Author: Dave Moskovitz

Sarah and Hajjar / Hagar – Our Abrahamic Matriarchs (with audio)

Dave Moskovitz
WhatSarah and Hajjar / Hagar – Our Abrahamic Matriarchs
WhenWednesday 20 November, 7:00 pm
WhereSt Joseph’s Church
152 Brougham Street
Wellington
ModeratorRev Jenny Chalmers
Jenny was the founding Christian Co-Chair of the Wellington Abrahamic Council, an Anglican priest, and until recently the Vicar General of the Waiapu Diocese.

Jenny’s intro: download, or listen here:
Speakers
Claire Massey (Jewish)
Claire is former Chair of the Wellington Jewish Community Centre and current Chair of its advisory board, a professor emerita of Business, and currently teaches yoga.

Claire’s speech: download, or listen here:
Rota Stone (Christian)
Rota is an ordained priest in the Anglican Church, and an ordained pastor in the Latvian Lutheran Church. She recently received a PhD on early Jewish-Christian relations.

Rota’s speech: download, or listen here:
Rehanna Ali (Muslim)
Rehanna is a founding member of the Islamic Women’s Council of NZ. She has a background in Law, including Islamic Shariah, and has spent the last two decades working in the field of international development.

Rehanna’s speech: download, or listen here:

Abraham is the esteemed patriarch of Jews and Muslims, and the spiritual father of Christians. Our matriarchs, Sarah and Hajjar / Hagar play a pivotal role in the unfolding stories of all three Abrahamic religions.

This evening we will focus on the vital roles of these women, Abraham’s wives, the mothers of his children, and the female co-founders of our three Abrahamic religions.

Our three speakers – each one learned and distinguished members of their religious communities – will introduce the stories from their traditions and explore their past and contemporary meanings.

Free or Koha tickets for this event are essential, and are available at:
https://events.humanitix.com/sarah-and-hajjar

If you’d like to help spread the word about this event, please download our poster, and distribute it at your church, masjid, or synagogue.

Note that all attendees to our events are expected to uphold and respect our Abrahamic Council Values.

Young People in Faith

Dave Moskovitz

Come join us for an evening of dialogue, connection, and exploration.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but tickets (free or koha) are essential. You can get your tickets at:
https://events.humanitix.com/abrahamic-young-people-in-faith

WhatYoung People in Faith
WhenWednesday 13 November, 6:00pm
WhereConnolly Hall, 10 Guildford Tce, Thorndon
A light supper will be provided.
Speakers
Ahmet Ozturk (Muslim)
Manager Islamic Sciences and Research Academy, Sydney.
Abi Buchhalter (Jewish)
Youth Counsellor
Darlene Adrian (Christian)
Environmental consultant

Religions globally, and especially the Abrahamic religions face unprecedented challenges in the 2020’s. For our religions to survive and thrive, we need to be meaningful, relevant, and attractive to people of all ages. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all face similar challenges in this respect.

In this session, we’ll explore these issues, including questions like

  • How does faith inspire young people?
  • What does meaningful religious practice look like?
  • What are the most pressing issues facing religious young people?

Come join this event which is being organised by the Pearl of the Islands Foundation in conjunction with the Wellington Abrahamic Council, where we’ll talk to and learn from members of our own and other religions.

A light supper will be provided.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but tickets (free or koha) are essential. You can get your tickets at:
https://events.humanitix.com/abrahamic-young-people-in-faith

You can help spread the word about this event by downloading and printing our beautiful poster, and posting it at your church, synagogue, or masjid.

Note that all attendees to our events are expected to uphold and respect our Abrahamic Council Values.

For more information, contact us on info@abrahamic.nz, or ring 027 220 2202.

Abrahamic Council Values

Dave Moskovitz

At our monthly internal Abrahamic Council meeting today, we agreed on a set of values to guide our discussions. We believe these values are a good basis for interreligious discussion, and are more important now than they’ve ever been.

