Juliet Hollister Awards - September 18th

We are currently planning our events for the fall season and will have some announcements on our speakers very soon. Trust me, we are going to have some amazing guests for the fall.

In the meantime you may be interested in the Temple of Understanding's Juliet Hollister Awards Gala. The event is going to be held at the UN Delegates Dining Room on Sept 18th at 7pm. It will be an incredible evening of music and memorable honorees. Linus Roache, who presented at the Interfaith Experience in May, will be Master of Ceremony. This years honorees are:

Majora Carter will be honored for her work to bring social and environmental justice to poor and disenfranchised communities around the world. She is a leading urban revitalization strategist, the founder of Sustainable South Bronx, and a 2005 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. Russell Simmons, music industry pioneer, entrepreneur and philanthroper, will be honored for his work to bridge the divide between people of different religions and cultures. Bhai Sahib Dr. Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia is the leader of the largest registered Sikh community in the United Kingdom. He will be honored for his work as an intra- and inter-faith educator and for his dedication to advancing interfaith issues at the United Nations.

In 1996 the Juliet Hollister Award was created to honor the Temple of Understanding's founder, Juliet Hollister, and to acknowledge the work of a religious leader whose work brings interfaith values into the place of worship and secular leaders who promote greater understanding of spiritual values in areas such as the arts, education, media, government, science, law and the environment.

Past awardees include Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, the Very Reverend James Parks Morton, His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda, President Nelson Mandela, His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Maestro Ravi Shankar, Wangari Maathai, Fr. Thomas Berry, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, and Hans Kung.

A pre-purchased ticket to the event is required.

To order tickets or for more information: info@templeofunderstanding.org or call 212-573-9224, ext 22

A special thanks and a Survey

A very special thanks to Linus and to all those that attended our final event of the spring/summer season. Thanks to Linus for his enlightening and entertaining talk, as well as for joining us for dinner and laughs after the event. It was a fabulous way to close out our first full year at the Rubin Museum of Art. We're looking forward to bringing you more great events in the fall and hope that you all have an amazing summer.

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Law and Order star Linus Roache joins us in May

We are pleased to announce that Law and Order's newest star Linus Roache will present at the Interfaith Experience on May 30th at 7pm. Linus will share how his spiritual practice of Evolutionary Enlightenment has impacted his life and career.

"Being in the World but not of the World. "

In this talk the acclaimed British Actor Linus Roache, currently appearing as Law and Order's Chief Executive ADA Michael Cutter, will share how the perspective of Evolutionary Enlightenment is helping him navigate through the seductive world of success, celebrity and the intensity of the entertainment industry. As well as performing for over 24 years on stage, TV and screen, Linus has been a student of Evolutionary Enlightenment for the past 14 years and is now the Managing Director of the New York Center for EnlightenNext. EnlightenNext is a global network dedicated to creating a revolution in Consciousness and Culture and is founded on the vision of Spiritual Teacher Andrew Cohen and his teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment.

Creation Spirituality: A Way Forward Together

Please join us on April 25th at 7pm on the 6th floor of the Rubin Museum of Art for a fascinating discussion on "Creation Spirituality" presented by the Reverend Masud Ibn Syedullah, TSSF.

The events of 9/11 forced many of us to consider, and reconsider our attitudes and opinions about “the other” regarding race, ethnicity, culture, and religion. Many of us who previously felt secure within the realm of those “like us” are increasingly challenged to think about and even interact with those who differ from ourselves. Join the Reverend Masud Ibn Syedullah, TSSF, for a discussion of how we can break down barriers and find the common ground between us all. Drawing upon his life experiences from growing up in a Christian and Muslim family to his many years in the Franciscan movement, Reverend Syedullah will discuss universal principals that cut across all the faiths leading us forward together in our common humanity.

An Episcopal priest, musician, and educator, the Rev. Masud I. Syedullah, TSSF integrates resources of the Christian spiritual tradition, the arts, and liturgical worship to create experiences that facilitate spiritual growth. Born into an interfaith family (Christian and Islamic), and a professed member and pastoral officer of The Third Order, Society of Saint Francis (TSSF -- an international religious community in the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion), Father Syedullah has acquired a profound appreciation for the many ways people experience and relate to God. His work invites persons to discover the everywhereness of God – the ways God can be experienced in persons and places beyond ones expectations.

Pastor of the Church of the Atonement, Bronx, New York, and member of the Liturgical Commission and the Episcopal-Muslim Relations Committee of The Episcopal Diocese of New York, his ministry encompasses the concerns and realities of both the local congregation and the broader faith community.

Friday and Interfaith Dialogue

We are looking forward to part 2 of Dr. Kurt Johnson and Loch Kelly's talk this Friday night at 7pm. Please note that the event will take place on the 5th floor, not the usual 6th floor location which is temporarily closed for an installation at this time. Please arrive early to get a good seat as their January event was standing room only.

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In today's news, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, who visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in November, called on Muslims, Jews and Christians to engage in Interfaith Dialogue. He said, "The idea is to ask representatives of all monotheistic religions to sit together with their brothers in faith and sincerity to all religions as we all believe in the same God." Let's hope that leaders follow through on this call which can pave the road to peace in the Middle East. If you want to read the full article, please visit www.abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4518593.

Thanks to Alex Grey

A very special thanks to Alex Grey for his visually stunning presentation on Friday night. It was an honor to have him as our guest and the event went above and beyond our expectations. Thanks to all those that braved the snowy winter day and were treated to such an entertaining and enlightening talk. If you haven't been to the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (542 27th street between 10th and 11th), you have to check it out before it moves north of the city.

We look forward to seeing everyone next month for part 2 of Dr. Kurt Johnson and Loch Kelly's presentation on Spirituality, Science and Consciousness.

The show must go on...

Despite the early snowfall, tonight's event with Alex Grey will still go on. Please note that our event will not take place at our usual 6th floor location, but we will be in the museum's theatre. Seating will begin at around 645pm and the presentation will start at 7pm. Hope to see you there.