By Lynda Gilbert
Hello everyone
My last Interfaith Report for Listen, written exactly three months ago, somehow disappeared into cyberspace, so I’m starting with a couple of events from back in the summer, which on this cold rainy November night feels very far away…
Not a lot goes on in the MK interfaith community in August, except for two major events on the Buddhist calendar, both of which are memorial services. The first is Hiroshima Day, on 6th August, always a beautiful service held by the Pagoda on the shores of Willen Lake. This most horrendous of human catastrophes is of course marked by solemnity and remembrance, but also by prayers for peace and the beautiful candle lighting ceremony to commemorate each of the souls of those lost on that terrible day. At the hour when darkness starts to creep across the lake, the sight of hundreds of lanterns carrying candles across the water is breathtaking. If you’ve never seen it, why not join me there next year?
The other annual event is unique to Milton Keynes, and I attended it for the first time this year. It’s a memorial service to the late Rev. Handa, a monk who died tragically in a lawnmower accident 10 years ago. I’ve previously always declined the invitation tooffer Jewish prayers at his memorial servicesimply because I never knew him. This year I decided to accept, my growing interest in Buddhism having brought me closer to the community over the past few months. It is Rev. Handa’s smiling, kindly face which beams out of the photographs of him which can be seen in the Temple shrine, and it is clear that he inspired many people in the MK community, people of all faiths and none, through his dedication to peace. In the few words I offered before reading some of ourmemorial prayers, I said that in times of heightened violence, we need more than ever an icon of peace, the legacy of someone who lived his life for peace, that we might dedicate our lives to doing likewise.
Jumping to October, Andy and I were delighted to attend the Granby Mosque on 15th October for a service commemorating the massacre at Karbala and the assassination of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Husayn ibn Ali. We were struck by the similarities between this sad occasion, which falls on the 10th day of the lslamic month of Muharram, and Yom Kippur, on the 10th day of Tishrei. Both are fast days preceded by 10 days of sorrow – for the Muslims this translates as mourning, and for us as penitence – and this year both fell on the same English calendar date, 30th September. So, although the context is very different the practices are very similar, giving us something to share and talk about, which is always so important.
A much more joyful occasion for sharing in October was our World Music Festival at the end of the month; if memory serves me well there were 10 members of the congregation in attendance, if you count our daughter Natasha who was performing with hereclectic band Mundo Gira! A highlight of the evening for us all was klezmer band Sh’koyach, whose moving renditions of Eastern European music touched our heartstrings, though actually none of them are Jewish! There’s been a lot of talk lately about cultural appropriation, i.e. whether it’s appropriate to “borrow” a different culture from one’s own, but I tend to think that to do so through music (as opposed to fashion such as dreadlocks) is to enter deeply and emphatically into the experience underlying that culture. What do you think?
That brings me almost up-to-date; on Sunday 3rd December Andy and I participated in an exciting project in Fishermead: a young student from the Sathya Sai Baba Movement did an excellent presentation on Hanukkah, together with an interactive service with food and music, for the younger members of their religion school, along with a shorter talk for the adults. Andy and I had the honour of singing the first and last verses of Ma’oz Tzur in both Hebrew and English twice – firstly to the adult congregation and then to the children! Surprisingly no one walked out! For those of you who don’t know much about them, the Sathya Sai Babas are basically Hindus in their practice but follow an Indian spiritual master called Sathya Sai Baba who lived in this century (he died in 2011). Obviously you can find out more about them on the internet! Many of you will have attended their annual 24 hour singing event in which our choir takes part. They are wonderfully open people with a natural warmth and incredible enthusiasm for their faith and values; when I went to meet them yesterday to talk about Hanukkah, I came away feeling I had learnt as much or more about them as they had about us.
Looking forward into next year, there’s much to be excited about. In April my dear friend Kurshida from Trubys Gardens Café is giving a talk to Interfaith MK on her Hajj to Mecca; as she was the only one dressed in pink amongst a sea of black it’s bound to be interesting!
And in May our own Lou Tribus is going to be talking about conversion, along with friends from other faiths who have converted – another one not to be missed, so watch this space for further details!
Last, but not least, is our Open Day on 1st July; I know Priscilla has written about it elsewhere so all I will say is that, from an interfaith perspective, I’m really looking forward to welcoming other communities to our synagogue to see what we do and learn more about us. The openness I’ve encountered in other communities needs to be mirrored in our own, and I know people across the different faiths in Milton Keynes have a great respect for our synagogue and the Jewish people. Our shul is called Beit Echud, the House of Unity, so let’s unite in coming together to make this a wonderful occasion for all of us – our community and the wider community of Milton Keynes.
activities for children, crafts and other things