Our last day in Tehran was a rainy one, beginning with a visit to the headquarters of the Tehran Jewish Committee (roughly the equivalent of the Iranian Jewish Federation). We spoke at length with Committee President Rahmat ollah Raffi, who gave us a thorough tutorial on the Iranian Jewish community. In short: there are roughly [...]
Archive for the ‘Nonviolence’ Category
Rainy Day in Tehran
Posted in Interfaith, Iran, Iran Trip 2008, Nonviolence, Peace, Religion, War on December 1, 2008 | No Comments »
For Armistice Day 2008
Posted in Books, Nonviolence, Peace, Veteran's Day, War on November 11, 2008 | No Comments »
Here’s my offering in honor of Veteran’s Day, formerly Armistice Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I (famously signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 1918…)
An excerpt from one of my favorites: Erich Maria Remarque’s classic WW I novel “All Quiet on the Western Front” - still one of the greatest antiwar statements [...]
A Vow for Yom Kippur
Posted in High Holidays, Judaism, Nonviolence, Peace, Prayer, Religion on October 8, 2008 | No Comments »
If you are interested in making a sacred promise this Yom Kippur, I’m submitting one for your consideration. The Shomer Shalom Jewish Institute for Jewish Nonviolence has developed the following vow (or “intention”) for be recited daily or annually on Yom Kippur. (Frankly, I can’t think of a better supplement to Kol Nidre…)
G’mar Tov - [...]
Sulha Peace Project
Posted in Coexistence, Israel, Nonviolence, Orgs You Should Support, Palestine, Peace, Religion on July 3, 2008 | 1 Comment »
If you’ve read this blog for any length of time then you know I like to spotlight important and courageous coexistence efforts in Israel/Palestine. Here’s another I recommend adding to your list of orgs to support: the Sulha Peace Project.
Founded by an Israeli, Gabriel Meyer, and a Palestinian, Elias Jabbour, Sulha sponsors a variety of [...]
People You Should Know About: Stellamaris Mulaeh
Posted in Africa, Nonviolence, Peace, People You Should Know About on May 22, 2008 | No Comments »
Here’s a great story of hope from a country that has seen its share of tragedy in recent months. An article from last month’s Christian Science Monitor profiled Stellamaris Mulaeh (above), a young Kenyan women who is spearheading grassroots conflict resolution efforts in her home country.
Before the recent post-election crisis, Mulaeh founded the 65-member Peace Working [...]
Rabbi Lynn on the Radio
Posted in Iran, Judaism, Nonviolence, Peace, Religion on May 16, 2008 | No Comments »
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (of whom I wrote a few posts ago) was interviewed on Chicago Public Radio’s program Worldview today. She spoke extensively about her recent trip to Iran with the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Among other things, she has a great deal of insight to share about her experiences with the Jewish community [...]
Shomer Shalom - A Jewish Path of Nonviolence
Posted in Iran, Judaism, Nonviolence, Orgs You Should Support, Peace, Religion, War on May 14, 2008 | No Comments »
I’m proud to say that the Founder’s Gathering of Shomer Shalom - a new organization promoting a Jewish path of nonviolence - will take place this weekend at JRC from May 15-18. This important new effort was created by Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (above), who has been “walking the peace walk” Jewishly for decades now. Shomer [...]
Interfaith Peace Initiative
Posted in Interfaith, Israel, Nonviolence, Palestine, Peace, Religion on November 11, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Heartening news from last week: high ranking religious leaders from Israel and Palestine have created a Middle East peace initiative to “prevent religion from being used as a source of conflict” and to promote “just and comprehensive peace and reconciliation.”
Members of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land released a joint statement that [...]
Intellegence and Compassion
Posted in Human Rights, Nonviolence, Peace, People You Should Know About on October 30, 2007 | 1 Comment »
I’ve written about Burmese peace activist Aung San Suu Kyi in an earlier post - and we’ve been reading a great deal lately about her role in current protest movement in that country. I recently came across this interview clip from 1999 in which she offers her definition of non-violence. You’re [...]
A World Without Violence
Posted in Interfaith, Nonviolence, Peace, Religion, Spirituality on October 24, 2007 | No Comments »
Here’s an important and inspirational story that has flown right under the crisis-obsessed media radar: a three-day interfaith summit called “A World Without Violence: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue” has just concluded in Naples, Italy.
Apparently the summit is part of an annual “International Encounter for Peace” sponsored by the Rome-based lay Catholic community of Sant’Egidio. [...]
