Third Annual Interfaith Day to Address Food and Water Issues

Water and food are the two most basic needs of every human being on Earth. This means that protecting our waterways and nutrient rich farms is vital to our survival.  On a deeper level, consuming clean water and food can determine our overall physical and spiritual health. Understanding this begins at a personal and local level and can then ripple out through the community at large.

On Sunday April 28, the New Brunswick Interfaith Coexistence Project will be conducting its 3rd Annual Interfaith Earth Day at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, 222 Livingston Ave., from noon-5 p.m.

The theme for the day is “I Am What I Eat and Drink,” to raise awareness about the issues we face with our food and water.

The event will consist of speakers, films, exhibitors, and a vegetarian potluck lunch. There will be an interfaith service in the sanctuary at 1:30 p.m., which includes a performance by the Rainbow Children’s Choir, directed by Ben Berman.  

Worm composting, Aloe planting, watershed models and activities for children are just a sampling of what will be taking place.  From noon-5 p.m. organizations will be there with information and hands-on demonstrations, including: Elijah’s Promise, GreenFaith, Maoz Vegetarian, Raritan Headwaters Association, AmericCorps, New Jersey Environmental Lobby, Sustainable Highland Park, Sustainable Raritan River Initiative Rutgers Master Gardeners, 4-H and BrightCurrent.

Several films, including “The Future of Food” and “The Story of Straw” will be shown.

At 2:30 p.m., there will be a panel discussion focusing on Climate Change presented by Cris D’Onofrio of Christ Church and Asher Siebert of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple.

Cris D'Onofrio is part of the Emergency Response Team of the Environmental Protection Agency. He was in the Gulf after Katrina and again after the BP oil spill.  After Sandy, he was part of the team, which got the Sayreville pumping station back on-line. Asher Siebert, a PhD student at Rutgers has won an outstanding poster award from the World Climate Research Program and the John R. Mather Paper of the Year Award from the Climate Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers.

The New Brunswick Interfaith Coexistence Project is a consortium of clergy and other religious leaders representing the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith communities in the New Brunswick area.  They collaborate on a number of activities during the year, such as an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, that bring together all of the faith communities in common worship and goals.

This event is free and open to the public. All who attend are requested to bring donations of food for local food banks.

For further information, please contact Michael Chodroff of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple at (732) 545-6484 or mchods@hotmail.com.

You can also visit the website for the event at: http://www.teachgreen.net/greenteam/AEMT_Green_Team/Earth_Day_2013.html.

-New Brunswick Interfiaht Coexistance Project