Religion Brooklyn Boro

Faith In Brooklyn for March 26

March 26, 2014 By Francesca Norsen-Tate, Religion Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral Holds Special Services during Great Lent

St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral (355 State St., Boerum Hill) provides special services during the season of great and Holy Lent.

The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts provides the faithful with the chance to receive strength from Communion so that they can observe the disciplines of Lent more fully and live out their Christian lives in a secular schedule. This service is allowed only during the Great Fast because the Divine Liturgy (Communion) may not be celebrated on weekdays during Great Lent.

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Fr. Thomas Zain, dean of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, explains that “the need still exists, especially during this time of year when we are struggling with our spiritual lives against evil and our own weaknesses, to receive the Body and Blood of Christ more often. Therefore, the priest consecrates an extra host on the previous Sunday which is then used during this liturgy, thus the name Pre-Sanctified Liturgy. This is one of the most beautiful services of the Church.”

The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts is offered every Wednesday at 7p.m. Orthodox Christians wishing to receive Communion must fast from at least noon to receive Holy Communion.

The Akathist (Maydeyeh) Service to the Theotokos, one of the most popular services of the Lenten period, is actually connected with the feast of the Annunciation on March 25 (which occurred earlier this week). This service is a combination of Small Compline (prayers prior to sleeping) and the Canon and salutations to the Theotokos (Mary, the God-bearer). It is celebrated on the first five Fridays of the Great Fast. A program with guest speaker follows each service, which begins at 7:30 p.m.
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St. Joseph’s College Presents 6th Annual Lecture in Comparative Religion

St. Joseph’s College (SJC) will present The Dr. Reza Khatib and Georgianna Clifford Khatib Chair in Comparative Religion Sixth Annual Lecture. This year’s talk features Mehdi Aminrazavi, Ph.D., author and professor of philosophy and religion. He will speak on “Shiʻism and the Politics of the Hidden Imam” on Thursday, April 3 in the Tuohy Hall Auditorium on the Brooklyn campus; and on Thursday, April 10 in the McGann Conference Room on the Long Island campus. Both lectures will take place at 12:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

“Dr. Aminrazavi is a leading scholar on Shiite Islam, Persian culture and Islamic philosophy,” said Dr. Thomas Petriano, SJC professor, department of religious studies. “Based on the course he is presently teaching, ‘Saints, Sufis and Warriors of God: Shi‘ism and Persian Culture,’ his lecture promises to be a timely and informative discussion of Shiite Islam and the influence of its theology on the current culture and politics of Iran. We are fortunate to have him as this year’s Khatib Chair.”

A native of Iran, Dr. Aminrazavi is a professor of classics, philosophy and religion at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. He specializes in the areas of eastern religions, Islam and the Middle East, Islamic philosophy and theology, medieval philosophy and philosophy of religion. He received a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Temple University after receiving an M.A. in philosophy and a B.A. in urban planning from the University of Washington.

A member of the editorial board of the Journal of Religious Studies, Cambridge University Press, he has authored and edited numerous books and articles and co-edited the five-volume set, An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, which was recognized at the 23rd annual Tehran International Book Fair in 2010 as a superior book in the field of humanities. Dr. Aminrazavi has received many national and international awards and accolades for his achievements in the field. Funded by Dr. Reza Khatib and Georgianna Clifford Khatib, the chair’s purpose is to promote interfaith dialogue, with the study of Islam being an integral part of the initiative. Each spring, through the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Khatib, the college hosts a noted scholar who lectures, leads faculty discussions and teaches a course to students from both campuses.
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Borough President Eric Adams Hosts Pre-Passover Community Open Dialogue

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams recently hosted Jewish community leaders and representatives from city agencies, including the New York City Police Department, Fire Department and Department of Sanitation, for a pre-Passover community open dialogue in the courtroom of Borough Hall. The forum was an opportunity to discuss preparations for the holiday and ways to advance collaboration.

“We need to work in collaboration, not isolation, which was the spirit behind this unique open dialogue with multiple City agencies,” said Adams. “My goal is for Borough Hall to be a space for communities of every faith and ethnicity to gather and address their concerns, particularly in advance of special observances and celebrations. I am pleased that the community, in partnership with the NYPD, FDNY and DSNY, will celebrate Passover with security, safety and efficient delivery of services ensured.”

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American Jewish History Scholar Speaks On Brooklyn’s Immigrant Experience

Dr. Deborah Dash Moore, prominent professor of American Jewish history, will speak on “the immigrant experience in Brooklyn.” The Institute for Living Judaism in Brooklyn (ILJB) and the Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative (BJHI) co-sponsor this special event at the Brooklyn Historical Society on Sunday, March 30.

