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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Rumi Forum
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251005T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251005T203000
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CREATED:20250903T190436Z
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SUMMARY:Abraham’s Bridge: Film Screening and Talk with director Ellie Pierce
DESCRIPTION:Abraham’s Bridge documents an experiment in intentional proximity in the American Midwest. The film chronicles the construction of a mosque\, synagogue\, church\, and interfaith center on 38 acres in Omaha: connected by a circular wooden bridge\, a vast donation garden\, and a quietly disruptive vision\, Tri-Faith seeks to cross boundaries and build new forms of engagement. They must also confront difficult questions about the limits of the Abrahamic model\, declining affiliation of youth\, and the rising currents of division. After October 7\, 2023\, they can no longer avoid the topic of Israel/Palestine and must find a way forward. \nThis short film is a place-based\, visual case study which connects the particular and universal in its depiction of lived religion. Here\, religion is expressed through architecture\, agriculture\, and through daily relational activity. While the story is distinctly American\, told through the unique lens of Omaha\, as a case study of co-location it facilitates critical reflection and comparative exploration–whether in analogous spaces like the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi\, the House of One in Berlin (now under construction)\, or in other spaces of unplanned\, unintentional\, or unwanted religious proximity. \nAbraham’s Bridge makes use of the affective\, sensorial\, and aesthetic capacities of film while providing multiple points of access for discourse and discussion. It is intended for both academic and generalist audiences. \nBio of Producer/Director: \nElinor (Ellie) Pierce is the research director at the Pluralism Project at Harvard University\, a writer\, consultant\, and independent filmmaker. Ellie contributed to the award-winning multimedia project On Common Ground: World Religions in America\, co-edited World Religions in Boston\, and helped develop the Webby Award-winning pluralism.org website. She is the author of the case collection Pluralism in Practice and co-edited two volumes in interfaith studies. Ellie collaborated on two feature length films: Acting on Faith\, about women and religious activism and Fremont\, U.S.A.\, documenting religious diversity in a California city; she co-produced two short films and is the producer/director and assistant editor of the award-winning documentary Abraham’s Bridge. Ellie has an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Macalester College\, and a master’s degree from the Harvard Divinity School.
URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/abrahams-bridge-film-screening-and-talk-with-director-ellie-pierce/
LOCATION:The Festival Center\, 1640 Columbia Rd NW 2nd Floor\, Washington\, DC\, DC\, 20009\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251008T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251008T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T055536
CREATED:20250903T185017Z
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SUMMARY:Film Screening: A Sacred Piece of Home
DESCRIPTION:Rumi Forum and Focolare Forum for Dialogue are delighted to invite those of you in the DC area to a four-part screening of the PBS documentary A Sacred Piece of Home.\n\nEach episode of A Sacred Piece of Home explores how people of many faiths have brought their sacred traditions and architecture to the D.C. region. From soaring minarets to hidden chapels\, each episode is a moving tribute to the spiritual and cultural mosaic that defines the city many of us call home.\n\nAfter each screening\, we will join the film’s creators in dialogue\, continuing our shared commitment to understanding and connection across traditions.\n\nDates: Sept 10 | Oct 8 | Nov 12 | Dec 10\n\nTime: 6:30–8:30 PM\n– Refreshments at 6:30 PM\n– Screening at 7:00 PM\, followed by discussion\nVenue: Spaces\, 609 H Street NE\, Washington\, DC 20002\nWhat to expect:\n– A 40-minute episode each evening\n– A conversation with the creators and community leaders\n– Time to connect with neighbors across traditions\nRSVP: Please use this link to let us know you’re coming so we can plan refreshments.\n\n\n\nThis is an opportunity not only to enjoy a powerful documentary series but also to carry forward the spirit of interfaith encounter and collaboration that inspired Sustainable Peace Networks.\n\nAll are welcome—please feel free to share this invitation with friends and colleagues in the DC area.
URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/partner-event-focolare-forum-for-dialogue/
LOCATION:Spaces\, 609 H Street NE\, DC\, 20002\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251023T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251023T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T055536
CREATED:20251008T172450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251203T211205Z
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SUMMARY:Scriptural Reasoning: Creativity
DESCRIPTION:THIS IS A HYBRID EVENT. Join us in person or on Zoom. The Zoom link for this session will be provided the day of the event. \nScriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians\, Jews\, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader\, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures\, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities. \nThis month’s study leader will be Rabbi Greg Harris. \nRabbi Greg Harris is Senior Rabbi at Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County. He has a passion for social justice and interfaith activities. Beyond his many responsibilities at the congregation\, Rabbi Harris is a Past President of the Washington Board of Rabbis\, Founding Chair of the Pastoral Care Committee at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington\, and has served as an active member of the Boards for Camp Ramah in New England\, the Community & Global Impact Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington (JFGW) and Interfaith Works\, a non-profit organization working with at-risk families in Montgomery County. \nRabbi Harris was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary where he was the recipient of the Dr. Michael Higger Prize in Talmud. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from The American University in Washington\, D.C. and later a certificate degree in Nonprofit Management from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. He is the founding chairperson of the Tomorrow Fellowship Jewish Communal Leadership Program. He is also a past recipient of the Matthew H. Simon Rabbinic Leadership Award from JFGW. Rabbi Harris has been a guest lecturer at the Washington College of Law\, the National Defense University and the National Guard Bureau as well as a guest on The Kojo Nnambi Show and other press outlets. In his free time\, he is learning to play guitar and has run the Marine Corp Marathon twice. He was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He and his wife Sarah are proud of their five adult children. \nWe would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use www.scripturalreasoning.org content. \nA map of the VTS campus can be found here. \nThe text pack for the session can be found here.
URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/scriptural-reasoning-creativity/
LOCATION:Virginia Theological Seminary-Addison Academic Center\, 3630 Bishop Walker Cir.\, Alexandria\, VA\, 22304\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251029T170000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251029T190000
DTSTAMP:20260417T055536
CREATED:20251008T172112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251208T054600Z
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SUMMARY:CFIG Panel:Fethullah Gülen’s Legacy&the Hizmet Movement’s Forward Trajectory
DESCRIPTION:On the first anniversary of Fethullah Gülen’s passing\, the Rumi Forum’s Center for Faith\, Identity\, and Globalization (CFIG) hosted a special panel featuring two distinguished scholars—Dr. Ori Z. Soltes and Dr. Anwar Alam—to reflect on Gülen’s intellectual\, spiritual\, and social legacy. The event drew a strong turnout and featured a lively\, illuminating dialogue on how the Hizmet Movement continues to evolve in today’s complex global landscape. \nModerated by Lyndsey Eksili\, the discussion explored how Gülen’s philosophy of education\, interfaith dialogue\, and civic engagement continues to inspire new generations to pursue peace\, pluralism\, and service (“hizmet”) across borders. \nAs participants marked a year since his passing\, the conversation served as a meaningful reflection on Gülen’s enduring contributions and an engaging exploration of the path forward for the Hizmet Movement—its challenges\, hopes\, and role in shaping a more compassionate and pluralistic future. \nEvent Video\n\nEvent Photos\n\n		\n		\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n		\n\nPanelists\n \nOri Z. Soltes\, Ph.D.\, is Professorial Lecturer in Theology and Fine Arts at Georgetown University and former Director of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington\, DC\, where he curated over 80 exhibitions on a variety of subjects. He is the author of articles\, exhibition catalogs\, essays\, and books on a range of topics\, including Our Sacred Signs: How Jewish\, Christian\, and Muslim Art Draw from the Same Source; The Ashen Rainbow: Essays on the Arts and the Holocaust; Christianity and Islam: Searching for Oneness; Tradition and Transformation: Three Millennia of Jewish Art and Architecture; Magic and Religion in the Greco-Roman World: The Beginnings of Judaism and Christianity; and God and the Goalposts: A Brief History of Sports\, Religion\, Politics\, War\, and Art. \nHe also wrote Embracing the World: Fethullah Gülen’s Thought & Its Relationship with Jelaluddin Rumi and Others (2013) and Between Thought and Action: An Intellectual Biography of Fethullah Gülen (2022). \n \nAnwar Alam\, Ph.D.\, is currently a Professor with the Department of International Relations\, Ala-Too International University\, Bishkek\, Kyrgyzstan\, and a Distinguished Fellow with Policy Perspectives Foundation\, New Delhi. Earlier he served as Full Professor of International Relations and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Nile University of Nigeria\, Abuja; Full Professor at Department of International Studies\, Zirve University\, Gaziantep\, Turkey\, Professor and Director at Centre for West Asian Studies\, Jamia Millia Islamia\, (New Delhi); Associate Professor at Centre for West Asian Studies\, School of International Studies\, Jawaharlal Nehru University\, New Delhi\, and Assistant Professor at Department of Political Science\, Aligarh Muslim University\, Aligarh. \nDr. Alam has authored more than 35 articles in national and international journals\, as well as two books\, six edited books\, one co-edited book\, and 17 chapters in edited books\, all related to West Asia\, Indian politics\, Indian foreign policy\, Islamic movements\, and Muslim Politics. His latest publications are For the Sake of Allah: The Origin\, Development and Discourse of The Gülen Movement (2019) and The Disintegration of ISIS: Implications for Indian National Security (2023). \nPanelists\n \nLyndsey Eksili\, Ed.D.\, is an experienced educator\, writer\, and advocate for holistic development and mental health. As the editorial director for Youth Titles at Tughra Books and a content editor for The Fountain Magazine\, she combines nearly 20 years of educational leadership with her passion for creating meaningful\, youth-focused content. She serves as the School Board President at Pinnacle Academy\, contributes to the Early Childhood Development Task Force of Childhood Education International\, and writes for and serves on the board of the Green Dome Foundation. Through her work\, she champions early intervention\, cultural understanding\, and the intersection of faith and mental well-being. \nDr. Eksili holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Liberty University\, as well as certifications in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy\, Mindfulness\, and Clinical Trauma.
URL:https://rumiforum.org/event/cfig-special-panel-fethullah-gulens-legacy-the-hizmet-movements-forward-trajectory/
LOCATION:University of Southern California Capital Campus\, 1771 N Street Northwest\, Washington\, DC\, DC\, 20036\, United States
CATEGORIES:Panel Discussions,Past Events,Speaker Series
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ORGANIZER;CN="Center for Faith%2C Identity%2C and Globalization (CFIG)":MAILTO:cfig@rumiforum.org
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