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I want to share with you a very short overview of the Christmas story. It has moved from the fascinating days of pagan influence, early church opposition to its celebration and growth, and then, gradually over the years, acceptance in our own time. It is a rich history with a lot of bends and curves along the road. No one really knows the date of Jesus’s birth. Christmas was first celebrated in late November, which marked the end of the harvest season. In 336 A.D., Constantine established December 25 as the official date to celebrate Jesus birth. Although we credit Constantine for setting the date for Christmas to be celebrated, the deeper roots of the day lie in pre - Christian festivities - actually pagan ceremonies of the winter solstice.  We cannot pass the early celebration of Christmas without mentioning Bishop Myra of Asia Minor. We know him as Saint Nicholas or, now, Santa Claus. He was born in the Greek city of Patar. In his early ministry he became known as a kind bishop as h

The pandemic through which the world is moving mournfully and medically has left no area of life untouched. Moments of the life-cycle for which family and friends would normally gather have migrated to primarily distance-and-digital experiences. Even where the unfolding of Covid contamination has allowed for intervals when small gatherings could take place, many moments of significance now unfold remotely over various online platforms.  Some of the events that occur in isolation will allow for future regroupings – private Zoom weddings may be followed by a first or second anniversary in-person celebrations; students of the 2020 high school classes can look forward to college graduations convened in person.  But for the moments of loss occurring during Covid, the inability to gather when the emotional and family consequences are most intense compromises and inevitably attenuates the rites and rituals of spiritual traditions. Put differently, at what is perhaps the most int

I come from a multi-faith and multiracial family. My mom is white and was raised Jewish, and my dad is Black and was raised Baptist. My siblings and I grew up going to church every Sunday, but also celebrating Jewish holidays and considering our Jewish roots an important part of our heritage and culture.    Admittedly, I’ve often struggled trying to make the multiple aspects of my identity feel whole. The world often talks about me in halves, and I’ve had to deal with the feeling that I’m not enough [fill in aspect of identity here]. Throughout my life though, the one place where the seemingly disparate parts of my identity come together is at the table.      It’s through meals that I feel like I am able to fully celebrate the cultures that make me who I am, and it’s through meals that our family was able to blend them together. We eat soul food at our Passover Seders, and some years the smell of our Christmas cookies mixes with the smell of lingering latkes. I’ve seen religious bounda

There are so many ways to give to Interfaith Philadelphia on Giving Tuesday! Donate in honor of someone you love www.interfaithphiladelphia. org/donate   Text “understand” to 44321 Donate a scholarship -- sponsor someone’s participation in one of our programs Share on social media -- let’s increase our media following! We offer lots of free programming through Facebook live, which people can access with a click! Let your friends know about us -- Interfaith Philadelphia programs equip Philadelphians with the skills to talk to one another and have the difficult conversations. By bringing more people together through our programs, through our page, through discussions, we can shift the course of polarization to one of connection. Post an “ unselfie !” How are you being unselfish on Giving Tuesday, or everyday? Let us know why you support Interfaith Philadelphia through a social media post!    

What is next for a country so divided? What is the way forward? How do I (and should I?) stay connected to people who view the world so differently from me? In these divisive times, many are pondering these questions. We might be prone to think the differences between ourselves and our neighbor (or friend, child, parent, spouse, colleague) are just too wide to cross. We find ourselves caught in catastrophic thinking that makes our neighbor an ‘other’ that we fear we will never understand.    What is the way forward? How do we stand tall in our own beliefs and still stay connected in relationship with others who think differently? This moment in time is an opportunity to step away from debating and step into understanding.   Are we willing to be vulnerable? Are we willing to look at our own biases, experiences and belief systems and consider how those perspectives have shaped our thinking? How do we build authentic community? It is important to find spaces to explore and practice deep l

I am a water colorist. In 2018, noticing the rise in Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and religious intolerance in general, I had the urge to put something down on paper. I decided on Isaiah 2:4, "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Phonetically, the Hebrew reads, " Lo Yisa Goy El Goy Herev, ViloYilmdoo Ode Mealchamaw ." "Lo" means "no", "Goy" means "nation," and it also means "other."  In my mind, this word from YHWH was not only intended to move people from war to peace, but was intended to instruct people to get along in general. To follow God’s way, we need to not just coexist, but to respect each other. I created this piece of art.     Two years ago, when the eleven people were murdered in The Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, I was strongly affected on two levels. First, as someone who is Jewish, I realized these people died only because they were Jewi

 Today's blog post comes from Philadelphia artist Margaret Matt. If you are interested in submitting an art piece and reflection to our blog, please email Liz Royer at er@interfaithphiladelphia.org or Dr. John Hougen at jbh@interfaithphiladelphia.org I have been a professional artist for more than 40 years. I design computer graphics for print materials and web design. I am also a traditional artist who creates realistic images, from portraits to narrative pieces. My religious art is a different experience. I meditate on a Bible verse and then begin to create it. What is interesting to me, if the art speaks a truth, it takes on a life of its own. People see different aspects to it. If it isn’t right, it falls flat. No amount of technical skill can bring life to it. During the creative process, I feel a responsibility to do the very best I can and be true to the Bible verse. These art pieces also speak to all ages in different ways. They have a unique affect that is diffe

