Building a More Compassionate Community

Through Engaging MultiFaith Friendships

Editor: Judy Trautman

2009 – 2010

Note from the Co-Chairs

We are in the midst of our seventh program year. This newsletter is an attempt to share with our members and friends a summary of our recent, current, and near-future programming.

Judy and Woody Trautman

Annual MultiFaith Banquets

Our eighth annual banquet, “Faithful Stewardship of the Environment” was held at Congregation B’nai Israel on Sunday, April 19, 2009, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. Rabbi Moshe Saks and Abraham Musher-Eizenman, Architect, conducted a tour of the building.

A dozen faith displays were available during the mixer. Peter Adriance, NGO Liaison for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the U.S., was the keynote speaker. The event was attended 250 people of a dozen faith traditions.

Regina Silletti chaired the committee which included Dorothy Friedrich, Ruby Lee, Bindu Minstry, Susan Modarai, Salma Moosa, Jim and Linda Morford, Fauzia and Shaukat Rachid, Maxine Reiter, Harry and Regina Silletti, Kuldeep Singh, Sharon Stein, Judy and Woody Trautman, and Do’on Weik.

We are looking forward to our Ninth Annual MultiFaith Banquet, to be held this year at Masjid Saad Foundation on Sunday, April 25, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with an optional tour and presentation on Islam at 3:00 PM. Speaker for interactive program will be Kay Lindahl, author of three books on sacred listening. Paid registration in advance is required by April 15. Tickets are $17.00. Registration details are at http://www.multifaithjourneys.org/banquet2010.html. All are welcome.

Seventh and Eighth Annual MultiFaith Picnics

Dancing to make ice cream	The 2009 picnic was held on July 12 at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo picnic shelter. Kosher hotdogs, corn, lemonade, watermelon, and wonderful potluck food was enjoyed by all. Multi-generational games and activities added to the festivities.	Tug of Peace
The eighth annual family picnic is planned for July 11 at the Islamic Center picnic grounds. Hider Naserdin has agreed to chair the picnic.

MultiFaith GROWs is a new outreach program of the MultiFaith Council. Its mission is to encourage all faith groups with access to land to plant community gardens.

The program is in close association with Toledo GROWs, outreach program of the Toledo Botanical Garden. Toledo GROWs now manages well over 80 community gardens and also works with the CITE training program for youth in trouble with the law.

Encouraging and supporting faith-based gardens and Toledo GROWs is a natural outgrowth of our theme of spiritual stewardship of the environment.

Our First Annual Harvest Festival was held at Monroe Street Methodist Church on Sunday, October 25, 2009, from 3:30 to 6:00 PM. Buddhist Jay Weik opened the garden portion of the program. Marcy Kaptur spoke about the urgent need to keep our food dollars local. Rev. Karen Shepler spoke about the Monroe Street Methodist garden.

After a hearty meal of soups which included Toledo GROWs chicken, several leaders of community gardens shared their stories.

In the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010, there have been a series of garden workshops on square-foot gardening and other gardening types and resources.

Plans are well underway for a garden at the Hindu Temple of Toledo. The JCC is in preliminary planning for a joint garden by the three Jewish congregations. The Toledo Zen Center is planning a small urban farm.

A dedicated website features existing faith-based gardens and offers links, a list of garden events, and useful tips. http://gardens.multifaithjourneys.org/

Charter for Compassion

To celebrate our partnership of the “Charter for Compassion”, the MultiFaith Council and Erase the Hate Toledo are presenting a Community View of the Harvard Pluralism film Fremont USA . The initial screening was held Monday, November 16, 2009, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm, at the meeting room of the Toledo Lucas County Library - Heatherdowns Branch.

The film documents poignantly how a California community embraces its growth from homogeneous rural beginnings to a richly diverse city. Following the screening, six groups discussed how to create a more compassionate community. Results of the discussion are on our website. Copies of the film are available on loan as free programming for your group. Details are at

http://www.multifaithcouncil.org/pages/commview.htm

Erase the Hate Contests 2010

High School Poetry	The MultiFaith Council is an Erase the Hate sponsor. We sponsored three Erase the Hate youth contests this past year, with cash prizes for the sponsoring school or youth organization.	Video Awards
Fifty-four posters were submitted of which twenty-three will be displayed at the Toledo Museum of Art community gallery this spring. Of the thirty-seven poetry submission, eleven were selected for prizes and presentation. The winning video clips will be aired on WGTE Family as PSAs for the rest of the year.

Winning entries are featured on our website at http://www.multifaithcouncil.org/pages/Winners2010.htm

All contest finalists and winners were featured at the Erase the Hate Youth and Family event at Lourdes Franciscan Center on March 14.

Men’s Group and Tables of 8

The MultiFaith Men’s Group has been meeting monthly since August, 2007. The men have discussed a wide range of topics. The group has supported our picnic and banquet with promotion and set up. They are exploring a service project component, perhaps in a local soup kitchen.

Tables of 8, small interfaith potluck groups, have continued since 2008. Thirteen groups have met from two to four times in homes over shared food and conversation. Consult our website www.multifaithcouncil.org or Woody Trautman for registration.

International Dances of Universal Peace

Picnic June 2009	A local group of Dances of Universal Peace meets on the third Thursday of each month at Unity of Toledo, 3535 Executive Parkway, from 7 – 9 PM. All are welcome. Dancers meet September through June.
On New Year’s Eve, we presented the dances once again at the Toledo Museum of Art, as a part of their Winter Legacies Program. An Afterglow potluck with more dancing followed at Unity of Toledo. http://peacedance.multifaithjourneys.org/		Afterglow New Year’s Eve 2009

North American Interfaith Network

The MultiFaith Council is a member of the North American Interfaith Network, which helps us to share our interfaith experiences with representatives from interfaith groups across the continent. Judy and Woody are members of the Board of Directors of NAIN.

The next NAINConnect will be July 24-28th, 2010, Plaza Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah, Temple Square. Details may be found at www.nain.org.

23rd Annual Interfaith Blood Drive and “Celebration of Life”

The MultiFaith Council is a sponsor of the Interfaith Blood Drive, which is also an Erase the Hate Event. The 2010 drive is Saturday and Sunday, June 26 and 27 from 9 AM to 3 PM at Grace Lutheran Church, 4441 Monroe Street, Toledo, OH 43613. The Celebration of Life is on Sunday at 7 PM at First Unitarian Church, 3205 Glendale Avenue, Toledo, OH 43614.

Chair and contact is Dorothy Friedrich 419 841 4652.

Collaborations

MFC collaborates with many local community building groups. We had a MultiFaith Village at the Taste of Diversity on September 20, 2009. We had children’s activities, handouts on diverse faith traditions, free popcorn, and food. We participate in the Hunger Awareness Interfaith Service. We had a display at the Frogtown Fair in August and at the Perrysburg Global Summit in February.

Membership and Sponsorships

The MultiFaith Council is a tax-exempt 501c3 organization, with no paid staff, and depends solely on the generosity of our members and volunteers. We offer our deepest thanks to our supporters. Names of the sponsors and a membership / sponsorship form are available on our website.

Sponsorship levels are Partner $1000+, Annual Sponsor $300 and over, Platinum $100, Gold $75.00, Silver $50.00, and Bronze $25.00. All of these sponsorships support our ongoing programming.

Membership levels are Individual member - $10.00, Couple/Family - $15.00. Individual sponsorships include membership.

See our website: www.multifaithcouncil.org.

Contact Judy or Woody Trautman info@multifaithcouncil.org. 419-475-6535.