opportunities she sought out in her community. One important aspect to this year’s lunch was the addition of table talks. The luncheon provided a safe environment to discuss important issues concerning the Syrian Refugee Crisis. With more than 4 million refugees from Syria relocated to just 5 countries, it is time to ask what is our country doing? What can I do? Each table discussed the current political climate of accepting refugees into our country, how Cincinnati can support immigrants and impact of the non-profit identification cards for the immigrant population. The final topic covered bullying in light of the adopted Chinese girl, Emilie Olsen, who committed suicide because of race/ethnic bullying at school. These topics may be sensitive, but well needed dialogue in our community. As the community expressed in unison, “Many of us were immigrants and refugees from all regions of the world, fleeing afflictions of poverty and oppression. Drawn by the promise of a better life, we chose America and she took us into safe harbor.”
Panelists, event organizers, honorees and guest speakers at “Why we stay” on september 20, 2015. From top left: Dr. Amina Wadud, Dr. Rosemary RAdford Ruether, Gina messina-dysert, jennifer zobair, amy levin, Dr. judith plaskow, sandy Kaltman, Leslie prosak-beres. From Bottom Left: judie kuhlman, cathy feldman, maria ebrahimji, shakila ahmed, shabana Shakir-ahmed, sarah weiss, leslee estrada.
On September 20, 2015 over 100 women and men gathered to participate in the symposium entitled: “Why We Stay: The Changing Role of Women in our Faith Communities.” The four-hour event filled the Sunday afternoon with meaningful and inspiring interfaith dialogue.
At “Why We Stay,” participants listened to six brilliant panelists describe their faith background, their feminist identities, and the challenges they face. Rosemary Radford Ruether, Judith Plaskow, Amy Levin, Gina Messina-Dysert, Jennifer Zobair, and Amina Wadud represented the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths well in their learned, passionate dialogue from the panel. Participants were able to engage in Q&A sessions with the panelists. The highlight of participation occurred in the table-based discussion groups. Attendees sat in dialogue in one session with members of their own faith group, then later, in interfaith groups. Each group pondered prompts such as: can you be a feminist and an observant Christian, Muslim, or Jew; What are your struggles and strengths concerning observance within your own community; what is being done to overcome challenges and move forward?
The panelists were featured in the event because of their participation in the book Faithfully Feminist, a compilation of writings by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim women about their individual experiences. To learn more about the book and the event panelists, go to www.faithfullyfeminist.com.
Thoughts from Judie Kuhlman and Leslee Estrada on “Why We Stay:”
Interfaith Cincy website managers and fellows at the Brueggeman Center for Interfaith Dialogue at Xavier University
Judie:
When I think about my faith, I have to start back to when I was a teenager and when I realized that God was not off in a far away, untouchable place. As a teenager going through many struggles, I once prayed to see a shooting star. For on that same night, I was awaken in the middle of the night and told to go to the window. I opened the curtains and saw a beautiful shooting star reaching across the midnight sky. For some reason, through the spirit within me, I made a wish. Why? Maybe…because I was a hopeful teenager? I made a wish and asked God for someone to love me the rest of my life. I felt so silly that I made that wish because I was not interested in dating anyone. I tried to forget about it. But a few years later when I was in college at Notre Dame, I met a guy. He just so happened to share the same Chemistry lab drawer with me. He was my lab partner. He was silly and goofy looking, so we became friends. A little while later, he asked me out to one of the dorm dances (actually it was his roommate that asked for him because he was too nervous). When he walked me back to my dorm, we had our first kiss that night. And above his head, was a shooting star! I felt so sick that I wanted to vomit. I could not believe it because by that time I had forgotten all about that wish I had made back in high school. I knew, seeing this star, that there was a beautiful mystery of God that knew my thoughts, hopes, and dreams. A few years later, my husband proposed to me by the lake where we would always talk. After he proposed to me, looking up at him, again, there was that beautiful shooting star reaching across the sky. It was the shooting third star. There was no doubt in my mind what I had seen. My stars represent Faith, Hope and forever Love. This was the beginning of my dance with the Lord. This is why I stay.
For me Catholic spirituality has led me deeper into my dance with the Lord. I have learned a rich spirituality through the lives of saints and mystics like Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross and St. Francis Assisi. Though praying the rosary and meditation on scripture, I have found a deepening sense of self and found a deeper calling to justice and service towards others. Being able to over come doubt, shame, fear and so many other life illnesses was through my faith in sacraments like the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation. This is why I stay.
I found my true love through the gateway of my religion. My faith is what I hold on to when there is nothing under my feet. My faith is that confidence in asking to see that shooting star, or recognizing God that surrounds me in that gentle soft breeze across my face, or when I call upon God’s love and that white butterfly dances around me when I mourn my father’s death.
