Welcome to our Religica Response to Violence
The web platform resource you will find in the button below, was created in cooperation with the Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry and the Parliament of the World’s Religions. This free resource was developed for use by individuals and communities on responding to the challenge of violence in our world.
This multi-media resource is rich with videos, articles, podcast interviews from influencers around the world, and provides a roll-up-our-sleeves guide for responding to violence in our communities. Study alone or in groups; the resource is ready for you to explore.
Resourcing Communities and Responding to Violence
Personal Religious Literacy Series: The Chinese Jews of Kaifeng (and what I’ve learned from them) by Rabbi Anson Laytner
In this article, we learn about the rich history of the Jewish community in Kaifeng, China–one of the most long-lived continuous Jewish communities in the world. From the Interfaith Observer website, “Never more than a few thousand souls – and currently numbering a thousand at best – the Kaifeng Jewish community has excited interest far beyond what its population warrants. Much has been written about this tiny community, no doubt because of its “exotic” locale, its isolation from the rest of the Jewish world, and its inspiring story of perseverance.”
Holly Huffnagle serves as AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, spearheading the agency’s response to antisemitism in the United States and its efforts to better protect the Jewish community.
“One thing we have to do is almost reframe the way we think about combating hate and fighting anti-Semitism and fighting Islamophobia.“ – Holly Huffnagle
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers serves as the Rabbi and Cantor of Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On October 27, 2018, Tree of Life was the target of an act of violence that left eleven people murdered. In this episode, Rabbi Myers reflects on ways to engage the sacred, the process of healing, and the role of solidarity in creating change.
In this multi-media resource, we highlight this SU Student-led discussion which includes an interview with Rabbi Danny Weiner at Temple de Hirsch Sinai. Explore more interviews and material on the Religica Response to Violence.
May 2022 Archived Newsletter
In the Month of May, Religica Theolab created a special Response to Violence Newsletter, addressing the horrific acts of gun violence across the nation.
Addressing Violence as a Society
How Are We Called to Respond to the Recent Acts of Violence?
In this newsletter, you can find the following:
- A Resource from our Theological Laboratory focusing on a multiethnic and multireligious understanding of violence, its causes, its impact in culture – and in the last module – how we can respond together toward greater healing in our own communities.
- Two podcasts with leaders from the Tree of Life Synagogue (U.S.) and Al Noor Mosque (New Zealand) who reflect upon and respond to a version of this question: “Given the experiences you have endured, what is important for local communities to remember in times of violence and trauma?”
- GoFundMe links for those local communities directly impacted by violence and supported financially by those communities who are requesting assistance.