Our values

We are kind and respectful

  • We act in good faith, and assume good faith in the actions of others
  • We appreciate our shared values and respect our differences
  • We don’t try to convert others
  • We listen respectfully to what others say

We are genuinely interested and open

  • We are open to ask and answer questions
  • We learn from each other
  • We see the inherent worth in others’ beliefs and practices

We are honest

  • No one can represent an entire religion, but we represent our own beliefs
  • We identify where our personal beliefs diverge from common or mainstream beliefs
  • We don’t speak for the beliefs or practices of other religions

We are bold

  • We are not afraid to have hard conversations, but do so with sensitivity

We are tolerant and forgiving

  • We do not blame each other for the actions of coreligionists, present or historical
  • We are slow to take offence
  • When we are offended, we treat this as a misunderstanding, seek to understand the context, and forgive.

We are united

  • We make our decisions by consensus.
  • We seek to achieve consensus, but where this is not possible, we move on.

Public Seminar: Why do bad things happen to good people?

Dave Moskovitz

All welcome.

WhenTuesday 7 May 2024, 7:00 pm
WhereNOTE NEW LOCATION
St Joseph’s Church
152 Brougham Street
Wellington
Speakers
Paul Morris (Jewish)
Paul is Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Victoria University / Te Herenga Waka. He is the author of the National Statement on Religious Diversity. He is a member of the Wellington Jewish Community Centre.
Neil Vaney (Christian)
Neil is a Catholic priest of the Marist order, ordained in 1969. He has been a university chaplain, lecturer, writer and spiritual director. His doctorate was in environmental ethics and the theology of nature.
Tahir Nawaz (Muslim)
Tahir is a senior analyst of Muslim affairs. He has been involved in community service as the President of the International Muslim Associations of New Zealand (IMAN), and he is the Chairperson of Deen Welfare Trust, which provides social services to migrant communities.
ChairJenny Dawson
Jenny is an Anglican priest who has served in various pastoral roles in the Waipu and Wellington dioceses. Her doctoral thesis was about the future of the church as community in this country. She is an Ignatian spiritual director.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

This question, and the answers given in our religious traditions, have framed what is often referred to the problem of evil, or theodicy, and of the meaning of justice. These religious and spiritual responses have generated profound reflections concerning the uncertainties of religious experience and human existence.

In modern times, for some, the answer to this question has been the gateway out of religious belief, for others it has served to reinforce belief and religious commitment. It remains one of the significant questions facing us as human beings.

Tickets are mandatory to attend. Get your (free or koha) ticket at:
https://events.humanitix.com/why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people

You can download a poster for this event – we’d appreciate you posting it in your church, mosque, or synagogue.

Image credit: Imjustwalkin on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA

Reception to welcome the newly ordained Patriarch of the Assyrian Ancient Church of the East

Dave Moskovitz

Members of the Wellington Abrahamic Council were invited to attend a reception to welcome the newly ordained Patriarch of the Assyrian Ancient Church of the East, His Holiness, Mar Gewargis III Younan, as part of his tour of the South Pacific (Australia and New Zealand).

The reception was held on Friday 1st March 2024, beginning at 7pm at the Samoan Presbyterian Church located at 55 Daniell St in Newtown, Wellington.

The invitation came from Phil Pithyou, whose dad, Father Aprem Pithyou (now living in Australia), had been a member of the Abrahamic Council some years ago and held our Council in high regard for the inter-faith dialogues and meetings, which we either organised or attended.

Ann Desmond and Rev Rota Stone attended as representatives of the Abrahamic Council. We were made very welcome and given ‘front row’ seats where we had unobliterated views of all the proceedings.

Approximately 300 men, women, and children plus special guests, packed the hall attached to the Samoan Presbyterian Church in Newtown.

It was a very interesting evening with Phil Pithyou acting as MC. Many of those present were members of the Assyrian Ancient church of the East in Miramar. Supporting guests included Community based organisations, representatives from the Police, local government, other churches, the Jewish community, and the Wellington Abrahamic Council. Phil opened the evening by welcoming everyone, naming all the special guests.

The event proceeded with a number of speeches – all of which were spoken in Assyrian (a derivative of Aramaic). Fortunately, these were followed by an English summary for the benefit of those who did not speak or understand Assyrian.

A group of children and women entertained us by signing / chanting an Assyrian song. The children were delightful and coped very well considering this was the first time that they had performed their song in public.

The Patriarch was the last to speak, prior to the cake cutting ceremony. All the special guests were invited to cut the cake!

The evening proceeded with the main meal – a full meal of Assyrian / middle eastern foods – a veritable feast.

It was an honour to participate in the event. I have written to Phil Pithyou thanking him for the invitation and the welcome which was extended wholeheartedly to us.