My faith has led me to be a better mother to my children. My faith has helped me to navigate through the pressures of our culture. My faith has led me to be more compassionate and understanding through my reflections of Christ. My religion has taught me love and mercy. My faith has given me the ears to hear what those around me are saying. My faith has led me to be a more open and loving person towards others. My faith has allowed me to see the beauty of others in their own faith journeys. This is why I stay.
There are times that I must confront my faith and ask the deeper question of why I stay. I am challenged when I see my faith community cause harm by our words and actions or when we turn the other way when their brother is in need. These are the scars on my heart and the cross that I carry. Yet, I do dream of a church without a ceiling and the pews facing forward with my three shooting stars above my head and my neighbor and husband sitting on either side of me. God loves and calls for us to love one another. The God I know is one that keeps me awake at night then sends me out in the morning to serve others. The God I know hears the hurt, the shamed, and the marginalized and calls us to action. My God challenges me to show others why we should stay and to seek peace and justice while transforming those around me. I hear that voice asking me – Do you hear what I hear? Do you see what I see? Do you know what I know? This is why I Stay.
Leslee:
As I study to become a rabbi in the Reform Jewish tradition, I spend a lot of time navigating the space into which I fit my spirituality, culture, values, and feminism – all of which intertwine as I continue to form my identity as an adult. My growth in identity has been greatly aided by the study of Jewish texts. The wisdom of my forebears guides me toward my own wisdom.
“Why We Stay” reminded me of an excerpt from Talmud, Sanhedrin 17a:
‘Rabbi. Johanan said: None are to be appointed members of the Sanhedrin [court made up of leaders of the community], but men of stature, wisdom, good appearance, mature age, with a knowledge of sorcery [so as to be able to detect those who seduce and pervert by means of witchcraft, cf. Rashi], and who are conversant with all the seventy languages of mankind, in order that the court should have no need of an interpreter.’
This text, dating to sometime around 500 CE, highlights several key characteristics that the rabbis thought would make for a better leader. With a critical modern eye, I glean from this text several important lessons that parallel my experience at “Why We Stay”:
·“Men” are mentioned as a given in the text, but not as a defining characteristic. The defining characteristics of the leader begin in the text with the word “stature.” I often struggle with the androcentric language of my tradition, and of the world around me today, but I find that there is space for women, for me, in the language. Sometimes the space is easier to find; sometimes, I have to read the word “men” as “people.” At “Why We Stay,” being able to use the term “women” over and over again (especially in a positive light) was a refreshing change of pace.
·Wisdom, good judgment (my interpretation of “stature”), maturity, and experience are traits that the panelists of “Why We Stay” embodied. So too did the participants that I spoke with at the event embody these traits. I was very grateful to engage in conversation with several special women and men at the event, whose stories and ideas expressed to me that wisdom, good judgment, maturity, and experience are accessible to all. Indeed, these special people have inspired me in my growth of these characteristics.
·The “knowledge of sorcery” and ability to speak seventy languages are not to be understood as literal characteristics, even within the context of the original writers. Rather, both characteristics speak to the ability to intrapersonal intelligence. We should value the insight it takes to communicate effectively with others, to understand the motives behind their words and actions, to model honesty and transparency. “Why We Stay” gave the participants access to space unfettered by social pressures and ‘niceties’ that block free communication. Open, frank, heartfelt dialogue flowed at the discussion tables across the religious, cultural, socioeconomic, etc. boundaries that usually divide us. Women and men spoke; women and men were heard.
As I read to the end of the passage from Talmud, the same question sprang to my mind as did from many of the participants who filled out surveys at the end of “Why We Stay.” We ask: what now? We have this experience and this insight – what can we do with it? My colleague Judie and I have tossed around ideas for how we can utilize this website to answer such a question. We would like to dedicate a section of this website for interfaith peoples to discuss the reasons why they stay. What are your thoughts on such an endeavor? Please leave comments, or email us at interfaithcincy@gmail.com.
Building Community in Disaster Planning: Tri-State COAD by Debra Svedin
Tri-State COAD is a web work of community organizations of faith-based groups, voluntary organizations, civic clubs, social service agencies, emergency management agencies and governmental agencies.
The purpose of COAD is to strengthen communication, cooperation, coordination andcollaboration with the many member organizations that have resources to provide before, during and after a disaster.
COAD is under the umbrella of the National and State VOADs (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters). COAD is active for the regions of Cincinnati, OH area, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.
