Interfaith Matters

"Legitimacy

can be established through credentials ... or it can be established

through a track record and work experience, that you have indicated

through some type of continuous effort that you are someone worth

listening to.""Our

bigger challenge today is ... the amount of indifference that exists. 

That you see injustice taking place in front of you, and you have the

ability to do something about it, and you still don't.  You can have a

perspective on a person or a community that they represent, without

having ever met someone from that community." "Find the courage to go and be with those who are different rather than waiting for them to be with you."In this episode of our free podcast series “NYC Faith Leaders,” Maggi Van Dorn

interviews Imam Khalid Latif, who shares with us his experience as the

first Muslim chaplain of NYU, the emerging faith leadership of young

adults, and how conviction inspires and necessitates a person to work

across faith lines.  We're pleased that this episode will be the first entry in the Storybank of Religions for Peace USA’s "Our Muslim Neighbor" initiative, a long-term collective impact effort geared toward combating Islamophobia with a positive, informed, and consistent message of Islam and Muslims in the U.S.We

hope you will not just listen to this series, but download the podcasts

to hear while driving, jogging, or washing the dishes.  And subscribe

in order to be alerted when new installments are available.  It’s a

great way to learn about the faiths of our New York City neighbors.

"Legitimacy

can be established through credentials ... or it can be established

through a track record and work experience, that you have indicated

through some type of continuous effort that you are someone worth

listening to."

"Our

bigger challenge today is ... the amount of indifference that exists. 

That you see injustice taking place in front of you, and you have the

ability to do something about it, and you still don't.  You can have a

perspective on a person or a community that they represent, without

having ever met someone from that community."

"Find the courage to go and be with those who are different rather than waiting for them to be with you."

In this episode of our free podcast series “NYC Faith Leaders,” Maggi Van Dorn

interviews Imam Khalid Latif, who shares with us his experience as the

first Muslim chaplain of NYU, the emerging faith leadership of young

adults, and how conviction inspires and necessitates a person to work

across faith lines. 

We're pleased that this episode will be the first entry in the Storybank of Religions for Peace USA’s "Our Muslim Neighbor" initiative, a long-term collective impact effort geared toward combating Islamophobia with a positive, informed, and consistent message of Islam and Muslims in the U.S.

We

hope you will not just listen to this series, but download the podcasts

to hear while driving, jogging, or washing the dishes.  And subscribe

in order to be alerted when new installments are available.  It’s a

great way to learn about the faiths of our New York City neighbors.

About

Hinduism and Monotheism: "Hindus believe in one supreme Brahman. The

anciet sages and the seers always worshiped a formless form of the Lord.

The form came in for common people to be able to focus their worship." On

Hinduism and deitieis: "We strongly believe that God is in everything. 

You can invoke God in a piece of stone.  Every part of a deity's body

gives us a message - Ganesha's ears prompt us to be good listeners, his

eyes teach us to be focused."On

the role of the House of Worship: "Temples are bulit for a community

platform, people get married here, children love to come and sing,

dance."On

Religious Diversity: "We must appreciate differences.  Ultimately we

all want to reach the supreme lord.  All religions are equal. In our

prayers, we always say 'Let the entire universe be happy and healthy.'"In the fifth episode of our free podscast series “NYC Faith Leaders,” Maggi Van Dorn

interviews Dr. Uma Mysorekar, about her roots in faith, her medical

practice, and giving back to the community, helping to found the Hindu

Temple Society of North America – New York City’s oldest and largest

Hindu temple, in Flushing, Queens.We

hope you will not just listen to this series, but download the podcasts

to hear while driving, jogging, or washing the dishes.  And subscribe

in order to be alerted when new installments are available.  It’s a

great way to learn about the faiths of our New York City neighbors.

Maggi Van Dorn talks with Theo and Phyllis Harris, stars of the Off

Broadway show “Alive 55+ and Kickin"“Every time I lift my eyes to the sky, I’m reminded of a time in my life

When all the dark clouds hung over me, I was lost inside, in search of a key.

I remember loved ones being so kind, saying things would get much better with time.

And I admit sometimes it did for a while, then I’d find myself back under the cloud.

But right in the midst of the rain, my heart was so filled with pain,

You came and rescued my soul, and then your love took control.

Right in the midst of the rain you taught me to smile again.

My life was awesomely changed right in the midst of the rain.”

