The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit hosted their 23rd Annual World Sabbath of Reconciliation on March 19, 2023 at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Hundreds joined the celebration, including religious leaders, laypeople, members of the community, and children of all ages.
Different faith communities had an opportunity to speak about their prayer and worship practices. All in attendance learned first-hand about Jewish, Jain, Hindu, Baha'i, Christian, Quaker, Zoroastrian, Mormon, and Sikh traditions.
Raman Singh, Executive Director of the IFLC, received the World Sabbath Peacemaker Award for her dedication and passion within the interfaith community. Raman has been involved with many programs and organizations across metro-Detroit, such as WISDOM, the West Bloomfield Rotary Club, the West Bloomfield Library, the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, and serves her own local Gurdwara and Sikh Community as the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Outreach Committee.
In addition to her demanding role as Executive Director, Raman supports the IFLC's Education Committee, Religious Diversity Journeys program, Community Building Committee, and co-chairs the Grant Advisory Committee to ensure the mission and values of the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit continue to achieve the highest standards.
Gail Katz, former World Sabbath Chair presented Raman with the award and added her thoughts on the event. "Every year, I watch the Hindu, Jain, Baha’i, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Sikh youth stand together and wave their peace banners that they have created, and the tears flow from my eyes as I am so hopeful about our diverse future. And as we all wave the colorful square cloths and sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth and Let it Begin with Me”, I know the World Sabbath must continue to bring us all together in perfect harmony!"
Dozens of children from all faiths proudly displayed their handmade peace banners during their Children of Peace processional and then again on stage as they sang “We are the Children of Peace”.
"The chance to honor the contributions of our respective faiths to the establishment of our beloved community reminds us of how much we share in common. World Sabbath presents an opportunity for people of our diverse faith traditions to gather together in a way that rarely occurs. We are called to recognize each other's humanity and work toward greater peace and reconciliation in our daily lives." said Rick Joseph, World Sabbath Chair.
We believe the insights shared and the connections made will greatly benefit all who attended, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have on our community.
