Religion

Everyone in South County is invited to Faith of our Neighbors, an educational program presented by the Interfaith CommUNITY of South County (ICSC) and the Interfaith Clergy Alliance.  In this series, the focus is on the ways different faiths acknowledge and celebrate lifecycles, including birth,...

As the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar begins, nearly two billion Muslims around the world enter a sacred season known as Ramadan. From bustling cities in the United States to villages across Africa, Asia and Europe, the rhythm of daily life shifts.  For neighbors,...

In our busy lives here in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and beyond, we often feel stressed by traffic, work deadlines or daily chores. We look for peace in vacations, shopping or other external things. But what if the real source of happiness has been inside us all...

Each year, Muslims around the world mark the beginning of a new year on the Islamic, or Hijri, calendar. This year the new year will begin on June 17.  While many people are familiar with New Year celebrations on Jan. 1, the Islamic New Year...

“Follow your dream—you can do it!” That is the encouragement often offered to children, to youth and to adults in our lives. It is an encouragement to be bold, to pursue their dreams and to persist through difficulties. But what is that dream? What is...

We all know someone who seems to be cheerful and happy no matter their circumstances, as well as someone who can never be satisfied. So, what’s the difference between the two?   I believe that in some way, gratitude is a major contributor to one’s glass...

Lifetime friends and Catholic Saints Francis and Clare lie entombed in their charming hilltop hometown of Assisi, Italy. Saint Clare, dead more than 700 years, lies incorrupt in a glass coffin inside a church built in her honor. Meanwhile Saint Francis lies in a...

A special time of the year for millions of Muslims worldwide began in the first week of March 2024, the Islamic month of Ramadan.  Ramadan is the ninth month and holiest month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is a time of festivity, community, charity and...

In 2006, Congregation Emeth in Morgan Hill welcomed Debbie Israel as a part-time student rabbi from the Academy for Jewish Religion in Southern California. When she was ordained, the Jewish temple’s Board of Directors enthusiastically invited her to become their permanent rabbi. Over the next...

It happens every year. Right around the time kids have mastered the art of sleeping until noon, playing video games all night, and consuming every last snack within a five-mile radius, summer quietly packs up and leaves. Along with the beach trips, popsicles, relaxed...