March 23, 2013 Our final day together began at Congregation Rodeph Shalom on Broad St. in Philadelphia. Their faith community’s vision is to awaken the human spirit to the possibilities within and between people. They seek to create a Jewish community of profound connections through transformative study, prayer, and urban engagement. Rodeph Shalom welcomes all […]

March 23, 2013 On Friday, our first visit was to the Arch Street Friends House in Philadelphia’s historic district. The Society of Friends, called Quakers by their critics, grew out of the teachings of George Fox in England, in the seventeenth century. William Penn, a disciple of Fox, founded Philadelphia as a haven for his […]

March 21st, 2o13 We woke up to some snow on the ground and a chill in the air. But that did not stop the University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire students from heading to West Philadelphia to work with Urban Tree Connection. Urban Tree Connection is a nonprofit organization that engages children and adults from some of […]

March 20th, 2013 On Wednesday morning, we met together at Tabernacle United Church to hear from Bishop Dwayne Royster, executive director of POWER, Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower, and Rebuild. POWER is made up of faith communities from all across Philadelphia, intentionally bringing people together across the lines of race, faith, income level and neighborhood — lines which […]

March 19th, 2013 The morning was wet and cold! So our first project was postponed until Thursday. But we took advantage of our free time together by engaging in a case study activity about the Wren Chapel controversy at the College of William and Mary. Students discussed what they would do if they were president […]

March 18th, 2013 This evening we visited the Bharatiya Hindu Temple in Chalfont, PA. We were greeted warmly by leaders of the temple community and invited into the large hall downstairs. There we learned about the physical structure and history of the temple and about the prayer practices that we would experience upstairs in their […]

Day 1 of our Interfaith Encounters Alternative Spring Break was very full! At 8:00 a.m. we joined Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church for worship. We were greeted warmly by the pastoral staff and church members and led into the historic sanctuary. Rev. Lynette Taylor and Rev. Mark Tyler greeted the group and had us […]

The University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire arrives tonight in Philly! Here is a preview of what we’ll be experiencing on Day 1, tomorrow: Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church Mother Bethel played an important role in the advancement of African Americans dating back to the 18th century. It is the mother church of the nation’s first […]