In August of 2020, Interfaith Philadelphia’s Mosaic program ran online for the first time, as part of adaptations made for the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on for reflections from staff and facilitators about the program, including some highlights and favorite memories.  Anneke This was our third year offering Mosaic to middle school-aged youth in Philadelphia, and just like most things in 2020, this year felt different. Although our strongest connection to our students in the program this year was through a chat box and screen, Interfaith Philadelphia staff could sense a real hunger for activities and engagement with fellow peers. Our discussion around intersectional identities and religious diversity felt more important than ever, and art served as a way to process these emotions and reflections. I so deeply appreciated the close to 40 students who braved logging into Zoom with a bunch of fellow youth they didn’t know, and shared a bit about who they were with this small new community.  

Navigating life and relationships in the best of times is complicated. With COVID-19 and the divisiveness of an upcoming election, many of us are thinking, “Woah, how do I get through these next few months?” We have a few options. One, we can never get out of bed. Two, we can go to ‘battle’ for our views and be frustrated. Or three, we can use this time to intentionally build skills to help our relationships in the short and long term. As co-facilitator of the Passport to Understanding Online , I have learned (and share with participants) five approaches that can significantly alter the way you interact with people with different views, beliefs, and backgrounds than you. These five approaches are useful with close family and friends as well as people new to your life.       Be Curious Interact with others with the conviction that you have something to learn from them. Ask questions that invite the other to tell you stories, and make them want to share their experiences with you, instea

My parents raised our family with frequent visits to museums and galleries, fueling the passion for the making of art that became a large part of who I am. As I examine further links, the original creation of the world filters into my work, whether painting the human figure or screen printing molecular renditions of targeted cancer therapy. My abstract works reference the materials and acts that Deity used to organize the earth. After gathering, arranging and finalizing my assemblage pieces, I experience a visceral, in addition to intellectual, feeling of completion, a feeling of gratitude toward the Higher Power in my life.  During this time of COVID-19 quarantine, precipitously locked out of the print shop and my studio, I began teaching myself how to dye organic cloth and cotton paper, using natural foraged material in inner city Philadelphia. This has given me additional time to consider our God, his works and my human imitation of His original acts. His grand ability to create hum

Today’s blog post is about the rise of and simultaneous oppression of non-traditional faiths.       Although I was raised as a reform Jew, I’ve seen and read about the rise of non-traditional faiths.  Most of these faiths, such as the Asatru faith, are based on old religions that were once dormant. These faiths have seen a major rise in popularity particularly among the youth. The belief systems that guide them are a mix of Paganism and distinct cultures from around the world. One of the reasons these non-traditional religious beliefs are on the rise is because they are less organized and more individualistic in nature. It’s about what you put into the faith and get out of it more than following any strict guidelines. While these faiths do have temples and places of worship, there are only a few and they are scattered around the world.       The reason I bring all of this up today is that these faiths are under attack in certain ways. The Asatru faith that believes in the gods of Norwa

This summer, we are featuring meaningful art in our new blog series: Art and Identity. In this week's post, Laurie Pollack reflects on the Hebrew phrase, Hineni, through her art. If you have artwork and commentary you'd like to share, please ema il Liz er@interfaithphiladelphia.org and Andrew jaf@interfaithphiladelphia.org I do not call myself an artist but I describe myself as a poet who sometimes also plays with paint. My main genre and where I feel I may have a gift, is writing not art. I paint not to perfect my rudimentary skill or create fine art but to express myself. I do not have the skills yet to express myself and may never get there.  But I find meaning in it  and do it anyway  I am Jewish though not religious, and sometimes write or paint  on Jewish themes. Here is a painting I did at the start of the pandemic, which hit us a little while before Passover. It is called "Hineni". The numbers refer to the 10 plagues "Hineni" means in Hebrew: I am p

I grew up with what one might consider a typical Jewish experience. I lit the candles and ate challah every Shabbat. I dipped apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah. I fasted on Yom Kippur. I shook the etrog and lulav. And I used the Shamash to light the Hanukkiah.   That wasn’t all, though. I also got to celebrate Christmas and (the occasional) Easter. Often when my friends found out I got presents for both Christmas and Hanukkah, I was deemed “super lucky”; however, it was all I’d ever known.   My mom grew up in a Catholic-Italian household. Later in her life, she became unattached to the religion that had raised her. My dad, on the other hand, had been raised Jewish and began practicing more frequently as the years went by. Cue the discussion of children, and they agreed to raise my older sister and me within the Jewish religion. I attended both a Jewish preschool and Jewish sleep-away summer camp, URJ Camp Harlam. Committing to Camp Harlam marked a crucial decision in my life that shape