Interfaith Iftar/Ramadan Dinner - September 7

You are cordially invited to an Interfaith Iftar/Ramadan Dinner, hosted by the Islamic Center of Minnesota, in cooperation with the St. Paul Interfaith Network and many local houses of worship and community organizations. The evening will include dinner, an introduction to the Islamic practice of fasting in Ramadan, and a discussion of the theme, "Knowing God," in Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions. The event will take place on Sunday, September 7 from 6:45-9:15 PM at the Islamic Center of Minnesota, 1401 Gardena Avenue, Fridley, MN 55432. Registration is required by September 2 at www.spacc.org/iftar. A donation of $15 is requested for the fish dinner. Women may wish to honor Muslim custom by covering their heads. Questions? Contact Marc Blakesley at mblakesley@spacc.org (preferred) or (651) 789-3877.

After 63 Years, Holocaust Survivor and the Family that Saved her Reunite - September 6 - 13

Minneapolis, Minn. – Throughout September 6 – 13, 2008, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) will host the reunion between a Holocaust survivor and a member of the family that saved her 63 years ago. Traveling from Israel, Holocaust survivor Mia Lakmaker, will be reunited with her rescuer, Wilma Stienstra, in Lake Crystal, Minnesota.

In 1943, Lakmaker’s mother delivered her to Stienstra’s family in Ijlst, Netherlands to escape Nazi persecution. Stienstra's family was already in danger for harboring two other Jewish people, but her younger sister had died of an illness a year earlier and Mia became the new sister and Stienstra was her guardian in hiding. The two played together every day for more than two years, avoiding German roundups with help from neighbors.

After the war ended, an aunt of Mia took her from Stienstra’s family, hoping to reunite her with her mother. Unfortunately, Mia’s mother was killed in a concentration camp. Shortly after this, Mia contracted tuberculosis and was abandoned by her aunt. Mia survived and eventually moved to Israel.

Earlier this year, a Dutch television station aired a story about Wilma and Mia. Through Wilma’s brothers, Mia was able to get her phone number and called her. “I was very happy to talk with her and to say to her how much I feel for her, and say thank you for all the things you did for me,” Lakmaker said.

“We both cried,” Stienstra said. “I told her what she was like as a child and that she was my little sister and that I felt so bad that she had left.”

“In partnership with Northwest Airlines, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, South High School, and Bet Shalom Congregation, we are grateful for the opportunity to reunite Wilma and Mia. We look forward to sharing this inspiring story with the people of Minnesota,” said Steve Hunegs, JCRC Executive Director.

For more information about community or school events surrounding the reunion of Mia Lakmaker and Wilma Stienstra, please contact Laura Zelle at (612) 338-7816 or Laura@ToleranceMinnesota.org.

 

Fall Interfaith Dialogue Series - Begins October 27

"Your Truth and My Truth: Absolutes and Openness in Our Religious Traditions." Mark your calendar for an interfaith dialogue series sponsored by the Saint Paul Interfaith Network and co-sponsored by Bet Shalom Congregation and a number of other faith communities; to be held five Monday evenings, Oct. 27 Nov. 24, 2008, at five different area houses of worship. Dialogue will focus on questions such as:

How does your faith tradition view the teachings and practices of other religious traditions?

How can we affirm both absolutes and openness in our religious traditions?

How can our traditions support positive interfaith relationships without sacrificing their uniqueness and authority?

Each evening will include brief presentations by area religious leaders, followed by facilitated dialogue in groups of participants from different traditions. Open to the public; donations invited. Watch for further details and/or check www.spacc.org/spin for information and pre-registration.