Reclaiming the Dream: An Interfaith Call to Action

RE·CLAIM (/rəˈklām/): Retrieve or recover (something previously lost) or stolen.

This event will bring together faith leaders to reflect on reclaiming Dr. King’s vision of justice and equity, and to explore how our diverse traditions can inspire collective action in today’s pressing social and political climate.

SPEAKERS 

Rev. Sarah Dojin Emerson

Sarah Dōjin Emerson’s formal practice in Soto Zen began in 1996. She lived and trained at Tassajara Zen Mountain center and other sites of the San Francisco Zen Center from 1997-2007. She received Dharma Transmission from Abbott Konjin Gaelyn Godwin of the Houston Zen Center in 2015. She has a M. A. in Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies, and has worked in the fields of mental health and pastoral care with children and adults. She experiences Zen practice as deeply supportive to inquiring into, challenging and transforming systems of oppression, particularly racial inequities and the harm they cause in U.S.. Sarah has also worked for many years in grief support- clinically, ritually and in community- specializing in child loss. She lives with her partner, Charlie Pokorny (who is also a Soto Zen Buddhist priest), their children (who are her most profound and constant teachers) and numerous pets in Brooklyn, NY.

Imam Ammar Fulani

Imam Ammar Abdul Rahman is an Imam and a community leader with a wealth of experience spanning over a decade. He is an inspiring educator in both secular and Islamic teachings. Grounded in a strong foundation of Islamic theology and jurisprudence, Imam Ammar has dedicated his career to imparting the teachings of Islam to the youth. He currently serves as a deputy Imam at Masjid Al-Haram USA in The Bronx, where his dynamic and engaging approach to education has created a nurturing environment for young minds to explore their faith, ask questions, and develop a profound connection with the principles of Islam. With a passion for fostering understanding and harmony among diverse religious communities, Imam Ammar has actively participated in Multi-faith dialogue and charitable activities. Before joining Fordham University as their Director of Muslim life, Imam Ammar worked with the Interfaith Center of New York where he collaborated with New York Disaster Interfaith Service (NYDIS) as well as the NYC Mayor’s office to identify potential houses of worship to provide overnight shelters for asylum seekers. In his free time, Imam Ammar loves to spend quality time with his beautiful wife and 3 children. 

Dalveer Hargobind Kaur

Dalveer started her career working in Punjab as a human rights researcher for the disappearances that occurred from 1980s to 1990s in Punjab, Gujarat, Kashmir and Nagaland. She is an experienced leader, driving equity and inclusion in public agencies for over 15 years. She has served as the inaugural Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer for the District Attorney of New York, prior to that she was the Director of DEI and Health Equity for the Division of Disease Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. For her leadership in responding to the COVID-19 crisis Dalveer earned Service Distinction Award from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dalveer’s areas of expertise include building DEI strategies for government and not for profit institutions, designing policy to reduce health disparities and creating innovative programs that strengthen community safety. Dalveer has a Masters in Human Rights from Columbia University.

Tuhina Rasche

Rev. Tuhina Verma Rasche is a South Asian American trying to figure out the beauties and complexities within the multitudes of life. She was raised in a devout Hindu family and is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Because of her lived experiences, multifaith work rooted in radical justice and equity is a passion that is close to her heart. That passion led to her work with The Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program and as a theologian in residence with Faith in Public Life. She is also a creator whose life’s work explores identities, cultures, and ways of belonging, often drawing on embodied and lived experiences. Tuhina currently serves as a digital curator and pastor with the Anam Cara Community, a digital first mission start of the North Carolina Synod of the ELCA.

Jules Aviv Rose

Jules Aviv Rose (they/them/elle) is the Organizational Director of Never Again Action, a Jewish-led mobilization against the persecution, detention, and deportation of immigrants in the US. They are originally from Tulsa, where they worked at the YWCA Office of Immigrants and Refugees before relocating to New York in search of deeper involvement in the immigration justice movement, as well as more diverse Jewish and Queer communities. Jules has advocated for immigration justice by way of canvassing, mutual aid, and direct action through various organizations, including the International Rescue Committee and Jewish Voice for Peace. Jules serves on the Uptown Manhattan Neighborhood Group Coordination Team for Jews for Racial & Economic Justice. Jules is passionate about the right to human mobility, holding a firm belief that we all collectively inherit the earth. They live on the ancestral lands of the Munsee Lenape people with their partner and their cat, where they often host Shabbat meals.

Sunita Viswanath

Sunita Viswanath is cofounder and executive director of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), which is building an anti-caste and radically inclusive Hindu movement for pluralism, civil and human rights in South Asia and North America, rooted in the values of shanti (peace), nyaya (justice) and satya (truth). HfHR provides a Hindu voice of resistance to caste, Hindutva (Hindu nationalism), racism, and all forms of bigotry and oppression. Sunita is also cofounder of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, Women for Afghan Women and Abaad: Afghan Women Forward. She serves on several boards including Amnesty International USA and Dalit Solidarity Forum.

DATE & TIME

Monday, January 20, 2025, 11:00 AM

Embodying Practice Starts at 10:30 AM

The Riverside Church | South Hall & Online
490 Riverside Drive
New York, NY

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