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December 2025
A blessed December to everyone who is celebrating during this sacred time of year!
In this month's eNews...
- Take a Look Back at 2025
- Become one of our 15 for $500 donors
- Get ready for MIP's Voices of Faith & Hope concert, Feb 1
- Sign up to visit with neighbor faith communities in 2026
- Gift ideas for children from the Interfaith Bookshelf
- Support the Keene Central Square Peace Pole
- Find out about the many beautiful spiritual celebrations this holiday season: Menorah lighting, Labyrinth of lights, Longest Night Memorial
So much beloved community this holiday season!
| A Look Back at MIP in 2025!! | | We launched a new community organizing cycle! Twenty Listening Sessions over two months were held with local community members. | | At an MIP Community Gathering with more than sixty participants many local stories were heard and Mental Health was chosen as MIP's next social action campaign. | | |
MIP volunteers cheerfully served monthly dinners at The Community Kitchen.
The Pop-Up Choir sang and the first pitch was thrown at All Faith Night with the Keene SwampBats baseball team!
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California singer/songwriter, Dave Nachmanoff was the featured performer at MIP's inaugural benefit concert.
We filled the Stonewall Farm event space with lively music, good food, and lots of joyful singing!
| | The MIP Faith Festival featured performances from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, and Buddhist traditions. Food, games, prayers, songs, poetry and dancing were shared by young and old! | | |
Keep the beloved
community spirit going...
Help us reach our goal of
fifteen $500+ donors!
Click here for the MIP End of Year Fundraising webpage.
Your investment of any size, small, medium, or large is deeply appreciated, supporting our work for community building and positive systemic change. Thank you for all your past, present, and future support!!
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Voices of Faith and Hope:
A Monadnock Interfaith Project Concert
February 1, 2:00 pm
Keene Public Library, Cohen Hall
Join us for a concert of beautiful musical offerings from many different faith traditions, including Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Baha'I, and Sikh. The concert will also feature a performance of the popular MIP "Pop-Up" Choir comprised of members from many different congregations around the Monadnock region.
Contact Lainee Ginsberg at Lainee123@aol.com for more information and if you would like to join the MIP "Pop-Up" Choir! All are welcome, the concert is free and open to the public, donations appreciated.
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Visit local faith communities to build
interfaith understanding!
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Specific dates are still being arranged.
Everyone is welcome, and we especially encourage youth and families to take advantage of this educational opportunity.
Click this Faith Community Visits Interest Form to express your interest
and receive upcoming visiting dates,
Contact Alaria Clauss for information:
alaria.clauss12@gmail.com or 603-777-7188
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Children's Gift Ideas from the Interfaith Bookshelf
As we move into the holiday season, don't forget that MIP's Interfaith Bookshelf has a section of books for young readers, any of which would make great holiday gifts.
Our two newest additions to this section are both books by Jewish authors. I recommend them not just for those who observe Hanukkah; but also for those who celebrate Christmas, Bodhi Day, the winter solstice, Kwanzaa or any of the other myriad gift giving opportunities that come at this time of year, these books would be a great way to expose your children to another faith's culture and symbols.
Recommended by: Ann Carlson
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Nina Nechama's book, What if Famous Artists Lit the Hanukkah Candles? invites children and families to imagine how painters like Van Gogh, Basquiat, and O’Keeffe might have approached the ritual of lighting Hanukkah candles—through color, rhythm, and emotion.
The idea of artists—from any faith or background—“lighting” candles metaphorically or literally taps into universal themes: creativity overcoming darkness, the human impulse to shine, and collective renewal.
A short timeline of the artists and their background is included in an appendix, should you wish to teach your child a little about art history while enjoying the sure-to-please illustrations.
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Elijah's Tears: Stories for the Jewish Holidays is a charming collection of five original stories where, in the tradition of Jewish folklore.
The prophet Elijah appears to good and faithful children and leaves miracles in his wake.
Each of these simple, relatable and compelling stories clearly shines with the beauty of faith and the blessings of caring for others. This little book stole my heart. My only complaint... it has only five stories. Like a little child at bedtime, I wanted to beg for "just one more!" Stories like this need to be told over and over, to people of all ages.
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Mental Health Research Team Activity Update!
After meeting with many local professionals knowledgeable about our regions' mental health challenges, the MIP Mental Health Research team is honing in on the following priority areas:
- Youth mental health
- Natural support systems for people of all ages
We are diving deeper into these topics to understand what is available in our area and how MIP can impact our local systems in positive ways.
Stay tuned for research updates as we learn more and identify promising strategies to pursue.
If this topic interests you, join our team and help make a difference!
Contact Angela Pape, angelapape.mip@gmail.com.
| | Get involved with community activities!... | | |
Menorah lighting
Keene Central Square Bandstand
Wednesday, December 17, 5:00pm
Join the 4th annual community gathering of light, peace & hope with friends at the Keene Central Square Bandstand.
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Labyrinth of Lights
Walpole Unitarian Church
Hastings Memorial Parish House
14 Union Street, Walpole, 5-7pm
December 21 & 22 (Sun., Mon.)
December 27, 28 & 29 (Sat., Sun., Mon.)
The Walpole Unitarian Church is pleased to offer the beautiful Labyrinth of Lights to the community again. Constructed of greens and tiny lights, the labyrinth offers both the walker and the observer a time of deep peace during some of the hectic days of December. This much-loved tradition had been offered for more than 20 years in the second floor ballroom of Hastings Memorial Parish House.
If you are new to the Labyrinth, one of our hosts will assist you in getting started! Please plan to wear warm slippers or socks in the ballroom and leave your shoes downstairs. In the case of inclement weather, a recorded message will be available by 3:00 p.m. when calling the church phone: 603-756-3961.
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Candlelight Procession & Memorial
December 22, 5-7pm
Walk in remembrance of those lives lost this year while experiencing homelessness in our region and take steps toward a more humane world.
5pm Gather in the Hundred Nights Parking lot 122 Water St. to distribute luminaries and depart shortly thereafter.
6pm Meet at St. James Episcopal Church, 44 West St. for remembrance ceremony.
Contact Rose Gadbois rgadbois@hundrednightsinc.org for information or if you would like to join the procession.
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Support a Peace Pole
on Central Square, Keene
A group of local citizens, members from both the Keene Rotary clubs and MIP have been working with the City of Keene to install a “Peace Pole” monument on Central Square.
One face of the monument will read, “May Peace Prevail on Earth” and the other three sides will show the word ‘peace’ translated into over 30 languages and including braille. The Keene City Council has approved this project.
According to the world peace project, “Peace poles are now the most recognized monument dedicated to peace on earth. They represent the highest aspirations of peace and goodwill inherent in the human heart, transcending race, religion and creed." The Peace Pole movement began in Japan in 1955, and today there are estimated to be more than 200,000 Peace Poles around the world.
This enduring symbol of the vital importance of peace in our world will be a gift to our wonderful community. Funding for the purchase, engraving, installation and maintenance of the monument will come from private donations by individuals, groups and local businesses. To date approximately $5,000 of our $15,000 objective has been donated.
We invite you to be part of this meaningful project for a timeless monument in the heart of our city dedicated to peace across the world. Tax deductible contributions can be made to the fiscal agent for this initiative:
Rotary Club of Keene
P.O. Box 126
Keene, NH 03431
Please make checks payable to Rotary Club of Keene and write “Peace Pole” on the memo line.
Join our grassroots movement to have a Peace Pole on Central Square as an affirmation of peace by the people of Keene and to inspire unity among people of all cultures, religions, ethnicities, and backgrounds across the Monadnock region and beyond!
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December Spiritual Holidays
Visit Interfaith Calendar 2025.
Dec 8 - Buddhist: Bodhi Day
The day that Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Bodhi Day generally is observed quietly, and may include meditation or chanting practices, bodhi tree decorations or simple tea and cookies.
December 14-22 - Jewish: Hanukkah
An 8-day celebration in the Jewish faith tradition that is the “festival of lights,” during which gifts are given, and each day a candle of the Menorah is ritualistically lit. Other observances include dreidel games and serving of the traditional latke pancake.
December 21 - Pagan and Wiccan: Yule
Celebrates the winter solstice, where themes of light, fire, and feasting are common threads.
December 22 - Sikh: Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday
Commemorates the birth of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru and spiritual leader.
December 25 - Christian: Christmas
Commemorating the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem.
December 26 – January 1: Kwanzaa
Celebration of African American culture, with a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. Traditions often include combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations as well as songs, dances, storytelling, and a shared meal.
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Know someone interested in interfaith efforts? Forward this email.
Visit our website MIPNH.org
Follow us on Facebook @MIPNH
Contact MIP anytime at monadnockinterfaith@gmail.com
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In faith, hope, and love,
Monadnock Interfaith Project, PO Box 161 Keene, NH 03431
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