From left to right: Sapreet Singh, Rabbi Joshua Stanton, HE Mr. Lang Yabou, Secretary General Antonio Gutierez, Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer, Mr. Ramasamy Mohan, and Rev. Doyeon Parks

Dear Friend,

On April 14th, 2023, ICNY partnered with the Office of the UN Secretary General to offer a Prayer for Peace at UN headquarters in front the sculpture, "The Knotted Gun".  ICNY gathered Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Muslim prayer givers together for a short event that you can watch it here on UN TV. This is not the first time that ICNY worked with the UN on creating interfaith vigils and ceremonies. In 2001, our founder, the Very Rev. James Parks Morton joined then-Secretary General Kofi Anan and diverse faith leaders for an interfaith service at St. Bart's Episcopal Church. Objectives outlined in the preamble to the UN Charter include "practicing tolerance and living together in peace with one another as good neighbours" - not so far from the goals of interfaith work as well.

ICNY continues to deepen our work with asylees coming to New York - especially those of diverse faith traditions. In this newsletter you will see an invitation to houses of worship to consider sheltering 19 Asylum Seekers and being reimbursed for doing so by the City of New York.  ICNY is proud to be in partnership with New York Interfaith Disaster Network in this project and we will be hiring a Shelter Outreach Workers beginning mid-June. To learn more and view the job description, click here.

Finally,  we encourage you to join ICNY for our annual James Parks Morton interfaith Center of New York Annual Award Dinner. This year the dinner will be held on June 26th at the Tribeca Rooftop. Please come and help us celebrate our honorees and New York City's Religious Diversity on the Rooftop overlooking the Hudson. There is still time to become a sponsor using this printable form and to purchase individual tickets online here.

The Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer
ICNY Executive Director

P.S. Last but not least, religious leaders across NYC are invited to join a day-long Climate Justice training in NYC called "Resilience and Resolve" at the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary 

ICNY PROGRAMS & EVENTS

ICNY Gala 2023

Sponsorships and Tickets now available

We look forward to celebrating with you all in June. Thank you to our early sponsors to date. Table and ticket sponsorships are still available; click the button below by May 5th to have your name listed on the printed invitation .

Powerful Documentary

Colonel Kalsi: Beyond the Call

Created by a highly decorated and Emmy Winning crew, Colonel Kalsi: Beyond the Call explores the intersection of diversity and religious freedom in the US military.  The screening will be followed by Q & A with the film's subject, Dr. Kamal Kalsi.  Free admission — all are welcome!

Sponsored by: Sikh American Veterans Alliance, NYC Department of Veterans' Services, Fordham University, Interfaith Center of New York, The Sikh Coalition, NYC Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships.

Welcome Asylum Seekers!

Spiritual and Practical Sanctuary for Migrant Families

As fellows in ICNY's Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy, Rev. Lauren Ahava Jacobs and Rev. Shokuchi Deirdre Carrigan are creating Welcome Home baskets for asylum-seeking families relocating to New York City.  The baskets will include a collection of homemaking necessities, along with multifaith, multicultural welcome messages.

They need your help to welcome the newest New Yorkers!  Click here to purchase supplies for asylum-seeking families from Rev. Jacobs and Rev. Carrigan's Amazon wish list.

The baskets will be assembled by the Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy, and distributed to families by Ruth's Refuge.  Together we will uplift the inherent dignity of these migrant families, and let them know that they can feel safe, comfortable, and welcome in their new home.

NYC Needs Your House of Worship

Since last summer, over 44,000 asylum seekers have arrived on their own or been transported to New York City without regard for their wellbeing. Hundreds continue to arrive each week. The NYC shelter system, hotels and alternative housing sites have been overwhelmed as asylum seekers try to find safe shelter while awaiting immigration court proceedings. While most are single men, single women and families with children are also arriving. Many of these fellow global citizens in crisis have fled unimaginable conditions in their country of origin and then experienced an arduous journey on their way to New York City.

The city has been providing hotels, homeless shelters, and other mass care spaces as housing on a temporary basis. We are proposing to fund congregations, of any faith tradition, to provide temporary small group shelter housing to single adult male and female asylees. The program would provide shelter for the next 12-24 months while all of us continue to call on the state and Federal government to help address this need for more permanent housing.

We are seeking houses of worship in all faith traditions that can meet the practical requirements outlined in the flyer above.  In exchange for your hospitality, congregations will be paid a monthly fee -- to cover all required operating expenses related to meeting each asylees' basic human needs and to offset space use costs.

Click here or the button below if your house of worship can help.

OTHER EVENTS & ANNOUNCMENTS

Solidarity Strollers: Donate a Stroller for Asylum Seekers

Since the Spring of 2022, New York City has received an influx of asylum seekers. The Mutual Aid Center at Judson Memorial Church serves as a central hub for asylum-seeking individuals and families in all 5 boroughs. Here asylum seekers are centered and lead, resource one another, share skills, and are offered emotional support, connected to long-term free mental health resources, signed up for medical insurance, are assisted with school enrollment, attend legal workshops, receive basic necessities, and commune with food and activity.

However, there is an ongoing outstanding need for strollers.

If you're in the New York area and have access to parenting/caregiver/Buy Nothing/Mom groups and/or have a stroller you're ready to part with, click here for details on getting that stroller to the right place. If you're outside New York and/or cannot access excess strollers, you are welcome to support this effort by donating here.

Thank you for your support for Solidarity Strollers - feel free to share so together we can get these babies on wheels!

Essential Training for Religious Leaders

Responding to Domestic Violence in Communities of Faith

Religious leaders, spiritual activists, and people of faith from all traditions are invited to participate in this two-day in-person training, to gain a basic understanding of the complex dynamics of intimate partner abuse, intervention strategies, and the role of the faith community in preventing domestic violence. Training will be facilitated by Rev. Dr. Sally MacNichol and Danielle Williams, M.Div, and will also explore theological, pastoral, and spiritual issues raised in responding to domestic violence. 

Training is free for participants, but space is limited.  Click here or the button below to register.

© 2022 The Interfaith Center of New York

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser