Interfaith event to focus on Abrahamic traditions

An October 30 event aims to strengthen friendship and understanding among three Abrahamic traditions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The fourth annual Abrahamic Dinner is being hosted by Grand Valley State University’s Sylvia and Richard Kaufman Interfaith Institute and the Niagara Foundation.

“This is a great chance to meet the local interfaith community and see how much movement and passion there is toward understanding our neighbors in Grand Rapids and in Michigan,” said Katie Gordon, Kaufman Interfaith Institute program manager. “One of the reasons we love this sort of event is because the conversation happens at each one of the tables, not just through a presentation. The relationships you can start to build at an event like this are remarkable.”

Abrahamic Dinner
Thursday, October 30 at 6:30 p.m.
First (Park) Congregational Church UCC
10 East Park Place NE
Grand Rapids, Mich.

Three guest speakers will share the perspectives of their respective traditions about transcending religious tolerance in order to foster greater interfaith understanding. This year’s speakers include Very Rev. John Geany, Catholic Information Center director and Rector/Pastor of Cathedral of Saint Andrew; Jeff Padnos, Padnos Corporation president; and Imam Achmat Salie, Islamic Studies Program Developer at University of Detroit Mercy. Following the presentations, guests will be invited to engage in table discussions.

Although the focus of the Abrahamic Dinner is the three traditions, the dinner is open to the public, regardless of religious beliefs, and free for Grand Valley students.

To register for the Abrahamic Dinner, visit www.gvsu.edu/interfaith.