Event Co-Sponsors

EVENT CO-SPONSORS

AJC WESTCHESTER AJC seeks a secure Jewish future in a more just world, believing that each pursuit depends upon the other. Through AJC’s 27 U.S. chapters, 8 offices overseas, and 28 official partnerships with communities around the world, AJC works to build bridges, advance security, promote human rights, support Israel, and strengthen Jewish life. In the field of interreligious and interethnic work, AJC has played a leadership role for more than a century. Some 175,000 DUCHESNE CENTER Manhattanville College members and supporters here in the US and around the world help AJC to meet these important goals, and the AJC Westchester Board, along with some 1,000 members in our County, work hard all year round to bring this important work Present the to life at the local level. Sign up at the website to keep informed of the latest programs. (www.ajc.org/westchester) ANNUAL THANKSGIVING WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL The Westchester Jewish Council is the central coordinating, DIVERSITY BREAKFAST advisory and resource body for the Westchester Jewish community, representing over 140 Jewish organizations and serving nearly 150,000 Jews. The Westchester Jewish Conference is a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and a beneficiary agency of UJA- Honoring the “Welcoming Tent” of Federation of New York. (www.wjcouncil.org) Organizations and Individuals That Have DUCHESNE CENTER – MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE Reached Out To Their Neighbors The Manhattanville College Duchesne Center serves as a coordinator, catalyst, and incubator for community outreach, cultural leadership, and spiritual initiatives across the campus and beyond. Their service experiences and programs are tightly linked to the academic curriculum Thursday, November 18, 2010 to ensure students are building the intellectual framework and acquiring the skills to make them effective and responsible members of their communities. (http://www1.manhattanville.edu/Duchesne/) Benzinger Hall received the 2003 Yitzhak Rabin Peacemaker award and the 2009 Manhattanville College Ambassador for Peace award, among others. She is the Co-founder of the Purchase, New York American Muslim Women’s Association and the Center for Jewish Christian Muslim Understanding. FEATURED SPEAKERS THANK YOU Diversity Breakfast Committee: Scott Baken & Clifford Wolf (Event Chairs), Naomi Gary Stern Adler, Rev. Paul Alcorn, Rev. Richard Allen, David Alpert, Rev. Susan Andrews, Mary Lee Berridge, Rev. Melissa Boyer, Pastor Paul Briggs, Tom Buchanan, Caren Ellis Fried, Gary Stern has been a reporter for the Journal News for over 20 years and Tamar Sadeh Ellison, Karen Wagner, Rev. Kymberly McNair, Nancy Petschek-Kohn, Rev. Bonnie Rosborough, Rabbi David Schuck, Nicole Stansbury, Fr. Wilfred Tyrrell, covered religion for 13 of them. He was named National Religion Writer Ginny Vreeland, Jeff Vreeland and Debra Abrahams Weiner. of the Year in 2001 and National Religion Reporter of the Year in 2005. He's reported on just about every major religious group in New York's Partner Organizations: Antioch Baptist Church, American Muslim Women’s spiritual mix and covered many of the significant trends, stories and Association, Bedford Presbyterian Church, Briarcliff Congregational Church, Christ people of the day. Church of Greenwich, Diamond Hill Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, Greenwich, First Congregational Church of Greenwich, First Presbyterian of Greenwich, Greenburgh Hebrew Center, Greenwich Chaplaincy Services, Greenwich Reform Synagogue, India Since then, he's learned a lot about many hard-to-define elements of Center, Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut, Katonah United Methodist religious life, including the modern meaning of religious history, the Church, Larchmont-Mamaroneck Interfaith Council, Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local myriad ways that people reconcile their faith with everyday life, and the Summit, Mamaroneck United Methodist Church, Mt. Hope AME Zion Church, New unspoken cultural characteristics that help to define each faith and sect. Rochelle Interfaith Council, Pelham Jewish Center, Presbytery of Hudson River, Round Hill Community Church of Greenwich, Rye Women’s Interfaith Committee, St. Catherine of Siena of Riverside, St. Michael of Archangel of Greenwich, St. Paul After the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, he