Ann Desmond

Footnote: the new patriarch is described as ‘educated’ and ‘young’ (or younger than previous patriarchs). Although born in Iraq, he has lived his entire life in the USA, in Chicago. His ordination took place in Baghdad on 6 June 2023. The visiting delegation included the Vice-patriarch from Iraq, plus a number of other dignitaries.

United in Sorrow, a Silent Vigil

Dave Moskovitz

The Wellington Abrahamic Council, The Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, and the Religious Diversity Centre invite you to a Silent Vigil.

Wednesday 28 February 2024, 5:30-7:00pm at
Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, 2 Hill Street, Wellington

The event will provide a sacred space for those impacted by violence, to grieve their personal loss, and to give public expression to the grief for all united alongside them. There will be periods of shared silence, music, and meditative reflection, with light vegetarian refreshments served afterwards.

As this is a peaceful gathering, no flags, banners, symbols or patches, please.

You can download a poster to share with your friends and colleagues.

Peacenic 2024: A picnic for peace

Dave Moskovitz

Join us for the fifth Wellington Peacenic, a picnic for peace!
Where: Shorland Park, Island Bay
When: Sunday 18 February 2024 4pm-6pm
Theme: Kids and games

We’ll get together with our Jewish, Christian, and Muslim friends, share some food, enjoy conversation, play some games, and make new friends.

Peacenic began in Auckland in 2016. It grew out of a desire to replace the polarising bad-news stories that dominate the media with real experiences of hospitality and friendship in our own backyard. The simplest gift of sharing time and food is rewarding in itself but goes beyond that to offer a glimpse of the world as it could be. In our increasingly multi-religious, multi-ethnic community, we want to help build bridges across the divisions that have historically separated Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Shorland Park is right at the main beach at Island Bay, and is right on the popular #1 bus route. Parking is available on Reef Street, and access is via a sealed pathway. Bring food to share (ideally kosher, halal, or vegetarian) but be sensitive to other faiths’ dietary requirements; ask if you are not sure. Please take rubbish away with you. Invite friends of other faiths, consider car pooling…and enjoy yourself!

Bring your kids, and we’ll all have fun together.

For further info, contact Ann Desmond on 022 494 1775.

You can also download our flyer you’d like to invite others from your faith community or post it in your church, mosque, or synagogue.

Rejecting all forms of hate and bigotry

Dave Moskovitz

20 October 2023

This is a moment of deep pain in the world. Since the events of 7 October in Israel and Gaza, we have seen exploitation of the crisis to spread hate, disinformation and extremism overseas and here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Let us be unequivocally clear:
We the undersigned reject all forms of hate and bigotry, including racism, Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate, and antisemitism. We are reminded that all of our communities’ safety and futures are inextricably linked – and we recommit ourselves to fighting racism, bigotry, and hate in all its forms.

The Torah commands us to “love your neighbour as yourself”.
The New Testament enjoins us to “love one another”.
The Quran teaches us that The Almighty has created different “peoples and tribes that we may know one another”.

We stand together with all of our neighbours under threat and urge our elected and community leaders, police, schools, universities, public institutions, employers and workplaces to make clear that there will be zero tolerance for any act of hate.

L’shalom, Salaam, Kia tau te Rangimārie – towards peace and justice in our world.

The Wellington Abrahamic Council of Jews, Christians, and Muslims

If you or your organisation would like to endorse this statement, please contact us and we will add your name to this page.

Endorsed by the following organisations:

Anglican Association of Women, Wellington Diocese
Anglican Council for Ecumenism
Anglican Diocese of Auckland
Anglican Diocese of Christchurch
Anglican Diocese of Dunedin
Anglican Diocese of Waiapu
Anglican Parish of Gate Pa
Anglican Parish of Otago Peninsula
Auckland Hebrew Congregation
Auckland Interfaith Council
Beth Shalom: The Progressive Jewish Community of Auckland
Canterbury Hebrew Congregation
Dunedin Abrahamic Group
Dunedin Jewish Congregation
Dunedin Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends
EarthDiverse
Ecology Justice and Peace Commission, [Catholic] Archdiocese of Wellington
Ephesus Group, Wellington
Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand
He Whenua Taurikura Trust
Humanity Matters
Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
Jewish Professionals of Wellington
Justice, Peace, and Development Group, Otari Catholic Parish
Lady Khadija Trust
New Zealand Jewish Council
Pearl of the Islands Foundation
Religious Diversity Centre Aotearoa New Zealand
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri
Roadworn Upcyclers Inc
Sh’ma Koleinu – Alternative Jewish Voices (NZ)
St John’s in the City Presbyterian Church
Tāhono Inclusive Aotearoa
Tauranga Moana Interfaith Council
The Inayatiyya, Aotearoa NZ
The Starfish Collective
The Third Order Society of Saint Francis, Province of the Pacific
Union for Progressive Judaism
Wellington Progressive Jewish Congregation / Temple Sinai
Youth Leadership Council | Ngā Rangatahi o Māramatanga

