Why Faith Matters | Tri-Valley Ramadan Interfaith Iftar
Channel: Muslim Community Center - MCC East Bay
Date: 2018-06-07

MCC is grateful to the nearly 100 guests who joined us for our second-annual Iftar dinner experience as Tri-Valley Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan. Together, we helped create a peaceful society by building new relationships around the relevance of faith today in the three major Abrahamic faiths. 

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Iftar means 'fast-breaking,' and it is an integral part of the Muslim community life during the sacred month of Ramadan. Muslims break their daily Ramadan fast with a community dinner called an “iftar.” 

Speakers from three Abrahamic faiths spoke about the relevance of faith today and keeping relevant our Churches, synagogues, and mosques.

This panel and Iftar was at the Muslim Community Center - East Bay (MCC East Bay) in Pleasanton, California on Sunday, June 7, 2018.

Here is our Iftar brochure: http://mcceastbay.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Welcome-to-Our-Ramadan-Fast-Breaking.pdf

Speakers: 
Sister Hosai Mojaddidi:
Hosai Mojaddidi is the co-Founder of http://mentalhealth4muslims.com where she advocates for and writes about various mental health related topics tailored for Muslims. She has served the American-Muslim community for nearly 20 years as an activist, writer/editor, mediator, interfaith organizer, and public speaker, covering a variety of topics including women's issues, marriage/family, education, self development, interfaith bridge building, spirituality, etc.

In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, blogging via social media (Facebook and Twitter), doing arts and crafts, visiting gourmet coffee shops, and exploring the countless beautiful parks, beaches and nature preserves throughout Northern California where she lives with her husband, two sons, and fish named Max.

Rabbi Dr. Laurence Elis Milder:
Rabbi Dr. Laurence Elis Milder is the rabbi of Congregation Beth Emek in Pleasanton. He received his B.A. and Ph.D. at Brandeis University, where he was the recipient of a fellowship from the Center for Modern Jewish Studies, a research institute devoted to the social scientific study of American Jewry. Rabbi Milder was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, the seminary for Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Milder has pursued dual careers in the rabbinate and in academia. He was an assistant professor at the University of Maine and a lecturer at the Bangor Theological Seminary, and taught at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, NC. Rabbi Milder also served the Union for Reform Judaism as its Director of Social Action for the New England Region.

Rabbi Milder’s hobby is composing and performing Jewish folk music. Rabbi Milder is married and has three children.

Rector Andy Lobban:
Rector Andy Lobban was reared in Palo Alto. He received undergraduate degrees in physics and math from MIT and a masters in science and math education from UC Berkeley. For several years, he taught public high schools and colleges in Chicago and San Antonio, Texas. In San Antonio, he felt God calling him to become an ordained minister. He attended the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. He then served for a year as a transitional Deacon and new Priest in San Antonio. That was followed by four years serving at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and serving in many facets of that ministry, especially outreach, social justice and interfaith work. 

Rector Andy is now the priest-in-charge at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Livermore. He lives in the Oakland with his wife, Olga, and their two lively daughters, Lilly and Abby.

The start of the holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful abstain from eating from dawn to sunset, is determined by the sighting of the new moon.

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