In the fourth episode of our free podscast series “NYC Faith Leaders,” Maggi Van Dorn

interviews Theo and Phyllis Harris, about their lives and art.  During

Theo’s many years of incarceration, Phyllis struggled with raising a

family.  In their shared love of singing, the two of them found the

strength to keep their marriage together and give inspiration to

countless others through their performances in “Alive 55+ and Kickin,”

at the Dempsey Theater in Harlem.  The show, now in its third year, was

produced by Vy Higginson, creator of the acclaimed gospel musical “Mama,

I want to Sing.”  As described on the “Alive 55+ and Kickin'” website,

the show is about “the healing and transformative power of story and

song. With music ranging from gospel, to soul, to blues, to R&B, to

pop, and Broadway, ALIVE! captures a wide spectrum of the total Black experience in sound.”

We hope you will not just listen to this series, but download the

podcasts to hear while driving, jogging, or washing the dishes.  And

subscribe in order to be alerted when new installments are available. 

It’s a great way to learn about the faiths of our New York City

neighbors.

On Sufism: “The inner knowledge of the nature of the human being, and the divine reality within the human being.”

On being a female Muslim leader: [When

you’re not used to it], that’s why you find all these so called holy

reasons why it shouldn’t be.”

On Rumi: “When love speaks, it will express itself in poetic form, like the hymns we sing.”

In the third episode of our free podscast series “NYC Faith Leaders,” Maggi Van Dorn

interviews Sheikha Fariha of the Nur Ashki Jerrahi tariqa located in

Tribeca, who speaks about the spiritual path of Sufism, the direct

transmission of divine love through the relationship of Sheikha and

dervish, and the awakening of the heart in community worship.

We hope you will not just listen to this series, but download the

podcasts to hear while driving, jogging, or washing the dishes.  And

subscribe in order to be alerted when new installments are available. 

It’s a great way to learn about the faiths of our New York City

neighbors.www.interfaithcenter.org

In the second episode of our free podscast series “NYC Faith Leaders,”

Babalawo Antonio Mondesire reflects on his journey to the Ifá

priesthood, a life story weaving together culture, race, politics,

faith, all expressed and influenced by the power of music.

Baba Tony was born in the Bronx to parents of Puerto Rican and

Eastern Caribbean (Dominica) ancestry.  He is an Ifá Priest, Spiritual

Counselor, Educator, and Percussionist.  The spiritual title Babaláwo

(or Baba for short) literally means “father of esoteric studies,” and

the term “Ifá” may be translated as “encoded, esoteric, universal

knowledge, wisdom and understanding.”

The ancient tradition of Ifá is held in high esteem among the Yoruba

people of West Africa, and throughout the African diaspora.  The

colonial slave trade brought the tradition of Ifá to Cuba and other

Caribbean nations, and more recent patterns of immigration have brought

it to the United States directly from Yoruba land and Nigeria. In Cuba,

the Yoruba practice of praying to God, Oludumare, was achieved through

relationships with the Orisha, or spirits – what Baba Tony calls God’s

deputies and emissaries to humanity.

Enslaved Africans found ways to camouflage Orisha with attributes of

Roman Catholic saints in order to comply by the laws of the state,

circumvent sanctions and avoid persecution for practicing any expression

of African religion. What began as a survival adaptation has since

evolved into a diaspora model for African inspired spirituality. 

“Santeria” remains a common term for Yoruba religious expressions in the

United States and the Caribbean, however, the more accurate term is

Lukumi, or simply Yoruba.

Throughout our interview, Baba Tony describes how both the Ifá and

Lukumi spiritual traditions – as well as the inspiration of music – came

together in his search for identity, meaning, and theological

grounding.

This is a brief introduction to terms relating to Ifá faith practice that are referenced in our primary podcast episode "Beyond The Songs,

There is Something Deeper."

ICNY is pleased to lauch a new podcast series called “NYC Faith Leaders,”

featuring interviews with diverse faith leaders throughout the city. 

In the first installment, Mike Weis talks about how he was called to

his role as Cantor at the Brotherhood Synagogue in Manhattan, the role

of music in expressing faith and in bringing people together, and his

plans to establish an interfaith music festival.  We also offer some

supplemental audio of Mike singing “Avinu Malkeinu,” and discussing the function of “tropes” in the ritual chanting of Hebrew scripture during synagogue services.

We hope you will subscribe to this series, and download the podcasts

to listen while driving, jogging, or washing the dishes.  It”s a great

way to learn about the faiths of our New York City neighbors.

Cantor Mike Weis, of the

Brotherhood Synagogue near Gramercy Park, sings Yehuda Green's upbeat version

of "Avinu Malkeinu," giving a lighter spin to a more traditionally

heavy theme song of the Jewish high holidays.

Cantor Mike Weis, of the Brotherhood Synagogue near Gramercy

Park, explains the history and function of tropes, the cantillation used for

the ritual chanting of Hebrew scriptures during synagogue services. He explains

how these musical accents bring punctuation, beautiful melodies and clarity to

the reading of scripture.