And:

The Reverend Canon Katie Lawrence, Acting Dean and Canon Precentor, Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Kereama Pene, Head Ratana Church Apostle for Akarana Tamaki Makaurau Takiwa
Lawrence Kimberley, former Dean of Christchurch, Anglican Diocese of Christchurch
Nicola Grundy, Methodist Synod Superintendent for the Lower North Island Region
Canon Peter Stuart, Anglican Diocese of Wellington
Dr Tom Noakes-Duncan, Lecturer and Academic Director, St John’s Theological College
Mayor Tory Whanau, Welliington

… as well as many other private individuals.

Public Seminar: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Religion (with audio)

Dave Moskovitz

Audio from this event is now available.

Dave Moskovitz (Jewish) – download, or listen here:

Petrus Simons (Christian) – download, or listen here:

Harisu Shehu (Muslim) – download, or listen here:

All welcome.

WhenWednesday 8 November 2023, 7:00 pm
WhereWellington Progressive Jewish Congregation / Temple Sinai
147 Ghuznee Street
Wellington
Speakers
Dave Moskovitz (Jewish)
Dave is the Jewish Co-chair of the Wellington Abrahamic Council, and a former President of Wellington’s Temple Sinai. He is software developer by trade, and is involved in a number of AI initiatives mainly in education. His honours thesis was on natural language interfaces to bibliographic databases.
Petrus Simons (Christian)
Petrus is a Lutheran member of the Roman Catholic – Lutheran Dialogue Commission, and wrote his PhD thesis on the impact of technicism and economism on agriculture.
Harisu Abdullahi Shehu (Muslim)
Harisu received a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Victoria University of Wellington, with his research centered around emotion detection from patterns of facial movements and physiological changes. He is currently working as a Data Scientist with the Ministry of Social Development and an adjunct AI researcher with Victoria University of Wellington.

The recent rise of Artificial Intelligence has given people of faith some interesting questions to ponder including: What are our religions’ positions with regards to technology in general, and AI specifically? How could AI impact our religious beliefs and practices? Can a machine be conscious, or have a soul? How do we mitigate the potential threats that AI poses to humanity, to religion, and to God? 

Come along to this event to explore the ever-increasing impact of technology on our religions, and how we adapt in a post-AI age.

Tickets are mandatory to attend. Get your (free or koha) ticket at:
https://events.humanitix.com/artificial-intelligence-and-religion

Note that due to recent global events 😢, there will be security at the door, including bag checks and handheld metal detectors.

Public Seminar: Pilgrimages in our Abrahamic religions

Dave Moskovitz

The Wellington Abrahamic Council is pleased to invite you to a discussion on pilgrimages in our three Abrahamic religions.

WhenWednesday 30 August 2023, 7pm – 9pm
WhereGarden Room, St Peter’s Church
211 Willis St, Wellington
SpeakersProfessor Paul Morris (Jewish)
Joe Green (Christian)
Rehanna Ali (Muslim)

All welcome. Entry by koha.

Pilgrimages are spiritual and religious journeys to sacred places, that serve to renew faith and commitment. For Muslims, one of the five pillars of faith is the Haj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and Jerusalem and the Holy Land is a place of pilgrimage for all three Abrahamic faiths.

Come along to this seminar to hear speakers from each of our traditions sharing from their personal experience and exploring the significance of pilgrimage in their respective traditions.

We’re interested in your personal perspectives of your journeys and experiences and pilgrims too. There will be an opportunity for everyone to share their views.

If you’d like to help us publicise this event you can download our attractive poster and put it up in your synagogue, church, or mosque.