Baha'i Community of Teaneck to Hold Annual Unity Picnic Saturday

The following release was submitted by the Bahá’í Community of Teaneck:

On Saturday, June 30 at the historic Evergreen Cabin on Evergreen Place in Teaneck, the Bahá’í Community of Teaneck is holding its annual unity picnic. This year is the 100th anniversary of the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith who in1912, traveled from then Palestine to visit America after a lifetime of imprisonment and persecution for his religious beliefs.

His journey in North America lasted 239 days, including ten days in Canada, during which He traveled to important cities from the east to the west coast and met with people of diverse backgrounds and interests. When asked why he had undertaken the journey to America, ‘Abdu'l-Bahá stated, "…I have come to America to raise the standard of universal peace and to bring unity among mankind…"

He addressed many religious groups and organizations such as the NAACP, the Theosophists, as well as audiences at Columbia, Howard and Stanford Universities. He also met with leaders of the day, including President Theodore Roosevelt and Alexander Graham Bell. He visited the poor and downtrodden, proclaimed the equality of men and women, and he championed the cause of racial unity.

On June 29, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá invited the Bahá’ís of New York and the surrounding areas to a unity feast to express his gratitude for all they had done on his behalf during his visit to the West. This gathering of appoximately 350 people of diverse backgrounds was held in Teaneck (West Englewood) at the Bahá’í property. Each year Bahá’ís gather on the last Saturday of June to commemorate this day and have a unity picnic.

All are welcome to attend. The Bahá’í properties are located at 126 Evergreen Place in Teaneck. From noon until sunset, the five-acre grounds are open for picnic activities. A formal program is held from 3PM until 4PM. This year’s keynote speaker is Kathryn Jewett Hogenson and her topic is “Lighting the Western Sky: The Hearst Pilgrimage and the Establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in the West.” For more information regarding the picnic and the historic Evergreen Cabin, please visitwww.WilhelmProperties.org or call 201-837-3638.