wrote a book: "Can God Episcopal Church of Riverside, South Salem Presbyterian Church, Temple Beth El of Intervene?: How Religion Explains Natural Disasters." Northern Westchester, Temple Sholom of Greater Greenwich, The Sholom Center, UJA Federation of New York in Westchester, United Religion Initiative, United Way of Westchester, Westchester Martin Luther King Jr. Institute for Nonviolence, YWCA of He is now a General Assignments Reporter and lives in White Plains with Greenwich, YWCA of White Plains. his wife and two sons. Table Facilitators: Naomi Adler, Cantor Asa Fradkin, Richard Allen, Mary Lee Berridge, Tom Buchanan, Rabbi Joshua Davidson, Caren Ellis Fried, Stephen Gill, Candy Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan Gould, Rabbi Mitch Hurvitz, Sam Karliner, Peter Laurence, Rev. Odinga Lawrence Maddox, Rev. Kymberly McNair, Nancy Petschek-Kohn, Elena Procario-Foley, Carl Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan was born in Pakistan, immigrated to America in Procario-Foley, Rev. Bonnie Rosborough, Tamar Sadeh Ellison, Rabbi David Schuck, 1977 and became a US citizen in 1982. She did her surgical training in Stanton Selbst, Fr. Wilfred Tyrrell, Ginny Vreeland, and Jeff Vreeland. New York and passed the Boards Certification in Plastic Surgery 1986. AJC Westchester: Candy Gould, President; Scott Richman, Director; Jill Friedman, Associate Director; Vicki Kline, Leadership Development Associate; Valencia Latty In 1996, she made a pilgrimage to Mecca that changed the direction of her Wynter, Office Administrator. spiritual life. She started to help American people understand what Islam Westchester Jewish Council: Ronald Burton, President; Elliot Forchheimer, Executive is as a Faith. Director; Nancy Zaro, Assistant Executive Director; Donna Bartell, Program Manager; Margo Lambert, Office Manager. The events of 9/11 changed the entire picture, and since then she has Duchesne Center – Manhattanville College: Karen King-Sheridan, Director, Craig worked towards education and building bridges in whatever form it is Donnelly, Jr., Community Services Coordinator; Paolo Tagatac, Global Citizenship available, including visiting various houses of worship, talking to clergy, Coordinator; Fr. Wilfred Tyrrell, S.A., Catholic Chaplain & Interfaith Coordinator; Sr. students, and lay people. In recognition of her efforts, Dr. Hassan Haifa Bint-Kadi, Muslim Chaplain; Rabbi Bruce Freyer, Jewish Chaplain; Rev. Gawain The Center is responsible for coordinating interfaith activities by promoting de Leeuw, Protestant Chaplain; Dana Schildkraut, Office Manager. religious services and prayer experiences, by sponsoring interdisciplinary Special thanks to David Alpert and Riverside Memorial Chapels for sponsorship of the lectures and events, providing pastoral counseling, and advising religious Breakfast, Rev. Bonnie Rosborough, President of the Westchester Interreligious Clergy Network and to Adrienne Simpson for photography. clubs run by students of various faith traditions. Our Honorees For Their Outstanding Intergroup Work For Their Outstanding Interfaith Work WESTCHESTER YOUTH COUNCILS DUCHESNE CENTER FOR RELIGION & SOCIAL JUSTICE

The Duchesne Center endeavors to create a climate in which all The Westchester County Youth Councils is a youth led advocacy program Manhattanville College members will value the following four core areas: under the Family Services of Westchester. Family Services of Westchester is 1. A sensitivity to and appreciation for the differences among us; a non-for-profit agency that provides a range of social services, including, but 2. A heightened awareness and understanding of social justice issues not limited to, foster care services, mentoring opportunities, and youth and their responsibility for taking a leadership role in local, as well as advocacy initiatives. The Westchester County Youth Councils were global, community issues; established in 2000, and were designed to empower youth to become active 3. A deeper sensitivity of, appreciation for, and interest in, the “voices” for their generation in Westchester County. The Youth Councils components and challenges inherent to today's leaders; and provides teens with advocacy and leadership training in preparation to work 4. A deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in, the with local governments, task forces, and community based agencies in order spiritual and religious dimensions of life. to develop and implement their agenda.

