Salaam - Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu                       
עוד יבוא שלום עלינו - سلام‎ 

A Peace Anthem by Mosh Ben-Ari
Performed by Sheva 

In light of the unfolding war between Israel and Hamas and ongoing conflict in the region and the cascading pain felt throughout the world, we offer the following musical meditation written by Mosh Ben-Ari. "Salaam: Od Yavo Shalom" a contemporary peace anthem, was first performed and popularized by Ben-Ari and his bandmates in Sheva, a collaborative troupe of Palestinian and Israeli musicians. The song lyrics are in Hebrew and Arabic. It begins plaintively, gradually increasing in tempo and fervency. We lift up this modern prayer for the advancement of peace for all people in the Holy Land and far beyond.

Watch Salaam - Od Yavo Shalom

Lyrics: Peace will yet come upon us - עוד יבוא שלום עלינו
Peace - Salaam - سلام‎ - סלאם‎ 
Upon us and the whole world - עלינו ועל כל העולם

By Marilyn Stern, Director of Special Projects

For centuries, seekers have looked to the words of the Psalms to express their longings and fear, and to seek solace. “In turning to these ancient poetic works, modern readers join a diverse intergenerational chorus of seekers who view these sources as a prism through which to explore their deepest thoughts and feelings, and to share them with God and their communities.” said Rabbi Or Rose, Founding Director of the Miller Center, in the recent announcement of the launch of the website "Calling Out from the Depths: The Book of Psalms." 

Rabbi Rose partnered with his colleague and teaching partner, Dr. Andrew Davis, Associate Director of Old Testament at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, (funded by a grant from Confraternity of Christian Doctrine—US Conference of Catholic Bishops) to curate this unique collection of contemporary interreligious reflections on the psalms, which includes the voices of clergy, scholars, poets, musicians, activists, and visual artists. They each offer personal reflections on the ancient and time-honored texts in light of contemporary events and mores. Many of these commentators were featured in an earlier iteration of this project—PsalmSeason—which the Miller Center developed in partnership with Interfaith America (formerly the Interfaith Youth Core) during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
During these difficult times you may find special resonance in our featured interpretations of Psalm 6 - A Cry for Healing. In his introduction to Psalm 6, Dr. Davis writes “Whether we hear it simply as a cry for divine help or analyze its poetic form, psalm 6 offers us honest words of lament for the times when hardships in our own lives leave us speechless."   

Explore more text and multimedia resources for this moment using the Calling Out from the Depths interactive database to explore content by psalm number, theme, content type and teaching tools. 

By Liz Aeschlimann, Director of the Dignity Project

In the midst of a time of heartbreak and division, our 22 Dignity Project Fellows gathered in October for a retreat on Dialogue for Understanding. Fellows practiced several models of dialogue to explore a number of topics, including social media impacts, pro-life/pro-choice, and Israel/Palestine. The goal of these dialogues was not to convince or persuade, but rather to practice listening with curiosity and resilience, to ask open and honest questions, and ultimately to deepen one's understanding of others' perspectives. Fellows found that dialogue revealed common ground, raised new questions, and unearthed unexpected nuance in their own beliefs and opinions. When they weren't deep in discussion, laughter indeed roared from the carpeted cavern of Newton Presbyterian (see the poem below) as Fellows toasted dozens of grilled cheese sandwiches, competed in foosball tournaments, and played the hide-and-seek game "sardines" until lights out. 

Haiku Reflection

By Cedric Wysocki, Dignity Project Fellow & senior at Boston College High School

Read Cedric's reflection based on Dignity Project's deep relational and dialogue work—as well as the play and fellowship within the community at the retreat.

Carpeted cavern
Laughter roars from its dwellers
Guests in God's house

By Rev. Tom Reid, Director of the BILI Launchpad Fellowship & Pastor of Newton Presbyterian Church

Every month, we honor an individual (or group) who inspires the bridge-building efforts of the Miller Center. Each honoree uniquely embodies the values of inclusivity, justice, and compassion.

Joshua Polanksi, former Marketing Communications Specialist at the Miller Center and Hebrew College, and current Director of Engagement at Interfaith Photovoice. 

For our November Beacon of Hope, we have a special nomination: our dear friend and colleague Josh Polanski. Josh has worked with us for the last two years and recently ended his tenure with us to begin a new adventure with a wonderful partner organization, Interfaith Photovoice. 

I first met Josh when he was in his final year of the Master of Theological Studies (MTS) program at Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH). From the very beginning, I was impressed with Josh’s “hustle.” 