The mission statement for COAD is “To assist the people in the tri state area to recover from any disaster through mutual communication, cooperation, coordination and collaboration from members of the COAD”. (COAD website)
There are 5 committees to help prepare organizations and the community for a disaster: Education and Training, Spiritual and Emotional Care, Resources, Social Media and Public Affairs and Finance.
Donations can be made to help give relief during disaster recovery. These donations can be made on the COAD website, tristatecoad.org, using PayPal.
Currently, there are about 200 member organizations of COAD. Examples of different members are American Red Cross, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Planning Development Services Kenton County, Clermont County EMA, Catholic Charities, United Way, Vineyard Community Church, Lutheran Disaster Response, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hamilton County EMA, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and St. Vincent de Paul NKY.
As each organization joins, a form is filled out with the resources that the organization can bring to the table to assist with the disaster and long term recovery. Examples of needed resources are: food, sheltering, feeding, volunteers, animal sheltering, furniture, repairs/maintenance, clean up.
When disaster strikes, the world falls apart for all involved. Homes and possessions are destroyed. Lives are totally changed. As members of Tri-state COAD, a difference can be made. One helping hand will become many helping hands. Volunteers and resources are made available to aid the survivors in anyway. One tear wiped, one hug given, one shovel with many cleaned out a basement, one hand fed a child and one pet is loved.
This is Tri-state COAD, many “one hand” help lighten the load.
Tri-State COAD website- tristatecoad.org
Gmail- tristatecoad@gmail.com
Facebook- Tri-State COAD
Twitter- @tristateCOAD
Bridging Interfaith Communities
There are two things I have found most amazing in Cincinnati. The first is that individuals of different faiths are coming together for a common good. The second most amazing thing is seeing these groups begin to work together to build a stronger city.
For the past eight months, through the support of the Brueggeman Center at Xavier University and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, we have been observing how interfaith work functions in the city of Cincinnati. We have seen a variety of groups that have come together. Each of these interfaith groups that we have found in Cincinnati are unique and serves a unique purpose. We have found groups working together to feed the hungry, to shelter the homeless, to defend worker rights, while other have come together to bring about peace in their community. There are spiritual reasons, social reasons, and economic reasons why these groups have formed. Overwhelmingly, interfaith groups were established based on a particular shared need or concern.
All of these groups have had to overcome differences of some sort. Some have had to overcome simple things like agreeing on a type of food to serve or selecting the day of the week to hold an event that is acceptable to all faiths. Their definition of interfaith varies as well. Some groups are more ecumenical but they too have had to overcome differences in order to work together. For some groups, just working with another congregation within their religion is a huge step and that is where their interfaith begins. They are breaking down barriers within their religion that have existed for many generations and still exist in some parts of the world. Some groups have been able to go beyond the borders of Christianity or Islam or Judaism and have been able to branch out across many faiths. They have learned to respect one another and build a relationship with one another. They have found commonalities that they share, namely their passion and concern for humanity.
Our project through the Brueggeman Center was to identify these groups and learn about them. But upon doing so, we found that these groups can benefit by communicating with each other. We hope that by building InterfaithCincy.org, these groups can begin to learn from one another, share their ideas, and support one another. Each group has an amazing potential to expand their goals and reach beyond their expectations. We have found that a group that has been running a food pantry can share with the group that is just beginning a food pantry. We have found that a group that has been dealing with a very diverse interfaith group can help those who may be struggling to dialogue within their group. When the groups were interviewed on their greatest successes, they each replied that their greatest success happens when they plan together. When they work together they can achieve amazing things. When a building is needed for a community food pantry, one congregation may not have the solution, but as they plan together, the opportunity appears. When a community of women come together to create a cultural extravaganza is comes with great success because they come to it with openness that was never there before.
There are amazing things happening in Cincinnati through interfaith work. It is a power so strong and something so special about it that could not exist without the differences and uniqueness of the people involved. These groups have realized that yes, they are so different, but they can do so many amazing things together. When we participate together, we create this new environment that was never there before.
Interfaith and Intrafaith
Not that long ago, I sat in a diner sipping the morning’s coffee with a pastor, a politician, a police officer, some concerned community members, and a theology student. This informal gathering was one of the first that I attended as a part of a Sacred Service-Learning placement at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), where I study. We were gathered to discuss how a well-organized faith community could come together to serve the needs of Lower Price Hill, a struggling neighborhood of Cincinnati. The other student was Judie Kuhlman, in the Graduate program at Xavier University. The two of us were at the table in the diner not because of any particular position of authority or specialized expertise we had. Rather, we were there as students to observe, learn, reflect, and process what we experienced. It was an unusual classroom to say the least.
