Thursday, May 15, 2008 :  Spring General Assembly featuring Dr. Stephen P. Cohen and Mustafa Zein on the very important topic, "Seeking Light not Heat: A Basic Historical Understanding of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict."  Solutions to this conflict continue to elude us, but we know they can only begin with more and more people historically understanding the roots of the conflict. Also, we will also honor Ann Sadowsky for her years of service to interfaith efforts in lower Fairfield County.  She truly embodies what the InterFaith Council stands for: creating justice, compassion and peace through mutual understanding.  And she worked untiringly for our interfaith future, whether as Secretary of the Board, or organizer of the Ten Thousand Villages Fair Trade Sale or adminstrator of the Virginia Schroeder Respite Care Trust Fund.  In every way, she was a passionate advocate for all of us working together across the religious divides that too often regrettably separate us.  When finally we create a world more just and peaceful, it will be because of amazing people like Ann Sadowsky. Also as part of this evening, we'll be taking just a moment to elect and in some cases re-elect members to the board of the InterFaith Council.

 Join us at 7:15 PM in the General Re Auditorium on Stamford's U Conn campus.

Interfaith Book Club: to gather monthly in 2008 (January-May and September-November) to discuss books that enhance mutual understanding between our various world religions.  Gatherings will usually be on the fourth Thursdays of the month (except November!), 7:30-9:00 PM.   Books selected will either be positive and contemporary representations of their respective traditions or contemporary versions of time-honored classic texts; recommendations are welcomed that meet this criteria. The first three in 2008:

 January 24, 2008:     Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver & Priscilla Warner, The Faith Club:  A Muslim, a Christian, a Jew—Three Women Search for Understanding

 February 28, 2008:  Lama Surya Das, Awakening the Buddha Within

 March 27, 2008:      Stephen Mitchell, Tao te Ching: A New English Version

 Later books will be selected as the InterFaith Book Club takes shape and discovers its interests, but may include the following:
             Chaim Potok, The Chosen
             Stephen Prothero, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know  and Doesn’t
             Hazma Yusuf, Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms, and Cures of  the  Spiritual Diseases of the Heart
             Stephen Mitchell, Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation
             Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution
             Pema Chödrön, The Places that Scare You:  A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times
            Jon Meachem, American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation  

To reserve a place in The InterFaith Book Club or for more information including location of meetings, contact Dale Pauls, President of The InterFaith Council, at DalePauls@worldnet.att.net or at 203/322-9417, ext. 11.