John Cobb & Friends Gathering: Ellyn Polsky, Sophia Said, and Jay McDaniel
April 4, 2023 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm PDT
Topic: Passover, Ramadan, and Holy Week: An Interfaith Conversation
Presenters: Ellyn Polsky, Sophia Said, and Jay McDaniel
This conversation, co-sponsored with the Interfaith Center of Arkansas, will honor holy seasons of Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
Ellyn Polsky will guide our understanding of Passover. She has been teaching in secular and Jewish schools and camps for over 50 years, most recently as Director of Lifelong Learning at Reform Jewish congregations in St. Louis and then in Little Rock. You can see her in the following 10-minute video about a program for elementary school children. She worked tirelessly to help Sophia Said establish, teach and have fun in—Interfaith Friendship Camp of Arkansas. An educator at The Interfaith Center, she has been curriculum director of the camp for the last 6 years.
Sophia Said, Executive Director of The Interfaith Center of Arkansas, will discuss Ramadan. She has received multiple awards recognizing her contributions to civil society. Perhaps you remember her previous conversation with John Cobb & Friends “On Being Muslim in America.” A native of Pakistan who came to America when her husband came to study, she responded to the 9-11 tragedy by founding the Interfaith Center. Explore Open Horizons website for her story, her affirmation of “The America I believe in,” and Jay McDaniel’s “process appreciation” of her vision. Also, Sophia and Jay reflect on interfaith relations in light of the results of the 2016 US Presidential election. Explore her personal story, plus course materials she developed with Jay McDaniel for a class they taught at Hendrix College on “Leadership in a Multi-Faith World.”
Jay McDaniel will discuss Holy Week. He is Professor Emeritus of World Religions at Hendrix College, board chair for Cobb Institute, active supporter of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China and of the Becomings Collective for Emerging Artists (becomingscollective.org). He is curator of OpenHorizons.org. He has collaborated often with Sophia Said, contributing to the programs of the Interfaith Center of Arkansas. See the page with his biodata on the website of Spirituality & Practice.
For basic information about Jewish, Muslim, and Christian holy seasons, you may explore these resources available from the Harvard Pluralism Project:
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Can’t make it to the live session? Click here to access our archive of Cobb & Friends recordings.