Human Connection | Interfaith Understanding | Collective Transformation

Upcoming Events

Thurday, October 16 | 7:00pm | Cook Devos Center for Health Sciences

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Mostafa Hussein. Drawing from his book, Hebrew Orientalism: Jewish Engagement with Arabo-Islamic Culture in Late Ottoman and British Palestine, he will challenge conventional views Hebrew thinkers were dismissive of Arabo-Islamic culture. The event will feature a discussion between Dr. Hussein and GVSU Professor Eric Covey, facilitated by Deborah Dash Moore, with a dessert reception to follow.

This event is held in partnership with the Jean & Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan.

Register for the lecture here.

Monthly Sacred Site Visits

Wednesday, October 29 | 6-7:30pm | West Michigan Hindu Temple

Join the Kaufman Interfaith Institute and GVSU's Religious Studies Department as we visit different sacred sites around the greater Grand Rapids area over the course of the 2025-2026 academic year.  

These free visits are open to GVSU students, faculty, and staff as well as members of the wider community.

Tuesday, October 28 | 4-6pm | Virtual

Calling all Michigan college students! The Kaufman Interfaith Institute and our partners at MSU, U of M, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, and Northwestern Michigan College are hosting a virtual, interactive interfaith gathering focused on connection, dialogue, and shared action. This event will bring together students of diverse religious, spiritual, and secular worldviews from across the state to explore how interfaith engagement can foster understanding, empathy, and collaboration on our campuses.

Click here for more information.

Question of the Month: September Responses

In living into this year's theme of the power of personal public narrative, each month, we will pose a new prompt to hear from our Kaufman community directly. 

September's prompt was "Share a story about an unexpected or unlikely friendship you have formed." Here are a couple of stories we received in response:

While in my late 30’s, I connected with a gentleman 50 years my senior through a shared love of music. At the time I was an active scrap book hobbyist, and he asked me to help him create a digital album of his photos and stories to give to his children. As we spent more time together, I was privileged to learn about this WWII veteran’s life, artistic talents, career, and experiences, and was delighted to share my own young family with him. The time we spent together during the project and for several years before his passing connected me to a life and generation I had not experienced. His perspectives and insights added to my world view and appreciation of different ways of being.

- Anonymous 

Former coworker/seminary student - we both have a wicked sense of humor that remained largely beneath the surface at our shared religious workplace. Both first generation college graduates from single-mother homes but with markedly different upbringings decades apart, we bonded over humor and music. We challenge each other over societal norms and mores. He supports me in staying open in my faith while challenging what I've always believed and I support him in combatting west-Michigan nice/quiet racism. 

- Anonymous 

Save The Date

October 8 - GVSU Event | Center for Civil Discourse & Braver Angels Training: Families & Politics, 1-4pm

October 17-19 and 23-25 - Community Event | "Havurah" at Hope College, times vary

October 28 - Community Event | One America Movement | Science of Listening, 3-4:30pm

October 28 - GVSU Event | "Decolonizing Our Future: Truth, Sovereignty, and Student Success" with Anton Treuer, 6:30-8pm

October 30 - "Pope Leo XIV and the Invitation to Missionary Discipleship" with Bishop Daniel Turley, OSA, 6:30-8pm

November 24 - 26th Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration, 7pm