The Holocaust Memorial Program at Oregon State University is proud to present a panel discussion on the evolution of religious rights and their connection with, and impact on, human rights.
How has the promotion of religious rights figured into the larger effort to protect and advance human rights? On the one hand, we find many historical and contemporary declarations of rights coupling freedom of thought, belief, conscience, and religion. However, we likewise see examples of religious freedoms for some being yoked to religious (and other) oppression for others.
Our distinguished panel will explore the historical, philosophical, legal, and experiential dimensions of this complicated question. We welcome your contributions to the discussion that will follow.
Leading our panel will be the 2015 recipient of the Elie Weisel Award, a recognition granted annually by the United States Holocaust Memorial museum, Judge Thomas Buergenthal. Buergenthal will speak to us in a double capacity: first, as a survivor of Auschwitz, whose experiences during the Holocaust are chronicled in his highly acclaimed memoir, A Lucky Child; and second, as a renowned legal scholar who has labored to make international law an ever-more-effective tool in combating human rights abuses. He has also served as a judge on several international tribunals that deal heavily in human rights cases, including the International Court of Justice (a.k.a. “The World Court”).
Also participating in the panel discussion will be:
- Dr. Rena Lauer (specialties in medieval Europe and Jewish history) will speak on minority religions and their legal rights in the medieval Mediterranean.
- Dr. Amy Koehlinger (North American religious history and thought; American Catholicism) will address the issue of religion and human rights in the history of Oregon.
- Dr. Stuart Sarbacker (comparative religion; Indic religions and philosophical traditions) will focus on religious freedom in the context of Eastern faith traditions.
- Dr. Paul Kopperman (war and genocide; chair, Holocaust Memorial Committee) will discuss the value of Holocaust education in promoting respect for diversity.
After their individual statements, the panelists will join audience members in an interactive discussion of the core themes of the evening, Religious Rights and Human Rights.
At the conclusion of this event, copies of the new, expanded edition of A Lucky Child, Thomas Buergenthal’s Holocaust memoir, will be available for purchase courtesy of GrassRoots Books.
This event is sponsored by the OSU Holocaust Memorial Program, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, the Institute for Judaic Studies, Grass Roots Books and Music, and the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation.
Thomas Buergenthal will speak to us in a double capacity: first, as a survivor of Auschwitz, whose experiences during the Holocaust are chronicled in his highly acclaimed memoir, A Lucky Child; and second, as a renowned legal scholar who has throughout his career labored to make international law an ever-more-effective tool in combating human rights abuses. During his academic career, he has held a series of chairs in distinguished schools of law and is currently the Lobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence at the George Washington University School of Law. He has also served as a judge on several international tribunals that deal heavily in human rights cases, including the International Court of Justice (a.k.a. “The World Court”).
Professor Buergenthal is the 2015 recipient of the Elie Wiesel Award, a recognition granted annually by the United States Holocaust Memorial museum to honor “internationally prominent individuals whose actions have advanced the Museum’s vision of a world where people confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.”
In his talk at Oregon State University, Professor Buergenthal will discuss his experiences during World War II and his perspectives on what international law has done, and what it can be expected to do, to combat persecution and protect human rights. As the conclusion of his talk, copies of the new, expanded edition of A Lucky Child will be available for purchase.
The Havurah invites the community to a Sunset Dinner at Grizzly Peak Winery in Ashland; The Best of Both Worlds, on Thursday, August 27 at 6:00 PM with light jazz by the Paul Schmeling Trio. Ashland Gourmet will provide appetizers from the Middle Eastern kitchen with delights such as tabouli, hummus, baba ganoush and more, followed by an entrée from the Spanish Sephardic tradition of Chicken Marbella and dessert of fresh fruit and baklava. The all inclusive price per person, which includes the wonderful wines of Grizzly Peak, is $60, and tables of eight can be reserved for $440. All reservations must be made in advance no later than August 19 by calling 541-488-7716. The event is a benefit for the Havurah.
SPECIAL EVENT!
Wendy Liebman & Cathy Ladman,
Fri. Aug. 12 – Sat. Aug. 13
Wendy Liebman has made a career out of making late night audiences laugh. From Carson and Leno to Letterman, Kimmel, Ferguson, and Fallon, Liebman is an icon for stand-up success, even winning the American Comedy Award for best female comedian.
The best way to get inside Cathy Ladman’s head is to see her live. As one of the country’s top comedians, credits include “The Aristocrats”, “Mad Men”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, and “Everybody Loves Raymond”.
Get $5 off your ticket price online by entering promo code: summer
Havurah Shalom will host a Passover Community Seder on Tuesday, April 11, at 6:00 pm. Adults and children of all ages are welcome!
Back by popular demand, Havurah’s very own Beth Hamon and Adela Basayne will lead the seder. The dinner will be vegetarian, with gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free options.
Please register no later than April 5 at tinyurl.com/Pesac17! To inquire about cost adjustments, contact Rachel at rachelp@havurahshalom.org or 503-248-4662 ext 2.
