Berkeley, California

Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Guest Speaks at The Way Christian Center

August 11th

10:00am

1305 University Ave.

Berkeley, CA 94702

thewayberkeley.com

Pasadena, California

You are Invited to: An Evening with Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac

Friday, August 9th @ 7:00pm

Join us for an evening of listening and dialogue with the Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, a profound Palestinian Christian voice visiting from Bethlehem. He will address the impacts of silence from American churches and Christian Zionism’s support of the ongoing apartheid and genocide in the West Bank and Gaza.

Last Christmas, he built a crèche with the Christ Child wrapped in a kufiyah, laying among broken concrete. His powerful Christmas sermon, "Christ in the Rubble" calling for an end to genocide went viral and was heard around the world. Rev. Isaac is pastor to the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour (Shepherd’s Field). He is Academic Dean of Bethlehem Bible College and co- founder of the annual Christ at the Checkpoint seminars. .

Admission Free. Tax-deductible donations welcome using this link: https://bit.ly/Munther2SoCal

RSVP: AllSaintsMEM@gmail.com

All Saints Church

132 N. Euclid Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91101

Claremont, California

You're invited to: a Talk by Palestinian Pastor Rev. Munther Isaac

Thursday, August 8th @ 7:00pm

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

1700 N. Towne Ave, Claremont CA

Join us in hearing from Rev. Munther Isaac, a profound Christian
Palestinian voice visiting from Bethlehem. He will be addressing the
silence of many U.S. churches in the face of mass civilian causalities
and destruction of the Palestine homeland and Christian Zionism.

Rev. Isaac pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College. Last year, he gave the powerful Christmas sermon "Christ in the Rubble" calling for an end to genocide, a sermon that resonated around the world. Rev. Isaac is also the author of “The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope.”

Building Christian Solidarity with Palestine

Tuesday, July 16th, from 6-7:30pm

Washington City Church of the Brethren (In person with Virtual Option)

337 North Carolina Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003 

Registration Required bit.ly/ChristianSolidaritywithPalestine

Join this event focused on building Christian solidarity with Palestine. This teach-in will focus on how Christians can embody solidarity through delegations, protests, nonviolent direct action, advocacy, and other means. Speakers include three delegates of the recent Stones Cry Out Delegation to Palestine, a Christian solidarity delegation (Feb/Mar 2024).

Event Sponsors include Washington City Church of the Brethren, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace (PCAP), and Pax Christi USA.

Description

As Christians, we grieve lament the ongoing catastrophe and genocide in Gaza. We want to work for a just future for Palestinians, so that all people might live in justice, safety, and peace in the Holy Land. We hear the words of Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, that “Christ is in the rubble.” If Christ is in the rubble, where too should Christians be? Living and acting in solidarity with those under the rubble and those facing violence and ongoing oppression. “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.”

What concrete steps can followers of Jesus do to build solidarity with Palestinians? 

This educational event (a teach-in) will feature Christian leaders active in the movement for Palestinian solidarity and liberation, seeking a permanent bilateral ceasefire, an end to U.S. funding for Israeli weapons, and for the liberation of Palestinians from Israel’s military occupation and apartheid. 

This event will highlight how Christians can embody solidarity with Palestine–including Palestinian Christians facing displacement and erasure–through delegations, protests, nonviolent direct action, advocacy, and other means. Speakers include three delegates of the recent Stones Cry Out Delegation to Palestine, a Christian solidarity delegation (Feb/Mar 2024), and other Christian faith leaders and activists involved in seeking justice, freedom, and holistic peace in Palestine.

Register for our Zoom webinar, "The Fierce Urgency of Now: For Palestine, There Is No Time for Apathy" with Jonathan Kuttab.

Thursday, June 20th @ 5:00pm PT / 8:00pm ET

With new insights and key takeaways about this historic crisis, FOSNA Executive Director and international Jonathan Kuttab returns from Palestine with an urgent message and call to action.

"We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there "is" such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action."

-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

An Ecumenical Service of Prayer for the Holy Land

Join us in-person at the Church of the Ascension in Manhattan on June 8th, at 11:30 a.m. for an ecumenical service of prayer for the Holy Land.

Rev. Munther Isaac will be preaching via Zoom and service will be a blended Lutheran and Episcopal liturgy thanks to Pastor Khader Khalilia and Rev. Elizabeth Maxwell.

The offering plate will go to Al Ahli hospital in Gaza, and we'll have a bulletin with space to attach lots more information and action items.

Cosponsored by Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) and the New York State Council of Churches.

Join the Prayers for Peace Alliance for a multifaith vigil for Rafah on Wednesday, June 5, at 7:00 PM.

The event will be held a City Hall North, located at 1400 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA

Grace Memorial Episcopal Church presents: DR. MARK BRAVERMAN

Palestine, Israel, and the Legacy of Colonialism: The Challenge for American Christians

Tuesday, June 4th, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Grace Memorial Episcopal Church 1535 N.E. 17th Ave. Portland, Oregon

(parking on N.E. 16th & Weidler Ave.)

Dr. Mark Braverman is an author, speaker, and activist for Palestinian rights. He is an American Jew, with extensive knowledge about Israel and Palestine.

Dr. Mark Braverman will discuss:

• Urgent questions faced by American Christians.

• What role can the church play in leading the way to a future of dignity and peace for all the peoples of the

Holy Land?

• The context for October 7th: Israel’s occupation and the Palestinian struggle for their homeland.

• After ceasefire: return to the status quo or an end to the suffering on both sides?

Join Sabeel’s 5th pre-conference webinar on May 29th at 1:00pm ET.

Don’t miss this important discussion covering the history of Antisemitism, the experience of antisemitism by Jews who are vocal about advocating for Palestine, and strategies for combating antisemitism within our movements.

Speakers will be Rabbi Faryn Borella, Hadar Cohen, Sabeel Director Omar Haramy, and Father David Neuhaus.

Confronting Christian Zionism: Episode 2

Thursday, May 23rd @ 12:00pm ET

In an attempt to defeat centuries of systemic antisemitism, mainline Christianity has absorbed many doctrines from Christian Zionism that have come to be understood as theologically mistaken. Where are these theological mistakes, and why must we call them out? How have these Christian Zionist ideologies led to giving Zionism — a political ideology — a pass by mainline churches? How are Americans complicit in the impunity Zionism enjoys today, which has led to the demonization of an entire people — Palestinians — who are now paying for European sins against their own Jewish populations? And what role have American Christians played in creating a settler colonial mindset that operates in an oft-invisible and unacknowledged framework?

Moderated by the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Holder Rich, with Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, Rev. Addie Domske, and Mr. Jonathan Kuttab

Register Here

Join Sabeel for a special joint English and Arabic zoom service, marking Ascension Day for the Western Church, and Easter for the Eastern Church. Register for a special liturgy led by many of our friends and for reflections in English and Arabic by Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek, Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah, and Archbishop Atallah Hanna.

The Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace (PCAP), Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) and a broad coalition of Christian Voices for Palestine invite you to "Challenging Christian Silence Regarding the Gaza Genocide" with Munther Isaac and Shane Claiborne. The moral courage and consistent prophetic witness displayed by Munther and Shane during these past months has put the western church to shame. May we learn from and follow their example. Moderated by Karlene Griffiths Sekou.

Register Here

In anticipation of the forthcoming launch of the newly established Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism (ISCZ), you are invited to an important conversation, “‘Red Heifers’ from Texas’ & Misguided Attempts to Build the Temple: Countering the Destructive Consequences of Christian Zionism and Third-Temple Extremism”--a conversation taking on a new urgency in light of recent events.

Organized by the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre in Jerusalem, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), and the Israel-Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) of the Presbyterian Church USA and sponsored by a diverse coalition of movement partners, this online conversation was birthed in response to an open call from Palestinian Christian leaders to the global church as well as all persons of good will.

As detailed in the letter, the extremist Temple Institute, aided by Christian Zionist extremists in the United States, aims to sacrifice a “red heifer,” claiming that such a sacrifice is necessary to purify a priest who would then be designated “clean” to enter the Holy of Holies of a rebuilt Jewish Temple. The group’s plans would require the relocation or destruction of Masjid al-Aqsa, including the Dome of the Rock, within the Haram al-Sharif.

Such a plan is not only a great affront to the hope of multi-religious coexistence in Jerusalem but an invitation to regional, if not global, warfare. In the face of this madness, Palestinian clergy have called upon all persons of goodwill to condemn this plan because actions like this accomplish nothing except for escalating hatred, instability, and violence.

As such, it is imperative that we inaugurate a global intra-Christian dialogue focused on the repudiation of Christian Zionism among other forms of political extremism. Featuring: Alex Awad, Shadia Qubti, Stephen Sizer, Addie Domske

International Law and the War in Gaza

Thursday, April 18th @ 12:30pm ET / 7:30pm Jerusalem

Bethlehem Bible College and NEME will be hosting a webinar with Jonathan Kuttab.

