Date: May 1st 2010

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May 2010

Congratulations to two of our colleagues who were recognized last month with awards from the County Office of Human Relations! Fr. John Pedigo, Pastor of St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church in San Jose and a board member of the Interfaith Council for Economics and Justice, received the Director's Award. Venerable Jian Hu, Abbot of the Zen Center of Sunnyvale, was named by Supervisor Dave Cortese for his outreach and service in District 3.

Speaking of the Office of Human Relations, the guiding force of the Office for nearly 30 years was Jim McEntee, who retired as director in 2003 and died a year later. In recognition of his legacy, a "Gathering Place for Peace" has been created at the County Office building. There will be a special dedication of the space on Friday, May 7, at 9:30 am. See below for details.

Samina Sundas, a Human Relations Commissioner and director of the American Muslim Voice Foundation, requests your aid in developing a short video highlighting cases of discrimination in the Bay Area on a basis of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and gender. If you have a compelling story of prejudice from the past three years please send them to samina_faheem@yahoo.com A short anecdotal paragraph or two will suffice for now time is short, so please respond ASAP.

Interreligious Leaders Dialogue: Conversations continue about the future shape of interreligious organization and cooperation in the South Bay. The next meeting of religious leaders will be Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 11:45 am - 1:30 pm at the JCRC, 14855 Oka Rd., Los Gatos. Please RSVP to Bruce Bramlett.

Watch these monthly notes and the Interfaith Space website for updates and announcements as our work takes shape.

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News & Notes, the occasional blog from Interfaith Space with information about events and commentary on interfaith/ multifaith/ interreligious issues, has received a face lift. Check out our new look at the Interfaith Space website: go to www.interfaithspace.org and click on "News & Notes." We invite your comments or responses.

Send your news! Let the community know about events that are open to the public and are either interfaith or offer an opportunity for others to learn about your faith community. Send information to calendar@interfaithspace.org.

 

 

 

 

May Religious and Cultural Observances

• 1 Beltane or May Day   (Wiccan / Pagan)
• 2 Birth Guru Arjan Dev Ji  (Sikh)
• 2 Twelfth Day of Ridvan  (Baha’i)
• 4 Birthday of Horace Mann (Unitarian Universalist)
• 5 Cinco de Mayo (Cultural)
• 6 National Day of Prayer (US)
• 9 Dianetics Day (Scientologist)
• 13 Ascension of Christ (Christian)
• 16 Akshaya-tritiya (Immortal Third) (Jain)
• 19 Shavuot  (through May 20 )  (Jewish)
• 23 Birthday of Margaret Fuller (Unitarian Universalist)
• 23 Birthday of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Unitarian Universalist)
• 23 Declaration of the Bab  (Baha’i)
• 23 Pentecost/Whitsunday   (Christian)
• 27 Buddha Day - Buddha's Birthday- Visakha Puja- Wesak   (Buddhist)
• 29 Ascension of Baha'u'llah   (Baha’i)
• 30 All Saints   (Eastern Christian)
• 30 Trinity Sunday   (Christian)
• 31 Memorial Day (US)

[Interreligious Calendar events are taken from the Silicon Valley FACES Interfaith Calendar and the Multifaith Action Society Multifath Calendar 2010. See also the Online Interfaith Calendar and the BBC Interfaith Calendar] NOTE: Jewish Holidays begin at sundown the day before. Buddhist holidays are observed on many different days, according to local tradition.

Upcoming Interfaith Opportunities

"Interfaith Opportunities" focuses on specifically interfaith events; "Take Action" offers opportunities to take action on issues of concern with people from other religious traditions, and "Meet Your Neighbors" includes events that are sponsored by a specific religious group but which are open to the wider community. Items for the calendar can be sent to calendar@interfaithspace.org

Click on highlighted links below for more information-

Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm, Los Gatos

"Being a Prophetic Voice" Interfaith Council Annual Luncheon

Guest speaker: Dr. Karen Oliveto, Glide Memorial Church, San Francisco.

Thursday May 6, 2010, 6:00 to 9:30, San Jose

Understanding Muslims through their past, present and future

The Human Relations Commission, Office of Human Relations and Peace building Committee of Santa Clara County, proudly present a community forum to enhance better understanding between Muslims and the community at large.

