Living Our Beliefs: Exploring Faith & Religion in Daily Life

Episode 65.
This is the second part of my conversation with Audrey Reich. In this second part, Audrey talks about how she incorporates her Jewish teachings and values into her art classes, creating a diverse and open environment for her students. Whether teaching in a Jewish school or a secular school in New York City, Audrey's experiences with students from various cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds have inspired her to foster open dialogue and appreciation for different perspectives. She also reflects on her personal art, and how her artworks have been influenced by her visits to Tarnów, Poland where her father’s family comes from.

Highlights:

· Teaching art in Jewish and secular K-12 schools with diverse student populations.

· Engaging discussions about international events like the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.

· Managing open discussions and differing opinions in the classroom.

· Personal experiences and connections related to Jewish history and heritage.

· Discovering personal connections and roots in Tarnów relating to her family history.

· Audrey's personal art and how it reflects her experiences.

Social Media links for Audrey:

Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center – https://hhrecny.org/generations-forward/#unger
Social Media links for Méli:
Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisolomon/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066435622271
Transcript: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1851013/episodes/14866705
Follow the podcast!
The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise: Is your way similar or different? Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore? Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet.
Comments? Questions? Email Méli at – [email protected]

The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/

Episode 31.
Saiyyidah brings her experience of Practical Theology to life in this engaging conversation. Landing in the field by accident, then choosing to remain, she views the staunchly white Christian British arena with an outsider’s eyes, while valuing the bridging of the Academy and religious leaders. Her perspective as a Muslim woman of color, prompted a deep exploration of her identity, for which she is grateful. Since completing her Doctorate in Practical Theology, Saiyyidah has combined that theory and use of conversation in her coaching and training on belonging.
Highlights:
· Conversations are available to everyone, and when we are confident in our identity and curious about the other, a deep and rich conversation is possible.
· We can affect each other in a brief exchange, without knowing it, and it doesn’t cost us anything.
· Stephen Pattison’s term ‘wayfaring without a map’, describes a conversation as a journey.
· Curiosity, acknowledgement and respect can be learned, but we need to work hard, be vulnerable, and be ready to shed some ideas.

Quotes:
“Acknowledging and recognizing difference is important, but when we focus too much energy, time, attention on the difference, we forget our similarities.”

“Some people haven't outed themselves as non-Christian, but because I am so obviously not Christian and remain in that space [of Practical Theology], that gives them confidence and permission to do so as well.”

“What I'm trying to do, ... is keep one foot in research and one foot in practice, because I think that will make my approach in both areas a little bit more rounded.”

Social Media links for Saiyyidah:
LinkedIn ­– https://www.linkedin.com/in/saiyyidah/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/SaiyyidahZaidi
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/saiyyidahzaidi/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/saiyyidahzaidi and https://www.facebook.com/saiyyidahzaidipage
Website: www.saiyyidah.com
Center for Belonging and Understanding – www.centreforbelongingandunderstanding.com

Social Media links for Méli:
Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisolomon/
Transcript:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1851013/episodes/12117876-31-saiyyidah-zaidi-a-journey-in-practical-theology/edit
Follow the podcast!
The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise: Is your way similar or different? Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore? Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet.
Comments? Questions? Email Méli -
[email protected]

The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/

Episode 74.
Rabbi David Levin-Kruss is a Jerusalem-based life coach, educator, and community organizer. David sees himself as a bridge between Jewish wisdom and those who want to utilize this wisdom to live more meaningful lives. In this conversation, we talk about his coaching practice often using a text to explore issues in the client’s life.
David has held educational and leadership positions at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Melitz Centers for Jewish Zionist Education and at Stanmore Synagogue in north-west London.
Highlights:
· Basics of coaching: forward-looking, strength-based, and problem-solving approach

· Coaching as a mechanism and the client already having the answers within them

· Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ view on coaching and contemporary problems

· Technique of reframing negative texts or songs into positive messages

· Emphasis on peace over absolute truth or justice in a Jewish law court

· Differences between education and coaching, emphasizing the role of the teacher in drawing out understanding within the student

· Value of interreligious dialogue and listening to people teach their own faith's texts

