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I write the Holidays and Holy Days blog to educate the OSU community about significant religious and spiritual observances. Tuesday was Yom Haatzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day that celebrates the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14^th, 1948. I hesitated to write the Holidays and Holy Days blog post to honor this Israeli holiday when religious turmoil was making front-page news after the Boston Marathon Bombing.

In the hours following the blast, a Saudi man was arrested because he was seen running away from the blast. Meanwhile my Muslim friends flooded social media with the plea, “Please don’t let the attacker be a Muslim.” The Westboro Baptist Church announced their plan to shout at victim’s funerals because they think the bombing was a result God’s wrath for legalizing gay marriage in Massachusetts. One terrible act of violence was followed by more acts of hate and violence.

The Israel and Palestine region is an international symbol of religious conflict. When the United Nations General Assembly declared the Establishment of State for Israel in 1948, diaspora Jews around the world celebrated but the surrounding Arab states marched their troops into the area in protest of western politics determining the geographic and political structure of Palestine.

For other citizens of Israel, Yom Haatzm’ut is regarded as “al-Nakba,” meaning the “Day of Catastrophe.” Nakba recognizes the Palestinian bloodshed that occurred during the decision to make Israel and independent state. Currently, legal action can be taken against Palestinian communities holding Nakba events in Israel.

Muslims, Jews, and Christians are all descended from the historical figure of Abraham, and each of these religious communities regard the geographical location of Israel and Palestine as a holy land for their spiritual traditions. Claims on this strip of desert land have historical centuries of religious turmoil. Today, many who are invested in the conflict believe that the only solution is to divide the property into two independent states. Many Jewish, Muslim, and Christian residents of Israel are convinced that peace and resolution cannot be accomplished under the current political framework.

For some of our OSU community, Israel’s Independence Day is a time of celebration. For some, it is a day of mourning and sorrow. For others, it is a symbol of the need for interfaith dialogue, relationship, and conversation. I am not claiming that simple conversations can solve this ancient conflict, or that one conversation can prevent future violent acts like what happened in Boston this week. But I do believe that violent acts only invite more violence.

I believe that the only way to combat violence is through peaceful relationships that prioritize intentional interfaith literacy between friends. I have experienced that once friendships are formed between Muslims and Jews, Christians and LGBTQ individuals, the bond of friendship permits people to understand the other’s perspective. Friends join alongside one another to fight injustice and violence.

Traditions and Rituals of Yom Haatzma’ut:

Music

Dancing

Feasting at picnics or barbecues

Official ceremony held on Mount Herzl

Lighting twelve torches that signify the Tribes of Israel

Outdoor performances

International Bible Contest in Jerusalem

Israel Defense forces open some of its bases to the public

Israeli flags for decorations

Reading scripture

Reciting Hallel

Traditions and Rituals of Nakba:

Visiting sites of destroyed Palestinian villages

Speeches and rallies on the West Bank, Gaza, and Palestinian refugee camps

Additional Resources:

Yom Haatzma’ut

http://www.hillel.org/jewish/holidays/yomhaatzmaut/default

Nakba

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/some-10-000-arabs-mark-nakba-day-in-israel-s-north.premium-1.515818

Israel-Palestine Conflict

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict

Interfaith work

http://www.ifyc.org/the-interfaith-story

Hello Everyone!

My name is Jeffrey Tsang, I am a 3rd year undergraduate student studying Human Development & Family Sciences with an option in Human Services. This term will mark my first full year as an intern in the Office of the Dean of Student Life. I specialize in special projects and initiatives the office. This term I will be focusing on the Everyone Matters @ OSU campaign and relaunching it in the Fall. I will also be revamping our College Student Services Administration program website. I will also be developing a Photo Project for First Year Experience next year. I am usually the go to person for project in the office, so I get a lot of exposure to different things.

On campus, I work with University Housing & Dining Services as the Late Night & Leadership Program Assistant. I plan After Dark with a team of enthusiastic individuals from Rec Sports and the Student Events & Activities Center. I also do leadership development workshops for student staff and hall councils. I provide advising for large scale programs/events and risk management.

I am also part of the the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program. I had a pleasure and opportunity to go to Orlando, Florida for the annual conference. Look at our group!

It’s Saturday, April 13 and I just wrapped up with the #SAtechOR unconference! More to come about that later… stay tuned!

This blogpost series is called Holidays and Holy Days to inform our OSU community about significant religious and spiritual observances. If you know of a significant holiday or holy day coming up, please communicate the information to Hannah Pynn hannah.pynn@oregonstate.edu in the Dean of Student Life office.

April 13th, 2013 is the Sikh holiday of Vaisakhi.

