“Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round” Film Screening & Discussion
Sunday, May 11 | 4:00pm | 9T
Please join the Hendel Center and several of our neighborhood partners (Union, Riverside Church, Auburn, and the Episcopal Diocese of NY) on Sunday, May 11th at 4 p.m. at Riverside Church in Room 9T for a screening of the film Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round, followed by a conversation with the filmmaker Ilana Trachtman, Rev. Adriene Thorneof Riverside Church, and Dr. Judith Willner, a retired faculty member from Coppin State University (and the aunt of Dr. Billet’s family).
This film tells the story of everyday people who took a stand to desegregate an amusement park in 1960—and how that experience shaped their lives and impacted the broader history of the United States.
Click to Learn More & Register
Multifaith Mondays: Moral Witness for Democracy
Mondays | 5:30pm – 6:00pm | Columbus Circle
Join Us for Weekly Vigils at Columbus Circle
Mondays | 5:30–6:00 PM
(Gather at the USS Maine Statue, SW corner of Central Park)
Multifaith Monday Vigils create a sacred space for collective lament, prophetic resistance, and moral clarity in a time of deep division. If nothing else, we can stand together, bear witness, and commit to justice—even when the path is uncertain.
As M. Gessen reminds us, “Autocratic power requires the degradation of moral authority.” By gathering, we choose to reinforce and strengthen moral authority, countering isolation and overwhelm.
We look forward to standing with you.
Sponsors Include:
The Interfaith Center of New York
Union Theological Seminary
The Jewish Theological Seminary
Episcopal Diocese of New York
The Riverside Church
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
The BeaconNYC4o
Make Your Voice Heard at the NYC Mayoral Forum
Sunday, June 1
Join The Riverside Church and a powerful coalition of faith and advocacy groups as we come together to demand bold action from NYC’s next mayor.
At this pivotal Mayoral Forum hosted by Metro-IAF, we’ll call on candidates to take a stand on the urgent issues shaping our communities: affordable housing, NYCHA, mental health, public safety, transportation, education, and youth development.
Let’s show up strong and united for the future of our city.
Buses will depart from Riverside at 1:45 PM and head to St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn.
Deadline to register: May 23
Tell Congress: Stop the humanitarian blockade on Gaza
After breaking the ceasefire in late March, Israel imposed a complete blockade on all humanitarian aid, including food, water, medicine, and fuel.
Now, more than two months into the blockade, 70,000 children are being hospitalized due to severe malnutrition, and 3,500 children under the age of five face imminent death.
We are witnessing the deliberate mass starvation of over two million men, women, and children by the State of Israel.
Blocking humanitarian aid is a war crime. Take action by writing to Congress!
Support the Rent Freeze Campaign
Join our partners at Housing Justice for All and support the Rent Freeze campaign: Tenants Are the Backbone of New York
Seventy percent of New Yorkers rent. We are the backbone of this city—cooks, cleaners, nurses, teachers, and bus drivers who keep New York running every day. Without us, New York wouldn’t be the city we all love.
Rising rents are pushing us out. Housing costs are the biggest monthly expense for most tenants, and it’s becoming unsustainable.
2025 is an election year. Tenants are the majority in New York—and together, we have the power to elect a mayor who will freeze the rent. By organizing a voting bloc of thousands of renters, we can choose leadership that serves people—not real estate interests.
Add your name to the petition and tell every candidate running for mayor: We need a rent freeze!