Social Media links for David:
Email – [email protected]
Article about David’s methodology – https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-tinkertoy-kid-2/
Social Media links for Méli:
Talking with God Project
LinkedIn – Meli Solomon
Facebook – Meli Solomon
Transcript: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1851013/episodes/15548253-texts-meet-a-jewish-coaching-methodology-david-levin-kruss
Follow the podcast!
The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise: Is your way similar or different? Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore? Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet.
Comments? Questions? Email Méli at – [email protected]

The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/

Episode 21.
Emi spoke with heart about his complex background – growing up Roman Catholic by Dominican immigrants, converting to Islam at Boston University, speaking Spanish as a first language, and his racial and cultural identity as both Hispanic and Black. All of this makes Emi the unique human he is. Having explored various religions and lived in different places, he is able to understand what it is like to be in another place. Moreover, he is guided by the Qur’anic verse: “I made you different so that you may get to know one another”. Each person’s complexity, uniqueness, the religion, culture and experiences is what we present to the world.

Highlights:
· His religious and cultural identity is complex and not an easy question to answer.

· Being raised in Roman Catholicism remains in him, it’s values and iconography.
· Speaking Spanish, English and some Arabic allows him to see the commonalities and differences across religions and cultures.

· Observing is not about praying five times a day for him. It is being kind, generous, grateful,

· How different communities can know each other is an important question for him.

Quotes:
“We're all meant to be something, but we're all finding out what that something is, and it doesn't just stop at your faith.”

“I think that something I still bring with me [from Roman Catholicism] is a lot of strength, a lot of courage, compassion, kindness and empathy.”

“I've been a Catholic and I've been a Muslim and I haven't been either of those things as well.”

“My current practice is that when I wake up, I I'm just thankful that I wake up.”

“Beyond just talking with God or praying, I think your daily life is your practice. I think what you do. Every moment that you live is how you embody what it is that you believe in.”

Social Media links for Emi:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/oelmis-fermin/
Social Media links for Méli:
Email – [email protected]
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisolomon/
Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org
Transcript:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1851013/episodes/11352725-21-emi-fermin-i-m-meant-to-be-a-muslim/edit
Follow the podcast!
The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise: Is your way similar or different? Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore? Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet.
Comments questions? Email Meli at:
[email protected].

The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/

Episode 36.
Jill Sarkozi, founder of the Safekeeping Stories program, talks about the mission and system of the work. Inspired by helping her father-in-law, a Holocaust survivor, write his story, Jill went on to develop the Storykeeping® method. Since founding the program in 2012, Jill and her team have helped many Jewish families capture their own family stories. The workshop provides a safe environment for these family members to explore the family’s Holocaust story, understand how it has been part of their own story, and then add their generational layer to the family story as they write observations about life with their survivor-family member.
Using a structured system of one-two page ‘slices’, children and grandchildren of survivors build up a 15-20 page history which they can use in many ways – in a slide show, as impetus for a heritage trip, and more. Helping people recover their family story and watch the reactions has often been a beautiful and moving experience.

Highlights:
· Workshops are groups of ten – for personal attention and guidance.
· The focus has mainly been Holocaust stories preserved by family members of survivors, and will remain so.
· Besides workshops, Safekeeping Stories offers speakers, programs, and a self-paced method.
· Learning one: People retain the family story from the child perspective and watching the shift to the adult view is surprising.
· Learning two: A person’s response to incredible loss, and the impact on subsequent generations positively and negatively, takes many forms.
· Learning three: A small kindness can place a tenderness in someone’s heart. It can stay with them for life and is important to honor.

Social Media links for Jill:
Website – https://safekeepingstories.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/safekeepstories/
LinkedIn (personal) – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-sarkozi-997518b/
LinkedIn (Safekeeping Stories) – https://www.linkedin.com/company/78329846/admin/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/safekeepingstories/

Social Media links for Méli:
Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisolomon/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066435622271
Transcript:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1851013/
Follow the podcast!
The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise: Is your way similar or different? Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore? Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet.
Comments? Questions? Email Méli at [email protected]

The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/