Register

Please join us on Sunday at 6 pm in Clifton.

We'll be capping off our FOSNA NJ chapter launch weekend with a protest outside L3Harris Technologies in Clifton. L3Harris specializes in, as they put it,

"electronic warfare". The supply components for JDAM missiles and F-35 fighter jets. Their surveillance and communication technology is also used in the West Bank at military checkpoints and at the US/Mexico border. Our tax dollars fund shareholder profits for weapons of war and are supplying the perpetrators of racial profiling and ethnic cleansing.

FOSNA-NJ Launch with the Palestinian American Community Center (PACC)

Sunday, April 14th @ 3:00pm ET

Join PACC as we welcome the newly formed New Jersey Chapter of the Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), a Christian Voice for Palestine, into the community with Keynote Speaker, Jonathan Kuttab! 

This event will be held IN PERSON on Sunday, April 14th from 3-5pm at PACC (388 Lakeview Ave Clifton, NJ 07011). 

*Lunch will be served. 

Faith Based Organizing for Palestine

Saturday, April 13th @ 10:00am - 4:00pm ET

Join a day-long networking, discussion and strategy sessions, including a keynote presentation by Jonathan Kuttab, executive director of Friends of Sabeel North America, for "Faith Based Organizing for Palestine" as part of FOSNA New Jersey's launch weekend.

Is Peace Possible in Palestine/Israel?

April 8, 5:15 p.m.
McBride Gathering Room, Numen Lumen Pavilion

Elon University

Jonathan Kuttab is a co-founder of the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq and Nonviolence International. A well-known international human rights attorney, he practices law in the US, Palestine and Israel.

Pennington said the committee’s principal objective in developing these programs is to ensure that Elon students have ongoing opportunities throughout the semester to learn about this conflict and its many contexts.

“We hope that they hear from our speakers and faculty and engage with one another productively and respectively on issues that spark deep disagreement,” Pennington said. “Students can and should develop their own perspectives on these events, which will continue to shape their futures. Our job is to give them the tools to make sound, informed judgments. That’s what it means to be a global citizen.”

Additionally, Elon faculty and staff with expertise relevant to the current conflict will host regular lunchtime discussions at the long table in Lakeside Dining Hall throughout the semester. Students may sign up to join any of these conversations, which range across a variety of topics. Students interested in participating should email Brian Pennington at bpennington4@elon.edu to learn more about upcoming discussions and to sign up.

Speaking Truth, Seeking Justice: Stepping into the Whirlwind of Israel/Palestine

Community-Wide Conference - Binkley Baptist Church                    

Saturday, April 6 9:00am to 12:30 pm

The Conference will feature:

• Plenary Address from renowned speaker, Jonathan Kuttab, Executive Director of Friends of Sabeel North America and international human rights lawyer

• Breakout Sessions 

• Panel of experts in the field and Question and Answer Session with Mr. Kuttab

The Conference is open and free to all, but registration is required.

Easter Reflection by FOSNA Executive Director Jonathan Kuttab in Truthout, “This Easter, Palestinian Christians Will Be Praying for Palestine’s Resurrection”

Wed, Mar 13, 2024 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM EDT

15 King's College Circle- Paul Cadario Conference Centre

15 King's College Circle Toronto, ON M5S 3J3 Canada

Jonathan Kuttab was the head of the legal committee that negotiated the Cairo Agreement of 1994 between Israel and the PLO. He is the co-founder of several important organizations that are committed to human rights protection or non-violent action: the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq, Sabeel in Jerusalem and North America, and Non-violence International, with its headquarters in Philadelphia. He is also President of Holy Land Trust. He is the author of Beyond the Two-State Solution.

The event is located at the Paul Cadario Conference Centre. For detailed instructions on getting there, please visit:

https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/frb-followup-workshop/getting_to_the_paul_cadario_conference_centre.pdf

The Lenten Ceasefire Campaign Presents—

A Political Education Primer: Christian Zionism, B.D.S., and the Pursuit of a Christ-Centered Response to Apartheid, Dispossession, and Genocide in the Holy Land

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 @ 3:30-5:45 PM Pacific / 6:30-8:45 PM Eastern 

To Register: bit.ly/3V6qFhK 

Join the Lenten Ceasefire Campaign for an intensive evening of political education, self-examination, and conversation as we explore:

1. The Immediate Context:

1. What is the situation on the ground in Gaza and throughout Palestine? How did we get here? Are we bearing witness of Genocide in real time? 

