••■■•••--,

A Call To

Prayer

Religious leaders, members observe
interfaith World Sabbath service.

T

he sixth annual World Sabbath of
Religious Reconciliation service attracted
about 325 people of all faiths to Christ
Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills.
The service featured seven major prayers led by
members of Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh,
Christian, Native American and Hindu faith
groups."
In 2000, the Interfaith Holy Day of Peace was
initiated by Episcopal priests, the Rev. Rodney
Reinhart and the Rev. Edward L. Mullins, who is
pastor at Christ Church Cranbrook. The World
Sabbath service began that year as a way for all
people to repent for the tragedies of bigotry, anti-
Semitism, anti-Islamic prejudice and war; and in
which all people could
forgive one another and
make a commitment to
build a world of inter-
faith reconciliation.
In 2003, the General
Convention of the
Episcopal Church offi-
cially recognized the
World Sabbath and rec-
ommended it as a
model for the entire
church's work for peace.
The planning com-
mittee for World
Sabbath included volun-

teers both affiliated and unaffiliated with religious
organizations. Other groups represented among
the planning committee included the Pontifical
Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME),
Congregation Shir Tikvah, Saint Andrew's
Episcopal Church, the Islamic Center of America,
Temple Beth El and the Sikh Foundation.
This year's service on Jan. 29 began with a pro-
cession of committee members carrying olive
branches. Leaders and members of faith groups
were invited to hold symbols of their religious
affiliations.
Participants were addressed by Rabbi Sherwin
Wine of the Society for Humanistic Judaism,
Father Bruno Piccolo of the Pontifical Institute
for Foreign Missions and Imam Sayed Hassan Al-
Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America.
Musical groups included Susan Greener,
Temple Kol Ami cantorial soloist and the
Schmaltz Klezmer Ensemble, the Balet
Auctoctono mariachi band, the Metro Detroit
Area Fellowship Choir, the Christ Church
Cranbrook choir and the Pyramid Performing
Theater, an African American drum and dance
group. Michael Schonberger of Temple Beth El
sounded the shofar.
Peace Maker Awards were presented to Imam
Abdullah El-Amin and Najah Bazzy of the Islamic
Center of America.

— Shelli Leibman Dorfman, staff writer

For more photos please
visit JNOnline. corn

Clockwise fom top left:
Rabbi Sherwin Wine finishes his speech with
the resounding phrase, "Never again."

Susan Greener, Temple Kol Ami cantorial
soloist, adds her talents with Denard
McGary, director of the Metro Detroit Area
Fellowship Choir.

Rabbi David Nelson of Congregation Beth
Shalom speaks.

Perfoming at the service are members of the
Schmaltz6Klezmer Ensemble: Rick May of
Southfield is on trumpet. She! Belenson is on
clarinet and Kevin Resnick is on drums
(both areom Farmington Hills). Gary
Rimar of Bloomfield Hills is on keyboard

2/17
2005

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