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East Landsing Michigan Chapter
We are a group of women of diverse backgrounds including multiple ages, ethnicities, nationalities, and languages, who are also mothers of young children, grandmothers, teachers/professors, state government employees, spiritual directors, and retirees. In our conversations centered on the books we choose together and the hospitality of sharing food, we discover new ways of seeing our world and our common issues of concern for mutual respect and peace. Over the course of 4 years, we have grown into warm and caring friendships. We provide a safe place to support each other in our daily lives which have included: births, deaths, fear for loved ones, vocation issues and living in today's American culture.
We share facilitating our book discussions which have included The Faith Club (Idliby,Oliver,Warner) People of the Book (Brooks), Help,Thanks,Wow (LaMott),and Saying Kaddish (Diamant). As we have grown to know and understand each other more fully, our discussions have become deeper. These reveal how often we are so very similar in the ways we experience living in our individual faith traditions. As the only Daughters chapter in Michigan, we would welcome the opportunity of more chapters in our area. Connecting with other women who also value the positive interactions we so enjoy is at the heart of the purpose, and also our hope, as members of Daughters of Abraham.
Sudbury Valley Chapter, Sudbury, MA
On Thursday, May 16 members of the Sudbury Valley Daughters of Abraham met at the home of Safura Hussein. Our discussion was about the month of Ramadan, which was celebrated this year from May 5 until June 4.
Safura Hussein, Nuzi Farooki and Farida Ahmed spoke of their experiences as observers of the month of fast and emphasized that its purpose was an interior one; a time of introspection, meditation and connection to others.They responded to questions about the challenge of going without food or drink from sunrise to sunup, and agreed that there were rewards for the fast; particularly an appreciation for the needs of others and a greater awareness of their interior lives.
Christian and Jewish members discussed the times of fasting in their religions and the purposes of the practice. It was another meeting at which we all learned more about one another's religious beliefs and practices. We came away with an appreciation for our differences and for all that we have in common.
The meeting closed with a delicious
Iftar dinner!
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