When Josh sent me an email out of the blue, requesting that we meet to discuss the possibility of his working with the Miller Center as a contextual education student, I could tell immediately he was someone we wanted on our team. 

And from the moment he came on board, he made himself indispensable–first to the Miller Center and then shortly thereafter to the whole of Hebrew College. Josh has made a tremendous impact on our ability to do the interreligious work at the core of our mission. His genuine curiosity about those who are different from him, his willingness to take risks and leap into the unknown, and the compassion he brings to all of his interactions, are essential characteristics of an interreligious leader. 

That is why Josh is our November Beacon of Hope. It is also the reason we are so sad to see Josh go, however we know he will continue to make meaningful contributions to the field in the next leg of his journey. As Josh recently told our team, his interreligious work has shifted from an interest to a focal point of his own vocation, which he will now carry on in his new position at Interfaith Photovoice.

Thank you, Josh, for all that you have done for the Miller Center and Hebrew College.

Best wishes on this exciting path ahead of you.

Read Josh's recent writing Five Words I’ll Never Forget for Interfaith Photovoice here.

Rabbi Or Rose, founding Director of the Miller Center, is spending this semester on sabbatical in Salzburg, Austria.

Warm greetings from Salzburg, Austria. I am most grateful to Hebrew College for providing me with a leave to work on various writing projects. I also wish to thank my colleagues at the University of Salzburg for welcoming me as a research fellow. My major project is completing a draft of my doctoral thesis for Brandeis University on Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s (1924-2014) emergence as a pioneering interreligious practitioner, c. 1945-1970. I will also have the opportunity to lecture and teach in various locations throughout Europe, including Leipzig, Germany, where many members of my mother’s family lived before the Holocaust. Given the unfolding war between Israel and Hamas, I also hope to travel to Jerusalem to visit with family, friends, students, and colleagues. Blessings of peace and justice during this heart-rending time.

Sincerely,

Or

(Pictured l-r: A summer view from Klagenfurt, Austria. Rabbi Or leads a seminar on the interfaith relationship between the Rev. Howard Thurman and Rabbi Zalman Schechter Shalomi.)

State of Formation: A Miller Center Publication 

The Miller Center co-publication State of Formation recently published a new batch of articles from Building Interfaith Leadership Initiative (BILI) Launchpad Fellowship undergraduate fellows. A featured post for Amanpreet Sehra, 2022-2023 fellow is featured below. Edited by Kyle Desrosiers, Administrative and Marketing Assistant.

Interfaith is More than a Word: Creating Spaces for Conversation

By Amanpreet Sehra

Prior to becoming a BILI fellow, I had never given much thought to interfaith. That word only came up when someone was marrying someone outside of their faith, or when thinking about peaceful coexistence in South Asia. All my life my family has been around other Punjabi Sikhs, no matter what country or city they lived in. When I was seven I started going to a Sikh faith-focused camp to learn more about my faith. I went to school and grew up with kids of all different religious backgrounds but somehow our conversations never were much about religion, most likely because it’s a frowned-upon topic in public schools. Even when I was selected to be a fellow, I wasn’t sure if I was the appropriate person to take on the responsibility. The thought of being a representative of the Sikh community was intimidating to me because I thought of my own mistakes and short-comings...

Read here 

Co-Editor Lucinda Mosher and contributors David Grafton, Aida Mansoor, Preeta M. Banerjee at the book launch.

Book Launch Hosted at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace on Nov 1

In her opening remarks, at the book launch for Best of intentions: Interreligious Missteps and Mistakes, Dr. Lucinda Mosher,  Faculty Associate in Chaplaincy and Interreligious Studies, and  Director of the Master of Arts in Interreligious Studies program at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, credited her fellow editors Rabbi Or Rose, founding Director of the Miller Center, and Elinor J. Pierce, Research Director at the Pluralism Project at Harvard, for the "creative impulse" that led to the publication of this important anthology.  Dr. Mosher was joined by a panel of esteemed interreligious educators and leaders—all contributors to the book—in sharing stories about the ways in which our interreligious missteps can lead to conflict and hurt, even as we seek to foster goodwill, understanding, and inclusion. The panelists emphasized the importance of using these experiences of tension and discord as teaching moments for themselves, their colleagues, and their students. They also reflected on the importance of such critical reflection for the maturation of the field. The volume features contributors from several different religious, cultural, and institutional perspectives. It was published by Orbis Books.

Learn more here 

Mosher holds a copy of With the Best of Intentions