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The 2011-2012 Children of Abraham Youth Leadership Grants topic is "Present at the Beginning: Celebrating Three Women and Three Faiths"
The 2011-2012 Youth Leadership Grants topic centers on three women from the Abrahamic faiths: Yocheved, mother of Moses; Mary, mother of Jesus; and Khadija, wife of Muhammad. While the lives of these women were quite different, each faced great hardship while exemplifying the qualities of patience, strength and enduring faith. Each was also important in the lives of the founding fathers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The following speakers will assist you in reflecting on your essay and developing your project proposal:
Panel of Kick-Off Speakers
Rabbi Rachel Gartner: Yocheved's Lasting Presence
Rabbi Rachel Gartner is the Director of Jewish Chaplaincy at Georgetown University. Before turning her sights on campus work, Rabbi Gartner was a pulpit rabbi for four years, served as a chaplain for Jewish aging and elderly, and was part of a rabbinic team at New York City’s Conservative synagogue Bnai Jeshurun.
> Download Rabbi Gartner’s Suggested Resources
Sister Helen Scarry, R.J.M.: Mary and Her Faithful Influence on Jesus and Christianity
Sister Helen Scarry is the Roman Catholic Chaplain in Campus Ministry at Georgetown University responsible for ministering to the spiritual needs and programs related to the students, faculty and staff of the School of Nursing and Health Studies and the Medical School.
Dr. Zahra N. Jamal: Khadija: A Window into the Soul of Islam
Dr. Zahra N. Jamal is the Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow on International Women's Rights at the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality at the University of Chicago, the Director of Strategy and Research at the Isma’ili Tariqah and Religious Education Board USA, and a Fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
> Download Suggested Resources on Khadija
Shayna Solomon
Shayna Solomon is a co-founder and co-leader of Social Action for Everyone (SAFE), a group formed after receiving a micro-grant from the Fund for the Future of Our Children. SAFE’s goal is to bring interfaith teens together to do social action projects, both forming strong connections between people of different faiths and giving back to the community.
In addition to her interfaith work, Shayna is also a senior at Montgomery Blair High School where she attends the Communication Arts Program, a magnet program for students who excel in the humanities. Shayna participates in several school related organizations. She co-captains the debate team. She also is co-president of a social activism group called Students for Global Responsibility, which educates about and advocates for various international and local issues.
Emily Gantz McKay: Community Project Development
Emily Gantz McKay is Mosaica’s (www.mosaica.org) Founding President and CEO with nearly 40 years of experience helping nonprofit organizations become sustainable and provide high-quality services. Emily gained much of her experience with community-based nonprofits during her 16 years on the senior staff of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).
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