Guided by the principle that each religious tradition is an equally valued The Westchester County Youth Councils consists of 55 members that range part of our community, interfaith programs support the multi-faith spiritual in age from 10-18 years of age, and represent youth from all over the County. life of all religious traditions present at Manhattanville. Youth that are interested in joining the Councils are appointed after an initial application, as well as an interview with staff and existing Youth Council The Religion & Spirituality program is a "confluence" - a coming together - Members. The Members meet once a week as a whole, in addition to hours of many perspectives and traditions and voices into a common framework for community service projects and advocacy related events. and forum. The Manhattanville College community has a variety of options for expressing themselves, and sharing their beliefs, insights, and traditions. The staff at the Westchester County Youth Councils often tell the members that they are the future and have the power to make this world a better place. The goals of the Duchesne Center are: They simply want to put those words into action by supplying youth with the 1. To link people of diverse faiths and beliefs who want to work with tools needed to be prepared for such a big responsibility. By interacting with others to build a better world. local government officials, task forces, as well as other like-minded youth 2. To promote awareness that all humanity is part of the same spiritual throughout Westchester, the Westchester County Youth Councils is family promoting the growth needed to shape the environment for the betterment of The objectives of the Duchesne Center are to: our communities. 1. Support interfaith dialogue and opportunities for philosophical debate, sharing, and critique. 2. Educate and expose students to the richness of other traditions. 3. Create an environment of unity that is peaceful, engaging, and understanding For Their Outstanding Work Welcoming New Americans PROGRAM NEIGHBORS LINK Registration and Buffet Breakfast The Neighbors Link mission is to strengthen the community by actively Welcoming Remarks enhancing the healthy integration of recent immigrants. The organization’s Candy Gould, President, AJC Westchester strategy is to educate, empower and employ non-English speaking residents Molly Easo Smith, President, Manhattanville College whose heritage is rich in family and cultural traditions but whose lives have been economically impoverished and educationally deprived. Benediction Reverend Rusty Hesse, New Rochelle Episcopal Church A multi-faceted family and community center in Mount Kisco, New York, Neighbors Link provides adult education in language and employment skills, an after-school program for low-income children, an evening children’s Greetings program, family support services, medical and legal referrals and a Worker Ron Burton, President Westchester Jewish Council Center for both skilled and unskilled workers. Debra Abrahams Weiner, Board Member, AJC and WJC Clifford Wolf, Diversity Breakfast Co-Chair Neighbors Link offers classes in English as a Second Language (ESL), Scott Baken, Diversity Breakfast Co-Chair Computer Skills, Common Sense Parenting, Sewing and Eco-Cleaning, as well as, workshops on job skills, health issues, worker safety, workers’ Introduction of Honoree Organizations rights, police/immigrant relations and civic awareness. Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan, Chair American Muslim Women’s Association Neighbors Link partners with the Bedford Central School District, the Mount Presentation of Awards to Honorees Kisco Police Department, Northern Westchester Hospital, Open Door Rabbi Josh Davidson, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester Family Medical Centers Inc., the Town/Village of Mount Kisco, the Town of Pastor Paul Briggs, Antioch Baptist Church Bedford, Westchester Community College, and numerous schools, houses of - Both are recipients of 2009 Diversity Breakfast Awards - worship and non-profit organizations to provide immigrant families with the tools they need for successful integration. Keynote Speaker Gary Stern, Reporter and Religion Blogger, Journal News More than 300 volunteers from throughout the community donate tens of Introduction by Scott Baken, Diversity Breakfast Co-Chair thousands of hours of community service to Neighbors Link each year. From high school students to senior citizens, its volunteers are committed partners with a profound “hands-on” understanding of the Neighbors Link mission. Facilitated Table Discussions Neighbors Link is now recognized as a national model for addressing the Closing Remarks and Next Steps realities of immigration in peaceful and positive ways. The generous support Clifford Wolf, Diversity Breakfast Co-Chair of the larger community enables Neighbors Link to thrive and grow, and continue to present vital education and employment programs to the families it Closing Benediction serves. Msgr. Edward O’Donnell, Central Westchester Vicariate, Rye Resurrection Closing Song: God Bless America Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky, B’nai Yisrael, Armonk