We went to a lot of meetings like this over the course of the academic year. Some involved a small handful of faith and community leaders, some included scores of participants discussing city-wide strategy and policy. All of them involved people of different faith communities coming together to address real-world challenges, backed by the force of their shared values. Over that time, our role gradually shifted from observers to participants. We realized that our unique perspective as students afforded us a particular way to make a real and lasting difference.
We began to see patterns emerge. Many of the smaller groups we met with were dealing with similar problems. Many had members or their communities who were underserved because they struggled with lack of education, food insecurity, or availability of services like public transportation. Several faith groups faced challenges meeting the particular needs of immigrant communities. What’s more, we discovered that although these various interfaith efforts often faced similar challenges, they had almost no way to communicate with one another about their struggles and successes. Many of them did not even realize that there were other, similar groups struggling with the same challenges in other parts of the city.
Moreover, there were leaders with very different challenges from one another, that nonetheless were complimentary. In one small meeting of faith and community leaders, we saw an amazing and serendipitous solution to two problems unfold before our eyes. One church had purchased a building that had previously been in legal limbo between a tenant and landlord, and so sat vacant, troubling the surrounding community. The church needed a reliable tenant to occupy the building. Another faith group was looking to establish a food pantry to serve the same part of town. They had the funding and volunteers to handle the interior carpentry, refrigeration, and so forth, but had trouble finding a location with a landlord they could work with. You can imagine how the conversation played out. There were a lot of tricky details to work through, but the match was made in heaven.
Judie and I began to wonder how many other situations like this existed all over Cincinnati. How many people were working independently to address the same type of problems? How many people had complimentary needs that could be solved together like the vacant building and the pantry? The more we looked, the more we found. A community looking for teenage volunteers, and a community struggling to help their teens earn service hours in preparation for college; a generous retiree with a small fleet of vehicles to offer and unmet transportation needs across the city. Judie and I were not in a position to arrange meeting between these people, or negotiate any formal deals. We also couldn’t stand idly, knowing what we knew. With the support of our supervisor, Dr. James Buchannan of the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University, we set out to make a plan.
What the communities and organizations needed most was a resource to connect with one another. As students, we could use our knowledge and skills to create such a resource. It would be based on our objective assessment of what we saw in the community, and it would allow nonprofit service organizations, interfaith dialogue groups, and community leaders to connect with one another. A website – and a continuing student effort behind it – can be that resource. We came up with a plan to empower all of the amazing people we met to share their struggles and best practices, to coordinate resources, to combine efforts and to increase the capacity of their organizations. We created InterfaithCincy.org to empower people doing good things all over the city to do great things. I know that it is possible because I have seen it happen in front of my eyes.
In this unique classroom, I have learned more about the way organizations work (and work together) than I ever could have in a traditional classroom, or working in the field. As a student, I have been given unprecedented access and insight into the inner working of organizations. I have interviewed people in organizations who have shared some of their deepest insights and struggles that they might not ever share so openly with someone from competing organization or a funder. The personal insights that I have gained are invaluable.
I believe that there is even more to learn from what I have seen. My research has focused on the interfaith world, but I believe that the lessons I learned can be applied to the intrafaith world as well. That is to say, when I reflect on the Jewish organizational world that I live in from day to day, I see some of the same patterns. There are multiple Jewish organizations who face the same challenges and see the same opportunities. For various reasons, they often do not share their best practices. They do not reflect openly about their vulnerabilities, or their failings. Some repeatable mistakes are repeated again and again in different organizations because no one knew any better. Some great ideas start and stop inside the walls of a single synagogue rather that becoming common practice.
It is not only a challenge of communication that stymies this potential for growth, improved use of resources, and increased capacity. There is often a competitive element that keeps us from working together to creatively solve shared challenges. This is even in a world where it is now well understood that the strongest and most innovative Jewish cities are those who demonstrate the greatest cooperation.
How does this work in the interfaith world? Organizations certainly find themselves competing for some of the same resources. What allows the type of cooperation despite a healthy completive inclination is one simple thing; interfaith organizations and coalitions recognize their underlying shared values. Whether it is pronounced “rahmah” in Arabic, “rachamim” in Hebrew, or “mercy” in English, every faith group shares a desire to help people who are less fortunate. Among Jewish organizations, the shared values are even deeper. We may not agree on ritual practice or political policy, but we share the same underlying values. We believe in tzedakah, human dignity, feeding the hungry, celebrating simchas, and education.
When we identify partners who share our values and priorities, we can serve the Jewish community better through cooperation. We can put our resources to more efficient use by eliminating redundancies, enjoying economies of scale, and sharing the lessons we have learned. Our communities will grow in capacity and compassion beyond what we could have imagined working separately. Just like the beginnings of my work in interfaith, it all begins with sitting down at a table together. Coffee is optional (but much preferred).
