Religion

The Jewish holiday of Passover begins Wednesday night, April 1, 2026. On Passover night, Jews conduct a communal meal in their homes, called a seder. The word seder means “order,” because the meal and its accompanying rituals are conducted in a special prescribed order.  We...

Whenever I feel like life is difficult or my circumstances are less than desirable, I think of the story of the ancient Israelites, led by Moses out of Egypt into the wilderness as found in the Holy Bible.  They wandered from land to land for...

If you have to leave your home quickly, what would you bring? For some of us, this is not a theoretical question. Recent floods and past fires have necessitated speedy departures for safety. Thousands of years ago, the Jews left quickly from slavery in...

The MLK Jr. Interfaith Service at St. Mary’s in Gilroy earlier this month was a beautiful example of why different faith traditions bother to take the time to come together when we are so different. The truth is that our differences can make our...

In my experience with my colleagues who are faith leaders in the Interfaith Clergy Alliance, I have come to learn that each faith expression has some kind of sacred writings. These give guidance as to how we are to live out our faith in our...

More than 20 different Houses of Faith are part of the Interfaith Community of South County (ICSC). All denominations and individuals who are not affiliated with a faith community are welcomed and encouraged to join ICSC. As participants in ICSC, we have shared in programs...

The Interfaith Community of South County offers hope to thousands in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, especially those who may otherwise feel lonely or vulnerable. The kind of trust and respect members of our community have for one another encourages us to love our neighbor,...

Our nation is facing a new crisis.  Our young people are battling mental health issues, depression and self-harm at rates far, far higher than older generations. A study by Murmuration found that members of Gen-Z—people born between 1997-2012—are about twice as likely as older Americans...

The beginning of the Liturgical Year for Eastern Orthodox Christians is Sept. 1. In 1989, the Patriarch of Constantinople declared it the Day of Prayer for Creation and asked people throughout the world to observe it as such. It was later extended to an...

On Oct. 27, 2018, as Jews gathered in Sabbath worship at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, we were horrified with the news that a gunman entered the synagogue and killed 11 Jews in worship. This year, almost exactly five years later, as...