Friday, May 7, 2010, 9:30 am, San Jose

Jim McEntee Legacy Art Project Dedication

Jim McEntee was Director of Human Relations for the County of Santa Clara for 27 years and did much to develop the relationships between different religious and ethnic communities that characterizes our valley today.

Monday, May 10, 2010, 6:00 pm, Location TBA

South Bay Faiths Act Hub Launch Celebration

Faiths Act Fellows are young leaders of different faith traditions who have been spearheading multi-faith action in the UK, USA and Canada under the auspices of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and the Interfaith Youth Core.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 11:45 am - 1:30 pm, Los Gatos

Interreligious Leaders Dialogue Group

Religious leaders interested in shaping the future of interfaith relations in the Valley are invited to join in the ongoing conversation

Sunday, May 23, 2010, 3:00 pm, San Jose

Bay Area Satsang Group

The Bay Area Satsang, the local chaper of the International Satsang Association, will hold their regular bi-monthly meeting.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 12:00 noon, Sunnyvale

Pacifica Institute Luncheon: Chief Rob Davis

San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis will share his experiences and the challenges of "big city" policing.

Saturday, June 12th. 6:30 pm, Campbell

Confronting Civil and Political Danger:
The Role of the Faith Community

Featured speaker for the Annual Meeting of the Council of Churches of Santa Clara County is Rev. Dr. Frank Schaeffer, author of How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of it Back.

Saturday, June 19, 2010, 6:00 pm

Interfaith Conversations: Marilyn Lacey

Speaker: Marilyn Lacey, director of Mercy Beyond Borders will talk about her book, This Flowing Toward Me: A Story of God Arriving in Strangers.

Meet Your Neighbors

Public events sponsored by specific religious groups that may help others understand their tradition and concerns more fully.

Starting week of May 3, 2010, Sunnyvale

Summer 2010 New Classes

A new series of classes on Zen meditation and Buddhism at different levels are open to registration now.

Saturday, May 8, 2010, 2:00 - 7:30 pm, San Jose

Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Global Tzu Chi Day

We cordially invite you to attend Tzu Chi’s Trio-Celebration Day: Mother’s Day, Buddha’s Birthday, and Global Tzu Chi 44th Anniversary.

Thursdays, October 15, 2009- May 13, 2010, 7:30 pm, San Jose

Melkite, Byzantine, Catholic, Christian—Church And Identity

St Elias the Prophet Melkite-Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic parish in the Alum Rock area of San Jose, will sponsor a series of monthly presentations exploring the idea of Christian identity from the perspective of the Melkite-Greek Catholic Church.

May 13-- The Spirituality of the Divine Liturgy.
Fr James K. Graham, pastor of St Elias Church, San Jose.

Saturday, May 15, 2010, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Santa Clara

Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think

Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, a new documentary film from Unity Productions Foundation, explores the expertly gathered opinions of Muslims around the globe as revealed in the world’s first major poll, conducted by Gallup, the preeminent polling organization.

Sunday, May 16, 2010, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Buddha’s Birthday Celebration Ceremony

To celebrate the Buddha’s Birthday, Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale will hold a "Bathing the Buddha" Ceremony.

Saturday, June 5, 2010, ,10:30 am, Los Gatos

South Bay Pride Shabbat

Congregation Shir Hadash, Temple Emanu-El, and Congregation Emeth invite you to join us for the 4th Annual South Bay Pride Shabbat.

Take Action

Events that address issues of public concern with an alliance of people from different religious traditions.

Saturday, May 22, 2010, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Santa Clara

An Interfaith Service of Lament and Protest
Supporting Hotel Workers

As part of the ongoing support of the Interfaith Council on Economics and Justice for the struggling hotel workers at the Santa Clara Hyatt, an event is planned to highlight the injustice of not making health care affordable to their lower paid workers.

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And more...

Help us share your good news! If you know of interfaith opportunities that are coming up- please let us know so they can be included on the Interfaith Space Calendar. Send information to calendar@interfaithspace.org.

I have begun writing an occasional blog for Examiner.com, as their San Jose Interfaith Examiner. I'll be posting more extended articles there, and welcome your suggestions for events to publicize, interviews with interfaith leaders, and news about interfaith relationships.