Rev. Matthew Fox – Ecology & Deep Ecumenism:
In the Image of God, the Cosmic Christ, and Buddha Nature
March 9-10, 2018 at the Havurah Synagogue in Ashland
The Havurah Synagogue is hosting a unique interfaith event featuring the renowned scholar and author Rev. Matthew Fox on March 9-10, 2018. The three-part event is called Ecology & and Deep Ecumenism: In the Image of God, the Cosmic Christ, and Buddha Nature. Register on line at https://bpt.me/3233117 or by calling 1-800-838-3006. For general information call (541) 488-7716. Cost of the registration for the three events including Friday evening hospitality and Saturday luncheon is $85 for early registration before February 5, and $95 after that. Partial work trade opportunities are available.
The event is co-sponsored by R.E.D. Red Earth Descendants, Kagyu Sukha Choling Buddhist Center, Trinity Episcopal Church, Unity in Ashland, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Havurah Synagogue, and the Rogue Valley Manor Department of Spiritual Care and Wellbeing.
Matthew Fox is a renowned American theologian. Formally a Dominican priest his controversial ideas on what is known as Creation Spirituality, and the alignment of ecology with religion, caused his expulsion from the Catholic priesthood in 1993. He is now an Episcopal priest. He is the author of 35 books including the best-selling The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, Original Blessing, Creation Spirituality, and The Reinvention of Work. He teaches regularly at Fox Institute for Creation Spirituality in Boulder, CO. And that his latest book is Order of the Sacred Earth. Learn more about the order at www.orderofthesacredearth.org
The weekend of events will be divided in three parts, all taking place at the Havurah Synagogue in Ashland and requiring pre-registration. Friday evening 7:00 PM, Saturday morning at 10 AM, and Saturday evening at 7:30 PM. Rev. Fox led what he calls a Cosmic Mass in September, 2016 at the Ashland Historic Armory. Describing the theme of the upcoming event Rev. Fox says,
Clearly the earth as we know it, and our species along with many others are in dire straits. Global warming, species extinction, soil depletion, oceans rising and becoming more acidic, weather extremes, climate immigrants, increased wildfires and waters polluted – all this adds up to a near apocalyptic situation. Time is rapidly running out. What does a renewed spiritual awakening bring to the table? How can we draw on the best of our religious traditions to assist this waking up process?
The weekend of events will be the presentation of teachings on the link between ecology and religion, and how people of all faiths can recover a sense of the sacredness of the earth and her processes. Rev. Fox teaches that the religious archetype for the sacredness of creation can be found in the “Image of G-d” tradition in Judaism, the “Cosmic Christ” tradition of Christianity; and by the “Buddha Nature” teachings in Buddhism. Rev. Fox will teach about these archetypes during the weekend and in the process awaken participants to look for stories of the sacredness of nature in their own spiritual traditions.
Rabbi David Zaslow says, “Rev. Fox’s work is unique in the interfaith world. He expects those of us from particular faiths to stop settling with merely respecting each other’s traditions, but to ask each other ‘how can I help you? How can we pray and work together for the sake of our planet?’”
The weekend will culminate on Saturday evening with a special ecumenical panel highlighting the wisdom of local spiritual leaders: Dan Wahpepah from Red Earth Descendants, Rev. Norma Burton of Unity, Rev. Fr. Tony Hutchinson from Trinity Episcopal, Rabbi David Zaslow from the Havurah, Lama Yeshe Parke from the KSC Buddhist center, Rev. Christina Kukuk of the United Church of Christ, and Fr. Joel S. Garavaglia-Maiorano from the Rogue Valley Manor.
You can learn more about Creation Spirituality and the cutting edge theological work of Rev. Matthew Fox at his website at http://www.matthewfox.org. For more information about the weekend call (541) 488-7716.
What: A public lecture by Dr. Aviva Halamish, Open University of Israel
When: Monday, April 9, 6:30pm
Where: 238 Smith Memorial Student Union (SMSU 238)
Cost: Free and open to the public.
Contact: Stacey Johnston | judaicst@pdx.edu| 503-725-8449
Please join us for the 2018 Lorry I. Lokey Lecture featuring Dr. Aviva Halamish of the Open University of Israel titled, “Not What You Think: The Role of the Holocaust in the Establishment of Israel”
Contemplate and confront the widely accepted assumption that the Holocaust had a decisive influence on the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Explore questions like: Is there a link between the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel? Who promotes this claim? What really happened and how did the Holocaust impact the process of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine?
This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of Lorry I. Lokey. Cosponsored by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and the Middle East Studies Center.
Ruth Lindemann: Speaker, Author, Child survivor of the Holocaust.
Ruth will discuss and answer questions about the book she wrote, “To Survive is not Enough” which is based on the many stories she has heard from Holocaust survivors. She also tells what life was like for a Jewish child in fascist Austria.
This event is sponsored by Next Generations Group and Portland Hadassah.