February 28, 2024 | 7:30-9 PM EST / 4:30-6 PM PST  | In-person & Zoom | Free Event

The Miller Center invites you to join us, in person or on Zoom, for a book launch event, discussing two recent publications: With the Best of Intentions: Interreligious Missteps and Mistakes, and Pluralism in Practice: Case Studies of Leadership in a Religiously Diverse America. Published by Orbis Books, each volume presents a series of case studies to explore interfaith relations.

Join editors Dr. Lucinda Mosher, Elinor J. Pierce, and Rabbi Or Rose on February 28th to discuss these recent publications.

About the presenters:

Lucinda Mosher, ThD, is director of the MA in interreligious studies program at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and senior editor of the Journal of Interreligious Studies. Her many books include the award-winning co-edited volume Hindu Approaches to Spiritual Care.

Elinor (Ellie) Pierce is the research director for the Pluralism Project at Harvard University and a documentarian whose most recent film, Abraham’s Bridge, is now in late production. She is also the author of Pluralism in Practice.

Rabbi Or Rose is the founding director of the Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership of Hebrew College and co-editor of the award-winning anthology, My Neighbor’s Faith: Stories of Interreligious Encounter, Growth, and Transformation.

"Oys and Joys" will take place on Wednesday, February 28 at 7:30 pm, at Hebrew College. Register here to attend live or on Zoom.

Beacons of Hope: Our Interreligious S/Heroes

By Adam Zemel

Each month, we honor an individual whose commitment aligns with the bridge-building vision of the Miller Center, embodying values of inclusivity, justice, and compassion. For February, we shine a light on Dr. Judith Simmer-Brown, Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies Emeritx at Naropa University, as our Beacon of Hope. 

Dr. Simmer-Brown's dedication to interreligious work from a Buddhist perspective spans decades, and is rooted in values we hold dear at the Miller Center. In addition to her two decades facilitating a graduate seminar focused on dialogue at Naropa's Masters of Divinity program, she has crafted contemplative practices that encourage deep listening, openness, and intimate sharing among individuals of varied religious backgrounds. "Dr. Simmer-Brown is a model of scholarly acumen and spiritual depth," says Rabbi Or Rose, Miller Center Director. "She is an outstanding teacher and mentor, who generously shares her wisdom with colleagues and students."

“For me, interreligious dialogue has been a tremendous support for being an authentic Buddhist,” says Dr. Simmer-Brown. “It has made me more curious about the blind spots of my tradition, and more connected to others with diverse perspectives and practices. It has kept me from defaulting into dogmatism.” Dr. Simmer-Brown's approach to interfaith encounters transforms dialogue into a contemplative practice itself. This perspective has allowed her to cultivate rich connections between practitioners of different spiritual traditions, creating a space where diverse beliefs converge, fostering mutual respect and understanding. Her work exemplifies the power of dialogue in bridging religious divides. 

In keeping with her deep commitment to fostering interreligious understanding, last month, along with Naropa colleague Dr. Amelia Hall, Dr. Simmer-Brown taught an illuminating three-and-a-half-day seminar to Hebrew College rabbinical students, “Introduction to Buddhism for Jewish Leaders.” The seminar was part of a week of interreligious learning intensives co-hosted by Hebrew College’s Graduate Leadership Program and the Miller Center. Exploring the rich tradition of Buddhist history, thought, and  practice, the seminar delved into the "three yanas" or vehicles of Buddhism, emphasizing the role of inquiry in fostering the wisdom of realization. Dr. Simmer-Brown also shared meditation and contemplative practices integral to Buddhist traditions, sparking insightful discussions around the intriguing intersection of Buddhism and Judaism. The seminar culminated in a visit to a local Buddhist meditation center, Shambhala, in Brookline, where students practiced an hour-long sadhana recitation liturgy about, in Dr. Simmer-Brown’s words, “finding hope in the midst of warfare, famine, divisiveness and bias, sickness, and alienation that we are facing in the world.” 

An esteemed scholar and Acharya, Dr. Simmer-Brown's collaborative projects, lectures, and writings reflect her dedication to inner awakening and the societal path of building enlightened communities. Her leadership in contemplative education, compassion training, and interreligious dialogue showcases a commitment to fostering transformative practices both within and beyond the academic sphere. With almost 50 years of practicing Tibetan Buddhism, she serves as an Acharya in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage. Her influence has reached diverse circles, from her foundational role at Naropa University to her participation in the Shambhala community and her involvement in interreligious dialogues. Dr. Judith Simmer-Brown, our Beacon of Hope, inspires us to bridge diverse perspectives and cultivate a world enriched by compassion and understanding. 

