Student Affairs
My inspiration to become a fellow with the Center for Religion and Global Citizenry came while I was living nearly 8,000 miles away from Madison, WI. While studying abroad in Varanasi, India during the first semester of my academic year, I received word that a new interfaith organization on campus was seeking students to build …
Exploring my religious identity has been, in a word, peculiar. I grew up Reform Jewish, was Bat Mitzvahed because I really wanted to have a party (having a Bat Mitzvah was the cool thing to do in my middle school — it wasn’t a celebration as a product of the learning of my faith), and …
Despite media coverage that would have you believe the United States is being “flooded” with Muslims, only about 1% of the American population practices Islam, and while one may (in theory) practice any faith they choose here, the United States has an unmistakable culture of Protestantism. Over the summer, I studied Arabic in Morocco, the …
Growing up in Lahore there were three mosques within 2 miles’ radius of my house. This meant that five times a day, I would hear the call to prayer inviting the devotees to come to the mosque to offer namaz with a congregation, or signaling those at home to take out some time to perform …
My journey in the arena of inter-faith dialogue and co-operation began during my early years of life. Coming from an Indian family, which is usually not very diverse with religion, considering the norm to marry within your community, my family is different. My Father hails from an Indian Orthodox Christian background, while my Mother from …
“Are you religious?” I’m asked with a pointed look towards my headscarf. There’s a pregnant pause following that loaded question. The question is meant innocently, but suddenly I’m on guard. I must phrase my response delicately, attending to the nuances of implication. What do you mean by ‘religious’? I wonder before responding. I wait for …
My path toward an interest in interfaith communication and togetherness began as many others do: through a program at my own childhood faith community. The small Presbyterian church that I grew up attending regularly embarks on summer mission trips. I have grown to understand the troublesome historical context of “missionizing” a group of people, particularly …
My most powerful and memorable experiences with interreligious dialogue took place with the Jewish Community Relations Council’s Jewish and Muslim Teen Dialogue Group (JAM) and with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). My involvement in these organizations provided me with the unique opportunity to deepen my understanding of these Abrahamic religions and appreciate their interconnectedness. …
In February of 2017, I attended an event at the Pres House, a Presbyterian Church located at the intersection of State Street and East Campus Mall. The event, titled Race and Faith, ran its second year with a theme of “Seeing Color.” I served as a small-group facilitator as a part of the Multicultural Student …
I grew up in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and attended a private Catholic school through eighth grade. This meant that I attended mass twice per week: once with my class and once with my family. I loved my faith as a kid. I would spend recess praying the rosary, pray every night before bed, and …