Interfaith Interconnect of the Tri-Valley and MCC co-host a virtual religious chat with Omar Naisan, representing MCC East Bay, and Rabbi Dr. Laurence Milder, representing Congregation Beth Emek in Pleasanton, on how each faith deals with the reality of war. Nearly all worldwide faith traditions have a version of “thou shalt not kill.” How do we understand this religious mandate?

5 p.m. to 6 p.m. | Wednesday, February 14 | Virtual Zoom chat (not in person) | Join us virtually at mcceastbay.org/interfaith-chat

Zoom room will open at 4:45 p.m. Virtual presentations are from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Optional breakout post-discussion groups will be from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• – More Brother Omar Nasim: https://mcceastbay.org/omar
• – More Rabbi Larry: HTTP://mcceastbay.org/larry
• – More MCC interfaith events: https://mcceastbay.org/interfaith
• – MCC’s interfaith advocacy efforts: https://mcceastbay.org/interfaith-ethos

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

About the Presenters
Rabbi Laurence Elis Milder, Ph.D., is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He received his B.A. at Brandeis University and was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1983. Following ordination, he earned a Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University, where he received a fellowship from the Center for Modern Jewish Studies, a research institute devoted to the social scientific study of American Jewry.

Rabbi Milder has pursued dual careers in the rabbinate and in academia. He has served congregations in Indianapolis, IN; Bangor, ME; and Westborough, MA. He also was an assistant professor (of Judaic studies) at the University of Maine and a lecturer at the Bangor Theological Seminary. From July 2011 through June 2013, Rabbi Milder served on the faculty of the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, NC, as the Academy’s Reform Rabbi.

Rabbi Milder has been active in civic affairs, interfaith coalitions, and youth work. He has served the Union for Reform Judaism as a regional director in its Social Action and Youth divisions.

Rabbi Milder’s hobby is composing and performing Jewish folk music. His songs are popular in youth groups and summer camps throughout North America. Rabbi Milder is married to Janet Elis Milder. They have three children: Miriam, Avi, and Alex.

Omar Naisan is a Ph.D. student in the Historical & Cultural Studies of Religion program at the Graduate Theological Union. He holds a Master of Arts in New Testament also from the Graduate Theological Union. His published MA thesis is titled “Decrypting the Son of Man Problem: An Inquiry into the Dominant Approaches to the Son of Man Problem and its Conspicuous Application in Mark 8:27-31.” His interests include comparative theology, philology in religious corpora, and historical-critical studies of religious canons.

The mission of Interfaith Interconnect is to enrich, inform, and educate ourselves and others about the great diversity of faiths and cultures in our Valley. The interfaith umbrella group serves the Tri-Valley in the Bay Area.

– More Interfaith Interconnect recordings: https://mcceastbay.org/interfaith-interconnect
– Website: https://interfaithinterconnect.weebly.com/
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InterfaithInterconnect

The MCC East Bay and the Islamic Center of Livermore are proud congregation members of the Interfaith Interconnect of the Tri-Valley.

– More MCC interfaith events: https://mcceastbay.org/interfaith
– Sign up for MCC’s periodic community supporter updates: https://mcceastbay.org/community-supporters
– MCC’s interfaith community advocacy efforts: https://mcceastbay.org/interfaith-ethos