wfn.org | [ENS] From Passover to Papal Mass,

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

Daybook, from Episcopal News Service

April 22, 2005 -- Friday Forum

>From Passover to Papal Mass, weekend brings interfaith focus

Los Angeles Seder dinner will mark new Jewish, Episcopal collaboration
(see
article below)

[ENS] -- Passover, an 8-day observance commemorating the freedom of the
Hebrews from Egypt, officially begins on Saturday, April 23, and is a
time
of family gatherings and lavish meals called Seders.

The weekend also brings the Sunday Mass marking the new ministry of Pope
Benedict XVI, rites to be attended by numerous interfaith and ecumenical
leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Episcopal Church
bishops Christopher Epting and Pierre Whalon representing Presiding
Bishop
Frank Griswold. Epting is the Presiding Bishop's Deputy for Ecumenical
and
Interfaith Relations, while Whalon is the Paris-based bishop of the
Convocation of American Churches in Europe.

Interfaith and ecumenical ministries are the focus year-round of the
Episcopal Church's Interfaith Education Initiative (IEI), which was
established in response to the tragedy of September 11, 2001. IEI works
to
promote the awareness of Episcopalians to religious plurality in the
United
States, to improve relations and to establish dialogue with people of
other
faiths. Information about IEI and interfaith/ecumenical ministries of
the
Episcopal Church is online at
http://www.interfaitheducationinitiative.org.

- - - -

Los Angeles Seder dinner to mark new Jewish, Episcopal collaboration

[ENS, SILVER LAKE, Los Angeles] -- The Los Angeles Silver Lake district
will
celebrate a turning point on Sunday, April 27 as children and families
at a
Jewish community center welcome Episcopal Bishop J. Jon Bruno to a
traditional Passover Seder to mark the formation of a new partnership
between the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center (SIJCC) and
the
Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles.

Representatives from the offices of State Assembly member Dario Frommer
and
City Council member Eric Garcetti will also participate in the
festivities,
beginning at 4 p.m. at the Community Center, located at 1110 Bates
Avenue,
Los Angeles.

"The SIJCC community is thrilled," announced SIJCC board president Janie
Schulman. "Saving our building and our center was a minor miracle. We
could
not have done it without the incredibly generous support of Bishop Bruno
and
the Diocese and Far East National Bank which was willing to take a
chance on
us, not to mention three years of hard work, dedication and financial
sacrifice on the part of our teachers, staff, center members, local
community and elected officials.

"We are excited about our new partnership with Bishop Bruno and look
forward
to serving as a model shared facility, demonstrating how inter-faith
cooperation and team-work can foster understanding and respect between
religious groups and strengthen the individual organizations."

In addition to allowing some 100 preschool students to continue their
Jewish
education, the alliance will provide new opportunities for service to
the
community.

For the past three years, the center, home of the Jewish Community
Center
since 1951, has been threatened with closure. The Jewish Community
Centers
of Greater Los Angeles (JCCGLA), which owned the facility, discovered a
multi-million-dollar budget shortfall and decided it would have to close
three of its centers, including the Silverlake property, and sell the
land
and buildings to make up the shortfall. Rather than watch their beloved
center die, several community members formed a new non-profit
corporation,
the SIJCC, and took over the center's operation on July 1, 2002. Nearly
three years after breaking away from JCCGLA, SIJCC has not only
survived,
but thrived. Nearly 100 children are enrolled at the center's
pre-school.
SIJCC has a waiting list for its pre-school and has added ballet,
flamenco
dancing, martial arts, and other popular enrichment classes.

In October 2004, Bruno learned of the plight of the JCC. Having grown up
playing basketball in its gymnasium, Bruno was familiar with the
building
and the organization and pledged his support. "They came to us to help
save
their school," he said, "and we could find a way to help. We're glad it
all
worked out."

District 13 Council member Eric Garcetti also lent his support to the
center
early in its struggles to survive and was instrumental in fostering the
relationship between the diocese and the center Board of Directors. "The
Silverlake JCC has been a community institution for generations," said
Garcetti. "I am very proud to have joined with the committed families
and
community members to save this neighborhood treasure. This agreement
ensures
that it will remain a community space for generations to come."

ABOUT SIJCC

The SIJCC is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality
Jewish
education, cultural programs, athletic activities and social
opportunities
for people of all ages, ethnic groups and religious affiliations. The
mission of the SIJCC is accomplished through quality programming for all
ages-early childhood education, celebration of Jewish holidays, arts,
theater, language, music education, athletic activities, and Jewish
educational programs. In addition, the SIJCC participates in select
public
service activities and provides a gathering place for members and other
community groups. To learn more about SIJCC or to make a donation,
please
call 323.663.2255 or visit http://www.silverlakejcc.org.

ABOUT THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES

The Diocese of Los Angeles -- a community of 85,000 Episcopalians in 147
congregations, 37 schools, and 20 major institutions -- spans all of Los
Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and
part of Riverside County. One of 110 dioceses in the national Episcopal
Church, the Diocese of Los Angeles was established in 1895.

The Diocese is led by its Bishop, the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno. Its
administrative and ministry hub is the Cathedral Center of St. Paul,
located
in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles.

For more information about the Diocese of Los Angeles and its
ministries,
visit http://www.ladiocese.org.

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