AN INTERFAITH "NOWRUZ" CELEBRATION 2017
A Celebration of Springtime & Spiritual Renewal
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Saturday, March 18, 2017 . 3-5 PM
At The Sandy Spring Museum
17901 Bentley Rd, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
Co-Sponsored by: The Montgomery Co. Office of Community Partnerships,
The Sandy Spring Museum & The Omega Interfaith Forum
We were so fortunate that the new-born Spring Sun dispelled the expected rains; the Sandy Spring Museum offers such a beautiful, rural space to celebrate an Interfaith "Nowruz" {Persian New Year}. Our program included Food for Body, Mind & Spirit: We started with welcoming remarks to the 45 who had gathered and then entered into a guided introduction to an ancient Iranian custom, the very beautiful Nowruz {"Haft-seen"} table. This included many items of natural beauty as well as deeply symbolic objects. Over a delicious potluck feast of multicultural foods, we were then further educated about Nowruz through a wonderful short film from Dr. Zandi {our Zoroastrian panelist} who also further explained some of the marvelous cosmology behind the Nowruz Table.
We then shared in an Interfaith panel on the theme of "Spiritual Renewal & Springtime" with speakers from the Baha’i, Coptic Christian, Persian/Iranian Sufi & Zoroastrian Faiths. {See bios below.} There was much depth and symbolism! Our Egyptian Coptic speaker also linked their indigenous Spring festival, called "Sham-Elnesim," to both the ancient Egyptian mysteries of resurrection as well as to Christian roots. Our Baha'i participant focused on Baha'u'llah's message of religious unity as well as demonstrated the need for all us us to stay connected to bring "Light." Baha'i's have been practicing a purification fast for 19 days during this period.
No Nowruz would have been complete without an offering of the ecstatic Persian Sufi poetry of Jalaluddin Rumi & Hafiz. Dr. Lajevardi, a wonderful Rumi scholar, was our guide to Rumi's mystical teachings on love and read in both Farsi and English. Many thanks to the masterful Hafiz & Rumi readings of our "intoxicated" friend Peter Kovach. He was joined by Parvez Khan, a Sufi from Kashmir, and Dr. Doris McGuffey who also lent their beautiful spirits to our mix. Some sacred chants with guitar also accompanied as a background flow to our "dance" of poetry.
The afternoon concluded with an Interfaith Peace Circle for participants to offer their prayers and thoughts for peace and renewal. One major theme for the day was on the preciousness of religious freedom here in the U.S. and abroad. Many precarious or persecuted religious minority communities were in our hearts. This diversity is a world-wide treasure worthy of careful preservation. Many many to Allison Weiss & her staff for gifting us with the precious space of the Museum and helping to birth this treasure.
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| The "Haft-Seen" Table - Dr. Zandi's Mother, Dr. Bahram Zandi, Zamin |
WHAT IS NOWRUZ? Nowruz, or "New Day" in Persian, is an ancient Persian festival that marks the beginning of Spring and celebrates the rebirth of nature when the sun begins to regain strength and overcomes the winter's cold and darkness. Nowruz is not confined to the traditions of one religious group. It is celebrated by many Shia Muslims as well as viewed as a Holy Day by adherents of the Baha'i and Zoroastrian Faiths. Egyptian Coptic Christians celebrate Spring as "Sham-Elnesim." We gather together to celebrate the rebirth of Spring and our own Spiritual Renewal.
Organizational Partner Websites
INTERFAITH PANEL
DR. BAHRAM ZANDI {Zoroastrian}, a native of Iran, is a scientist, historian, lecturer and a national co-chair of the Green Party U.S. He is also active with Maryland United for Peace and Justice and Friends of Latin America. He collaborates with several Nowruz programs in the area, including the Smithsonian, Iranian Cultural Association, Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington, University of Maryland, and local meetup events.
SANDRA SHAKER {Coptic Christian} is a Donor Relations Associate at Coptic Orphans, an international development nonprofit that helps fatherless Coptic children in Egypt continue their education in order to break the cycle of poverty. Prior to Coptic Orphans, Sandra was a SiSePuede® Corps Fellow at the United Farm Workers Foundation in Fresno, CA, and an intern at the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Washington, D.C. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a double degree in Government & Politics and History in 2014.
BARBARA TALLEY {Baha'i Faith} is a trainer, lecturer, author, public speaker and part-time Adjunct Professor at Montgomery College. In 1989 she started her own business and began training and speaking nationally on various technology and human development themes including: Diversity, Time Management, Goal Setting, Personal Empowerment, Conflict Resolution, Sexual Harassment, Effective Communications, Leadership, Morale, Motivation, Appreciative Inquiry & Strength-based Leadership. She is the author of six books, and is a wife & mother of six. Barbara has been a member of the Baha'i Faith since 1971.
DR. NASSER SADAAT-LAJEVARDI {Persian/Iranian Sufi} was born in Tehran Iran and has resided in Virginia since 1987. PhD in Soil Physics and Chemistry and Post-Doctorate in Environmental Sc./Ecology. He’s a retired professor of the University of Tehran and former research fellow of Univ. of London , UK. and Univ. of Penn, USA. He has published numerous books in his scientific field as well a short stories book in English and a selection of poems in Persian. His book on Philosophy-Love and Environment is under press as well as a book on Plato's influence on Rumi. He married his wife 45 years ago and they have 3 daughters, and 3 grandsons. Dr. N.S.L. speaks three languages fluently: French, English, Persian. He reads and understands Italian and Arabic.
ZAMIN DANTY {“Omega Forum” - Moderator} - Zamin is a longtime student of Interfaith Spirituality and has shared in community with people of numerous faith traditions. He studied with a Sufi Order for over 20 years, and has also intimately participated in Christian, Quaker, Sikh and Native American communities. Through the “Omega Forum” Zamin currently facilitates interfaith dialogues and leads sojourns to spiritual, religious and humanitarian communities in the Washington Area. He is a second generation member of a Jewish Holocaust surviving family and has worked as a counselor & therapist with people recovering from addictions and mental illness. He has also served with community-based programs for mentally handicapped adults.
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