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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 l...

This summer, we are featuring meaningful art in our new blog series: Art and Identity. In this week's post, John Hougen reflects on anger and rebirth through oil pastels. If you have artwork and commentary you'd like to share, please ema il Liz er@interfaithphiladelphia.org and Andrew jaf@interfaithphiladelphia.o rg One of the turning points in my life was facilitated by the spiritual exercise of Art Journaling. I have practiced Art Journaling on and off for the 23 years I have known Sister Marianne Hieb RSM. She is a spiritual director who has encouraged me to use simple art materials to explore what’s happening in my mind, heart, and soul. (See Hieb, Marianne . Inner Journeying Through Art Journaling: Learning to See and Record your Life as a Work of Art . London and Philadelphia, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2005.) I created this piece while I was a Regional Director for Lutheran Campus Ministry. I had returned from a series of meetings with Bishops and their Synods’ Campus...

There were times in my life where I struggled to feel hope within my spirituality. It felt lonely and it felt dark. It was even though fog overpowered my mind and my ability to connect with God. Did you ever feel that? If so, know that you are not alone and there is a way to get out of what I call “spiritual eclipse.” What Is Spirituality? Spirituality is when a person is trying to connect to a Higher Power. To some people a Higher Power is God, to some it is nature, and to some, it is still a journey to figure out what or who it is. When people feel satisfied in their spiritual life, they feel connection, love, purpose, and hope. On the other hand, when people are struggling with their spirituality, they feel disconnection, apathy, purposelessness , and despair.  Eclipse  A solar eclipse occurs when a moon overshadows the sun. During a solar eclipse, if a person looks at the sky, she/he can see the full moon and a small part of the Sun. It is beautiful to look at for a moment...

I grew up receiving a lot of praise from the older folks in my church for just about everything I did. I found this perplexing as I was just doing what came naturally to me — involving myself in the life of my small United Church of Christ congregation. I sang in the choir because I love music. I went to Sunday school because I like to learn. Yet every week I was given more praise and encouragement. I remember asking my grandmother why everyone in the church seemed to dote on me so. Her reply: “We need more young people involved in the church. Without kids like you, the church is going to die.” Talk about pressure! I did go on to increase my involvement, so much so that I now find myself entering my second year of study toward a master’s degree in divinity. I’ve found my classmates and professors sharing sentiments similar to my grandmother’s: Their churches are slowly fading. The overall decline in religiosity has been a hot topic among individuals of faith likely since the conception...

This spring/summer, we are sharing stories and recipes from throughout the region. In this week's post, Gilana Levavi of Cherry Hill, NJ reflects on food and faith during her year at Hartford Seminary. If you have a recipe you'd like to share, please email Lia Hyman at lh@interfaithphiladelphia.org or Ana West at aw@interfaithphiladelphia.org     I spent this past academic year as an International Peacemaking Program student at Hartford Seminary, an interfaith graduate school focused on Christianity, Islam and Judaism. One of the highlights of my year was sharing ten Shabbat dinners with Hartford Seminary community members of diverse religious identities. I am grateful for the support of an Interfaith Starter Grant and an Interfaith Leadership Fund grant, both from Interfaith Youth Core, which enabled me to host these dinners. Sharing Shabbat dinners with fellow students and others of diverse religions, identities, nationalities, worldviews, and perspectives was such a pl...