- This story appears in the following editions:
- [Peony]
Building Interfaith Understanding
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
May 4, 2010, at 07:00 AM
Project Interfaith's Beth Katz
Dana Damewood
Beth Katz knows what it’s like to be Number One. Growing up in Omaha where Jews still make up less than 1% of the population, Katz was often “Number One” - as in the first of her faith to be encountered by many of her friends, schoolmates and acquaintances.
As a college student at the Jesuit-based Creighton University, she came to understand that a lack of familiarity works both ways. She surprised herself, she said, with how ill-informed she felt regarding some of the major tenets – let alone the subtleties - of other faiths, including the seemingly familiar Christianity practiced by the overwhelming majority of those around her.
Katz, the founder of Project Interfaith, is now working to unite people of all beliefs through programs, workshops, a youth group and a speaker series aimed at a broader understanding of the array of faiths found in an increasingly diverse Omaha and surrounding area.
Begun in 2005, the nonprofit looks to engage people of all faiths - or none at all – and is led by a board and advisory counsel populated by members who practice a staggering 13 different religions, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. Seeking to understand others, Katz admits, can be an intimidating undertaking for some.
Keeping a sense of humor about one of the trio of topics not to be discussed in polite company (sorry, death and taxes), the Project Interfaith website boasts that “we try not to be too stuffy about it … because life is too short to sit around and yawn.”
“Not only does interfaith understanding not need be a threatening experience,” Katz said, “it is most often an enriching and empowering one. Most find that they’ve also learned a lot about themselves in the process.”
Recent speaker programs have included Omaha visits by Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein and Georgetown University’s Dr. John Esposito. Klein’s life story was made into the 1995 Academy Award-winning documentary short film, “One Survivor Remembers.” Esposito, recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on Islam, is the author of Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think.
The group’s newest initiative is their Youth Service Project, where eight teens of different backgrounds from across the city have volunteered at local services and then filmed video diaries about their experiences, which are available for viewing on Project Interfaith’s website. That’s where you can also share your thoughts by responding to an always-compelling "Question of the Week" on matters of faith and beyond.
For more on Project Interfaith, its events and programs, visit projectinterfaithusa.org.
Comments
Posted by Tim Brauhn on 05/05 at 11:01 AM
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 05/05 at 05:13 PM
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 05/07 at 11:34 AM
Page 1 of 1 pages