2. Christian Zionism: 

1. What is it? How does it influence both American Christianity and American Policy? How is it impacting the situation on the ground in Gaza and throughout Palestine? And, what is a faithful, Christ-centered response to Christian Zionism?

3. Palestinian Christians:

1. How are Palestinian Christians responding to the crisis in Gaza and throughout Palestine? What message do they have for western Christians, and what responsibility does the Western church have for our Palestinian siblings? How might we amplify their message?

4. Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions:

1. What is B.D.S.? Why is economic and cultural activism important? Is B.D.S. a proper Christian response to the crisis in Palestine, particularly Gaza, and Israeli apartheid? How might communities of faith mobilize to make an impact for justice and peace?

Featuring:

Zeina Ashrawi Hutchison: Zeina serves as Director of Development and Expansion for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). Zeina is a Palestinian-American rights activist and community organizer with notable experience in the political arena, currently the only Arab American elected to a political party’s Central Committee in Virginia and has been heavily involved in policy and the election process at the state and national level for years.

Mimi Kirk: Mimi Kirk facilitates the Master of Arts in Arab Studies thesis workshop and the Arab Studies Certificate Capstone at Georgetown University. She is Program Manager at the Middle East Studies Association and a writer and editor with expertise in Palestine and US foreign policy toward Palestine/Israel. Mimi is currently the president of the board of Americans for Middle East Understanding (AMEU). She is an Editorial Consultant at Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, having previously served as the organization's commissioning editor and managing director from 2016 to 2020.

Daniel Bannoura: Daniel Bannoura was born in Jerusalem and has lived both in Palestine and the US. A lecturer at Bethlehem Bible College, Daniel is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology from Notre Dame University. He has a special interest in Christian-Muslim relations but has long been involved with Kairos Palestine and Christ at the Checkpoint. In addition to his long track record of Palestine advocacy and education, Daniel is the founder of Ultimate Palestine.

Allison Tanner: Allison serves the National Organizer for the Apartheid-Free Communities Campaign with the American Friends Service Committee. In addition, Allison serves as Pastor of Public Witness at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, in Oakland, CA, and is the Palestine Advocacy Representative for the Alliance of Baptists.

About the organizers: 
This Political Education Primer is an initiative of the Christians for Ceasefire Coalition.

A broad coalition of national and local Christian organizations and nonviolent peacemakers have envisioned a Lenten Ceasefire Campaign rooted in the transforming power of Jesus’ way of active nonviolence. This Lenten campaign has arisen out of collaboration during months of creative nonviolent resistance action for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The policy goals are:

• immediate, sustained bilateral ceasefire

• demilitarization rather than sending weapons

• release of all hostages and Palestinian prisoners held without due process

• robust humanitarian assistance, including funding UNRWA, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees

• end the siege on Gaza and end the occupation

• a political process to address root causes, accountability of harm, and a lasting just peace

  
  

Theory of Change: The theory of change is that Jewish and Muslim leaders have organized mass demonstrations, prayers, and risk-taking. If Christians visibly appeal in mass through prayer and risk-taking to President Biden and members of Congress with Christian commitments, we may deepen and shift their sensitivity toward incentivizing de-escalating steps and a sustaining ceasefire that will save lives, create space for genuine accountability, and illuminate our sacred dignity. This will create better conditions for addressing the root causes and a sustainable just peace.

The organizations involved with this Lenten campaign acknowledge that both Hamas and Israel have committed horrible violence. We believe that the focus must shift to diplomacy, accountability mechanisms, and strategic nonviolent peacebuilding, and that neither war nor retribution is accountability. We believe urgent action is needed to stop the mass slaughter, destruction, and generational trauma.

• Lenten Ceasefire Campaign Endorsements

• Churches for Middle East Peace

• Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces

• Dorothy Day Catholic Worker

• Festival Center

• Franciscan Action Network

• Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)

• Georgetown University Medical Students for Palestine (GUMS4PAL)

• Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

• National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

• National Council of Churches, USA

• Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace

• Pax Christi USA

• Quixote Center

• Sisters of Mercy of the Americas - Justice Team

• Sojourners

• United Church of Christ

• Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER)

Join Pittsburgh Friends of Sabeel this Lent for a 2 part event in lament over Gaza.

Part 2: Service of Lament: Grieving with God over the Death and Destruction in Gaza

Sunday, March 10th

4:00 - 5:30pm

Eastminster Church

250 N Highland Ave

Pittsburgh PA 15206

Part 1