Moore has been a central voice in the emergence of the field of American Jewish history from the last quarter of the 20th century. Not only has she shaped the field through her writings; she has also energetically sponsored conferences, tirelessly volunteered her time to advise graduate students and young scholars and directed major programs and institutions that dealt with the experience of Jews in America.

Moore grew up in New York City and the city’s schools became her classroom. She left New York City to study history at Brandeis University, where she received her B.A. (magna cum laude) and met and married MacDonald Moore, a fellow historian. She returned to New York City, pursued graduate studies in American and Jewish history at Columbia University, and completed her Ph.D. in 1975.

In 2005 she was named the Frederick G. L. Huetwell Professor of History and Director of the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Moore’s presentation runs from 4:30-5:45 p.m. on March 30 at the Brooklyn Historical Society 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton St.) in Brooklyn Heights. Admission is $5 and light refreshments will be offered.

The mission of the ILJB is to strengthen the Brooklyn’s Jewish Community by providing outstanding educational and cultural programs in Brooklyn. Under the leadership of Dr. Howard Honigman the ILJB has formed an amalgam of Brooklyn Jewish organizations (congregations, schools, Y programs) to provide the critical mass for such programs. Celebrating its 10th year now is the series theme “S History of Brooklyn’s Jews. The series was begun with a presentation by Ron Schweiger, Brooklyn Borough Historian.

The BJHI explores the dynamic history of Jews in Brooklyn from its early beginnings in the nineteenth century, to its history in the making today. It maintains an interactive website, organizes public programs, maintains records and archives both online and in their original state, creates oral and video histories which will be accessible online and makes a range of resources available to the public.

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Panel Discussion to Ask ‘What’s At Stake in the Middle East?’

Brooklyn for Peace presents a panel discussion on “what’s at stake in the Middle East” next Monday, March 31.

Panelists include, as of press time: NYU professors Zachary Lockman and Maya Mikdashi and David Wildman, representing the United Methodist Church.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a short film. The panel begins at 7 p.m. The sponsor for this event is Fort Greene Peace, with co-sponsors include the Lafayette Ave. Presbyterian Church Social Justice Committee and Brooklyn For Peace.

Lafayette Ave. Presbyterian Church is at 85 S. Oxford St between Fulton St. and Lafayette Ave. in Fort Greene. Admission to the panel discussion is free and the church building is wheelchair accessible. To request child care or get more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 718-624-5921.

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Unitarian Church Launches Living Wage Task Force

First Unitarian Congregational Society’s inaugural meeting of its living wage task force brings in a speaker who has gained national prominence for her fight to gain sustainable earnings.

Naquasia LeGrand, a Kentucky Fried Chicken employee and Professor Ruth Milkman, a sociologist specializing in labor issues at CUNY’s graduate center, will speak at the first meeting of the task force at First Unitarian Church this Sunday. LeGrand received national attention when she appeared on “The Colbert Report” last January.

Dr. Milkman’s new book “New Labor in New York: Precarious Workers and the Future of the Labor Movement,” which she co-edited with Ed Ott, was just published this month. Dr. Milkman has also studied the “Occupy” movement.

Moderating the meeting is congregant Tom Kennedy, a labor lawyer.

The goal of the meeting and the task force is to motivate people to campaign for higher wages, paid sick days and health benefits in the restaurant industry, which has seven of the 11 worst paying jobs in the country, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

The group Fast Food Forward has been organizing workers at McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants in the last couple of years. The Unitarian Universalist Association has urged all members to read the book, “Behind the Kitchen Door” by Saru Jayaraman to learn the litany of labor abuses rampant in the restaurant industry. The Restaurant Opportunities Center published the book. This organization aims to improve working conditions at such family restaurants as Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.

According to Nancy Welles, a longtime member of First Unitarian and the organizer of this event, “Unitarian Universalists believe in living our faith. Working for economic justice is a moral imperative.”

The Living Wage Task Force meeting begins at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, March 30, and is open to the public. Attendees should enter through the 50 Monroe Place door.

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Religion Newsmakers:

Congregation B’nai Avraham Celebrates 25 Years in Heights

Congregation B’nai Avraham, Brooklyn Heights’ Orthodox synagogue will honor leaders from the medical, legal and educational fields at its Gala Anniversary Dinner at the Museum of Jewish Heritage this week. The synagogue marks the completion of 25 years of service to the community.

Honorees include: Bertrand Agus, M.D., Maimonides Physician of the Year; Adam & Sita Hess, Kiddie Korner Parents of the Year; and Pery D. Krinsky, Esq., Lawyer of the Year. 


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