Religious Diversity - period ended 1.1.2006

Religious Diversity/Catholic/Jewish/Cohen, Judy/Holidays double up for interfaith families/Houston Chronicle/Houston/TX/USA/22-Dec-05/... it's confusing.". Judy Cohen agrees. She was raised Catholic and became a Quaker, while her husband is Jewish. The couple's three ... /AP/Zoll, Rachel

In 52 News Instances - reported in the US and UK

Religious Diversity/Jewish///BLENDING FAITHS AND TRADITIONS: Interfaith families celebrate .../The Patriot Ledger/Springfield/MA/USA/22-Dec-05//…. This year’s dual celebration presents opportunities to highlight areas of commonality, say interfaith leaders.

‘‘Having them at the same time means you can sort of integrate the holidays,’’ said interfaith workshop leader Sharona Halpern, a Jew married to a Quaker.

Christmas and Hanukkah are winter solstice holidays that celebrate a miracle, the birth of Christ, and the burning of the eternal light in the temple, which lasted eight days on a one-day supply of oil. Both are times when families come together, give gifts, feast and contribute charitably.

But the differences are far greater. Christmas, viewed by Christians as the day the savior of the world was born, is central to Christianity. Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday celebrating religious freedom. Christmas pervades the entire culture in December, while Hanukkah easily can be overlooked.

Like many Jews, Marilyn Whipple feels out of sync with the wider world around Christmas, yet she finds pleasure in the joyful, generous mood of the season. For 22 years, the couple, and their children, who ar ...

Religious Diversity/Meetinghouse//Kwanzaa celebrates heritage/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle/Rochester/NY/USA/28-Dec-05//She did on Tuesday night, when BriAnna went to a Kwanzaa celebration at the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) meetinghouse on Scio Street. ...

Religious Diversity/Meetinghouse//INTER-FAITH GROUP CALLS FOR NEW MEMBERS/Community Newswire/London/England/USA/28-Dec-05//... Each month the group meets at the Quaker Meeting House, in Whiteheads Lane, Bradford on Avon, from 7pm and is now urging all sectors of the local community to ...