Planning of the Metrowest Interfaith Community for 2026 | | |
As we near Interfaith World Harmony Week, instituted by the United Nations, and in a world that so often amplifies our differences, where headlines thrive on religious division and conflict, what happens when people from diverse faith backgrounds simply come together to listen? It’s a question that feels both urgent and hopeful. We are frequently told what separates a Christian from a Muslim, a Jew from a Hindu, or a Baha’i from all of them. But what do they share?
Recently, the Metrowest Interfaith Community gathered for planning for 2026—a community of neighbors that included a Rabbi, an Imam, a Catholic priest, and individuals from Hindu, Baha’i, and Christian backgrounds. They weren’t there to debate or convert one another. They were there to share why bridging these divides was essential to them, both as human beings and as people of faith.
The Metrowest Interfaith Community, plotting and planning for an exciting year of interfaith engagement for 2026 are: Monie and Arun Mahl, Jess McGuire, Dianne Evans, Joe and Cathy Spinazola, Warren Chamberlain, Imam Shaykh Yasir, Rabbi Mimi Micner, Fr. Carl Chudy, Dr. Shahida Balaparya, Hanif Balaparya, Benjamin Ayson, Paula Haas. Siri Karm Singh Khalsa is not pictured.
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Sunday, February 1, 4-5:30 pm
The Multifaith Collaborative of the Open Spirit Center in Framingham, who are our partners in the larger work of interfaith solidary, are offering a special opportunity to celebrate Interfaith Harmony Week.
Our spiritual traditions call us to claim light, hope and strength from within in a world that feels fractured and overwhelming, that can sometimes feel like a struggle.
In honor of World Interfaith Harmony Week, Open Spirit’s Multi-Faith Collaborative invites you to a reflective and uplifting conversation about how we ignite our inner light. Our conversation will be led by author and psychologist Dr. Arthur P. Ciaramicoli, who has recently published a book entitled Soulfire: Igniting Inner Strength in a Fractured World. At the core of his book is this conviction: “You are not broken. Your light is enough.”
We will draw upon wisdom from his research and wisdom from our spiritual traditions for our conversation. And we’ll have tea and refreshments, of course. Please RSVP here so we know how to plan! Donations gratefully accepted!
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Catholic-Jewish Studies Program (CJSP) Winter Shapiro Lecture – Rabbi Ariel Evan Mayse Ph.D. (Catholic Theological Union)
Rewilding the Tree of Life: Jewish Law and Theology in the Time of Climate Change
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February 2 on Zoom, 9 pm - 10:30 pm
This lecture will explore how deep engagement with Jewish law and theology may help us respond to the rapidly mounting threats of global climate change and ecological degradation. Grappling with the full range of Jewish religious literature, from Bible and Talmud to mysticism, poetry, and philosophy, we shall consider how these sources can help us address such problems through developing a capacious approach to environmental ethics, education, and activism.
At the same time, we will engage deeply with Pope Francis’s remarkable environmental legacy, most visible in his landmark Laudato Si, and will put his writing into dialogue with Jewish legal and theological traditions. In doing so, I will make an argument for the need to “rewild” both religious and secular education in our day. Rather than examining environmental problems from within highly curated fields of knowledge or parochial lenses, we ought to approach scholarship and teaching as taking place within an ecotone—the fertile transitional realm between different ecosystems or communities that is a marshy site of complexity, interdisciplinarity, and collaboration across boundaries and differences. This lecture is taking place on Tu B’Shvat, the Jewish New Year for the trees and so is a perfect opportunity to think about how as humans we live in relationship with nature and the environment.
| | Film Showing Postponed Due to Weather | | The new date for the film showing is Sunday, April 12th at 3 pm. If you already purchased tickets, you will receive notice of the new date of the showing . | | | |
Community Hot Meals
The Islamic Society of Greater Milford, our dialogue partner, along with Trinity Episcopal Church of Milford are providing community meals on Friday, January 30, 5:45 pm, 2 W. Elm Street, Hopkinton. If you would like to volunteer or join in the meals
Register here
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The World Interfaith Harmony Week is based on the pioneering work of The Common Word initiative. This initiative, which started in 2007, called for Muslim and Christian leaders to engage in a dialogue based on two common fundamental religious Commandments; Love of God, and Love of the Neighbor, without nevertheless compromising any of their own religious tenets.
The World Interfaith Harmony Week provides a platform—one week in a year—when all interfaith groups and other groups of goodwill can show the world what a powerful movement they are. The thousands of events organized by these groups often go unnoticed not only by the general public, but also by other groups themselves. This week will allow for these groups to become aware of each other and strengthen the movement by building ties and avoiding duplicating each other’s efforts.
It is hoped that this initiative will provide a focal point from which all people of goodwill can recognize that the common values they hold far outweigh the differences they have and thus provide a strong dosage of peace and harmony to their communities.
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