For the second year in a row, fellows and campus mentors from across the country, part of this year’s Building Interfaith Leadership Launchpad fellowship, journeyed to Washington, D.C. Photos are in front of the US Capitol Building and on the steps of the Carnegie Building on the campus of Howard University.  

By Kyle Desrosiers

(Pictured left to right) Rabbi Or Rose, founding director of the Miller Center; rev. seigen johnson, Soto Zen Buddhist priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki and associate director of the BILI launchpad fellowship; Dr. Amelia Hall, Core Assistant Professor and Wisdom Traditions Department Chair at Naropa University; Dr. Judith Simmer-Brown, Distinguished Professor Emeritx of Contemplative and Religious Studies at Naropa University.

On Jan 17, 2024, the Miller Center hosted "Torah and Dharma: A Renewed Conversation," a panel conversation building on the legacy of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (z''l), His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and other bold Jewish and Buddhist practitioners in relationship with one another.

Panelists discussed the seminal texts, profound relationships, and spiritual practices that brought together Buddhist and Jewish practitioners in the twentieth century; how to continue this spiritual collaboration in our time and for generations to come; and the living relationship between the mindful, spiritual, and embodied practices of the traditions. Each discussed their formative relationships with each other, with texts, and with religious figures like Reb Zalman (z''l), Bishop Desmond Tutu (z''l), and his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso–each of whom engaged deeply across traditions and practices with a spirit of joy and sincere desire for building a better world.

Continuing this collaborative learning, Rabbi Rose will reciprocate by traveling to Boulder in the spring to lead an intensive seminar on Jewish spirituality for Naropa students and engage with Dr. Simmer Brown and Dr. Hall in a second public dialogue.

February is recognized by the United States (and Canadian) government as Black History Month . This annual observance, also known as African American History Month, provides us with the opportunity to celebrate the myriad contributions of African Americans to this country. It also calls us to reckon with the legacy of systemic racism in the United States and to rededicate ourselves to the ongoing task ofuprooting it from our midst. To learn more about this national observance, visit the following sites:

History.com

Black History Month (official website)

National Museum of African American History & Culture

"I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of [hu]mankind. I refuse to accept the idea that the “is-ness” of [humanity’s] present nature makes [us] morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal “ought-ness”… I believe that wounded justice… can be lifted from the dust of shame to reign supreme…"

-The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony, December 10th, 1964 

Rabbi Or Rose, Director of the Miller Center will teach a Hebrew College adult learning course  about the Book of Psalms. 

The Book of Psalms has served as a source of inspiration and guidance to countless numbers of Jews, Christians, and other seekers throughout the ages. In this course, we will examine several the original psalms (each focusing on a different theme) and the writings, music, poetry, and visual artistry of interpreters—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—of these biblical sources.

The course will meet on Thursdays 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Zoom: February 8, 15, 22, 29; March 7 & 14

Learn more and register here, and visit our site dedicated to interreligious engagement with the Book of Psalms

Taught by Dr. Alan Avery-Peck, Me'ah faculty and Professor of Judaic Studies at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester 

Jesus, the Christian messiah and son of God, was also a first century Galilean Jew who stood firmly within the Judaism of his day. As much as the New Testament tells the story of Christian origins, it thus reflects deeply on first century Judaism. What can the New Testament teach us about the period that yielded the Judaism we still practice today?  

This course well meet on Wednesdays 7-9 p.m. on Zoom:  April 3, 10, 27, May 1, May 8 

Learn more and register here

If you would like to get a taste of this course, join Dr. Alan Avery-peck on February 14, 12-1 pm for a free one-hour GROW session, "What can the New Testament teach us about first century Judaism?"

RSVP: Dignity Project Closing Celebration

Join us March 3 @ 3pm at Hebrew College | Free Event

The 2023-2024 high school fellows will share insights from their interreligious and cross-cultural journey together. The celebratory gathering will include music, writing, dialogue, and a service opportunity.

Please RSVP here by February 15!