Context

The celebration of Vaisakhi, also called Baisakhi, is the Sikh New Year harvest festival and commemorates the founding of the Sikh community. Baisakhi began as a harvest festival in the India region of Punjab but became a significant Sikh holiday in 1699. Sikh’s have a long history of standing up against tyranny and oppression against humankind, to defend the defenseless.

While celebrating the Vaisakhi harvest festival in 1699 Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, asked if five people would be willing to die for the sake of their religion, to defend humanity by becoming a Saint-Soldier. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib asked this question while holding a sword in his hand and five men stepped forward, expecting to give their lives on the spot. Guru Gobind Singh Sahid baptized these men and began the group of Khalsa.

The Sikh religion commemorates the first five men who comprised the Khalsa with five symbols called five Ks. The five Ks include the Kesh(uncut hair), the Kangha (comb), the Katchera (underwear), the Kara (steel ring), and the Kirpan (sword).

Significance

Baisakhi is also celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists since the harvest festival began as a Punjab regional holiday and New Year. Hindus celebrate this New Year by bathing in the Ganges River for ritual baths that honor the Goddess Ganga who descended to earth thousands of years ago.

In Kerala, another region in India, the festival is called “Vishu” which means “equal” in Sanskrit and commemorates the vernal equinox. In Assam, another part of India, the festivalis called Bohag Bihu, where the first crops of the season are offered in hopes of peace and prosperity in the coming year.

Buddhists celebrate Vaisakha as a remembrance of the Awakening and Enlightened Passing Away of Buddha Bautama, who was born as the Indian Prince Siddharta.

Rituals/Traditions

Dancing the traditional Bhangra, a strenuous dance that tells the story of the agricultural process
Sikh devotees generally attend the Gurdwara (place of worship) before dawn with flowers and offerings
Processionals through town
Sikh baptisms
New clothes
Fireworks
Feasting and gift-giving

Additional Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaisakhi

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/12/vaisakhi-sikh-holiday_n_848191.html#s264306&title=Bhangra_Dance

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/satpal-singh/vaisakhi-of-the-sikhs-lif_b_848850.html

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/india/vaisakhi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bihu

Published in the Oregon State University Daily Barometer 4/12/2013

Change the World Through Interfaith Relationships

By Hannah Pynn

Religiously diverse individuals getting along is not captivating news. Everyone loves drama and polarized religious opponents happily provide it: Christians scream LGBTQ hate on the quad, atheists write letters to the editor that trivialize all believers, and Socratic Club debates pit scientists and theologians against each other. Although these passionate actions can stimulate our thoughts about religious extremism, do they cultivate relationships across boundaries of difference?

Chris Stedman, the Assistant Humanist Chaplain at Harvard and author of Faitheist, came to OSU recently to lecture on the importance of interfaith relationships and about 30 people showed up. Tonight, 400+ people packed Milam for a Socratic Club debate to see theologians argue with each other. I asked Stedman why more people did not see interfaith relationships as an important cause and he replied, “Interfaith work is not sexy.”

Every major news source features international conflicts that have religious motivations, demonstrating that religious difference often fuels disagreement. Many of us sit in classes with international students from religious states or we have plans to study abroad in countries that have a different religious history than the US. As students today, we will be leaders in global decisions tomorrow. Religious literacy is greatly needed as we enter into the professional world. But is religious literacy enough?

What are we doing to better understand one another’s values, morals, and ethics? Religious rhetoric is a driving force in shaping decisions about marriage equality, gun control, and abortion in our own country. Don’t we need to understand the personal narratives and ethical motivations of our classmates and future business colleagues to fix problems in our world?

We need more interfaith relationships where I can ask my friend Fatemeh why she is motivated by her Muslim identity to blog about women’s rights. Interfaith relationships allow me understand the ethical motivations of my atheist friend Harrison who travels with Patch Adams to spread joy to sick kids. Creating relationships that discuss personal values and spiritual backgrounds binds me together with people who believe very different things from me. It’s more than religious literacy, it’s personal. Relationships help me understand my friends so that I can work alongside them toward social justice.

Diana Eck, founder of the Pluralism Project, says we are living in the most religiously diverse country in history. In this religiously diverse country that values religious freedom, our generation needs to be the leaders in interfaith relationships and understanding. The global problems of clean water, poverty, nuclear weapons, and sustainability are our responsibility. When we understand the importance of these problems through the lenses of our religiously diverse relationships, we can solve these crises better together. Common humanity can heal the world, not just be dramatic news.

After the Socratic Club debates or the yelling Christians in the quad, start conversations about how diverse religious communities can come together to work toward peace and understanding. Listen to others and share your story, you could be the start of an interfaith movement.

March 31st, 2013 is the Christian and Catholic holiday of Easter.