Prayer, Art and Awards
Elijah’s Contribution to Peace in Jerusalem
October 2015 was a very difficult month in Jerusalem, with the outbreak of the latest round of violence in the holy city. However, there was one bright aspect for interfaith relations – the launch of the movement, “Praying Together in Jerusalem.” The Elijah Interfaith Institute, together with Tantur Ecumenical Institute, was an initiator of this important contribution towards making Jerusalem the place of harmony envisaged by the Biblical prophets.
At sunset on the last Thursday of every month, a group of Christians and Jews, the occasional Muslim participant and adherents of other faiths, gather at the Jaffa Gate entry to the Old City of Jerusalem. After a brief word of inspiration from the weekly Torah reading in the Jewish calendar, we break into prayer groups, each person according to her or his religious affiliation. We say our prayers alongside each other and there is something very powerful about the harmony and echoes of prayer, as each group, according to its liturgy, moves from silence to group singing aloud. At the conclusion of prayers, we come together as one group to sing one or two songs of peace together before dispersing.
In the six months the group has been meeting, despite the tension in the City, we have not encountered any hostility by passers-by; on the contrary, tourists have stopped to join us and locals have engaged in interested discussion about our role and our vision.
Due to the Passover festival, the group will not meet in April, so the movement is planning a special event to be held at Tantur in early May. Christians, Muslims and Jews from Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho and Hebron have already responded positively that they will attend. It has been difficult for some Muslims to be seen with us in the very public Jaffa Gate venue, but there are large numbers who are happy to pray side-by-side in a less public setting.
We are working towards the time that praying side-by-side, each group with its authentic liturgy, will be normal in Jerusalem. It is part of Elijah’s HOPE vision.
Click here for more information.
“Art of Living” Event, March 2016
The World Culture Festival 2016 was described as “a celebration of The Art of Living‘s 35 years of service, humanity, spirituality and human values.” The festival celebrated the diversity in cultures from across the world while simultaneously 
highlighting our unity as a human family. Nearly 36,000 artists from around the world performed on what was possibly the world’s largest stage and millions attended.
Operating in 155 countries, The Art of Living is a non-profit, educational, and humanitarian organization founded in 1981 by the world-renowned philanthropist and spiritual leader, Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders member, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Here is the reflection of another member of the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders, Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp, who attended the event.
It was humbling to be part together with my wife Sira at this powerful event of unity in diversity.
The literally millions who assembled on the ingenious structures created on the banks of the river were completely silent during the meditation of Ravi Shankar – the presence of a still small voice of hope – followed by the perfect harmony of thousands upon thousands of musicians and dancers from so many countries who continued performing during the sudden torrents of rain.
These were moments of bliss, recognizing the overwhelming strength of mutual respect.
It was the celebration of thirty fifth anniversary of the Art of Living created by Ravi Shankar
I felt privileged to have witnessed the gathering ten years earlier in Bangalore together with Alon Goshen-Gottstein. And even the celebration in Berlin five year ago.
I reflected about the parable that humanity is one body. When one part aches the rest of the body feels it. Here was the manifestation of the other aspect – when one part regains health the rest of the body feels the bliss.
It was to some extent also the celebration of our Elijah interfaith Institute. Ravi Shankar the soul of this extraordinary assembly is one of our pillars. So many members of our Board were present, amongst them prominently, Imam Ilyassi, the Dharma Master Pujya Swami Chidananda. There were many more. In this immense embrace of friendship across religions our core values were expressed. And throughout I saw the quiet contours of our dream realized. The HOPE center in Jerusalem will be built because it has already been constructed in the hearts so many.
As I was given to say in a concluding prayer, “May the quiet small stream once planted which has grown into a powerful river of love and justice be protected.”
Only a day later we were privileged to share the celebration of Shadvi’s birthday at the banks of Mother Ganga. In the purity and beauty of the Ashram created by Pujya Swamiji we sang the uniting words of Psalm 133 “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters sit together.”
And just before departure Swamiji and I cofounders of GIWA, Global interfaith Wash Alliance were able to inaugurate a block of bio toilets.
It was certainly one of the most moving moments of my life.
Put off your shoes because every place you stand is holy ground.
Chazak. Chazak, venitchazeek, may we continue to draw strength from each other
Amen
Dharma Master Tao, founder of the Museum of World Religions in Taiwan and also a member of the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders, was one of the speakers at this remarkable event. Here is the text of his speech.
A sprit of stillness unleashes the greatest energy between heaven and earth.
All embracing compassion brings about the greatest good and beauty in the world.
Love and Peace are words we all share in common.
Coexisting together in diversity is our eternal promise.
Our life is perfected in loving service and becomes great in awakening.
The world is enriched by diversity and made good and beautiful by peace.
We only have one world –
To love the earth and to love peace is our shared mission.
Let us quiet down and let our heart return to its original stillness and purity.
Let our hearts become one and let our prayers unite to bring forth the holiest and purest energy between heaven and earth.
Let love and peace pervade everything, let all lives be lived in harmony, let there be peace in the world and joy on Earth.
May every good flourish and multiply and may every evil disappear.
May love be all pervading, and peace be there to stay forever.
Every single life on earth is linked by karmic affinity.
Because of this affinity, we have the precious chance to come together in India, this Pure Land of the spirit.
As we are all intimately connected, let us pray that we can unleash a spiritual transformation of the world together.
The real power of leadership stems from inner spiritual harmony and peace.
A spiritual leader who leads an awakened, compassionate all-embracing life
Will lead the world towards peace and celebration of diversity.
The world is one deeply interconnected body of life – it is meant to be a world of peace, of ethical behavior, of continuity.
I pray that all of us will treasure the precious opportunity today to come together as one and make goodness thrive.
We only have one earth.
Rabbi David Rosen receives major award
Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders member 
Rabbi David Rosen received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at a ceremony at Lambeth Palace on 31 March 2016.
The award recognizes those who have made an outstanding contribution in the areas of reconciliation and interfaith cooperation. The award recognizes Rabbi Rosen’s contribution to the work of interreligious relations between, particularly, the Jewish and Catholic faiths.
The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation was first awarded by Archbishop Justin Welby in March 2016. It is named after Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1193 to 1205, who had dialogue with non-Christians.
A globally experienced interreligious dialogue practitioner, Rabbi David Rosen, the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, is the International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee and Director of its Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding. In addition, Rabbi Rosen has been involved with a plethora of key interfaith roles, including chairman of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, the broad-based coalition of Jewish organizations representing World Jewry to other religions.
In November 2005 he was made a papal Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great for his contribution to promoting Catholic-Jewish reconciliation and in 2010 was made a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by HM Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to interfaith relations.
Elijah Leaders Making an Impact
Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders member, Venerable Sanghasena, has been very busy promoting meditation, yoga and vegetarianism around the globe. To read more about his work in India, Indonesia and beyond, click here.
