Monday, December 2, 2024
The Valley Stream Jewish Center served as the venue for this year’s Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration, an annual event organized by the Valley Stream Religious Council.
The Nov. 20 gathering brought together representatives and community members from various faiths to reflect on gratitude and foster interfaith understanding through an evening of prayer, speeches, music and fellowship. About 35 people attended the event on Nov. 20, representing a range of religious and ethnic backgrounds.
“This event has been a wonderful opportunity to bring together people of different religions, races, and backgrounds to understand our commonalities as one human family,” Marie McNair, secretary of the Regional Baha’i Council of the Northeastern States, said. “In sharing the type of program that we do, it becomes clear that the foundation of our beliefs, although sometimes differing in how we express them, really are the same and show that we really have so much in common.”
Theis annual tradition rotates among different houses of worship, with past locations including Grace Methodist Church, the Baha’i CenterCenter, and the Valley Stream Presbyterian Church. During the pandemic, the event was held virtually viavia Zoom. The event’s consistent focus is gratitude as a universal value, emphasizing its presence as a shared theme across major world religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, BuddhismBuddhism, and the Baha’i Faith.
Faith leaders who contributed to this year’s program included Rabbi Yechiel Buchband of the Valley Stream Jewish Center, Sister Margie Kelly of Holy Name of Mary Church, McNair representing the Baha’i Center, Bishop Claude Hibbert of Deeper Life World Outreach Ministries and Rabbi Steven Graber of Temple Hillel.
Participants offered readings, prayers or reflections tied to their traditions, but unified under the shared theme. of gratitude. The service also incorporated various forms of expression, such as poetry, music and speeches. A keynote address further explored gratitude’s presence across spiritual traditions, highlighting common values that connect diverse beliefs.
“When I heard the talk that was given tonight with passages from all the world’s religions and saw how they each have common spiritual foundational beliefs in gratitude and love, I was very moved, and this increased my understanding of how we really are one human family,” Bishop Hibbert said. “I have asked for a copy of that talk so that I can meditate on it. When we understand the ways in which we are the same, we will be able to come together in harmony, finding ways to build communities that help us learn how to understand each other and realize that very often our values are the same.”
The event also included a charitable initiative, encouraging attendees to donate to the Holy Name of Mary Parish Outreach food pantry, supporting individuals and families in need.
The evening included refreshments — coffee, tea, fruits and pastries — provided by the Jewish center. Tables were arranged to encourage attendees to engage with people they might not know, fostering conversation and connection.
“The members of the Valley Stream Religious Council are united in their efforts to build community by engaging in interfaith dialogue that allows us to have meaningful conversations without dissent,” Sister Kelly said. “The unity that we have achieved allows us to persevere in the ways that we work together for the good of the community.”
The council plans to expand its outreach to include additional faith groups in future events and strengthen its efforts to promote understanding and cooperation within the Valley Stream community.
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