HASBROUCK HEIGHTS — More than 200 people, representing various faiths, gathered Monday to celebrate diversity and foster understanding and respect between their religious communities.
The 28th annual Interfaith Brotherhood-Sisterhood Breakfast drew residents and elected officials from throughout North Jersey
who prayed and listened to musical performances and a keynote speaker who addressed ways to maintain one’s faith and values in everyday life.
“It’s really a way to create unity among our community groups, and to work in harmony,’’ said AltonWilliams, of Teaneck, and chairman of this year’s organizing committee. “It was really great to see somany young people here, and to get them involved.”
“Let There Be Peace on Earth,” and “What the World Needs Now is Love” were among the songs sung by a children’s choir made up of youngsters representing the Baha’i, Catholic, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Protestant, and Sikh religions.
The event, held at the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights, was hosted this year by the Baha’i community, and included a musical performance with djembe and cajon drums.
Dorothy Marcic, a playwright, author, and professor at Columbia University was the keynote speaker, who spoke about her journey in trying to include her spiritual and religious beliefs in her work, specifically when writing plays for theater productions. Marcic, whose speech was titled “Faith & Values in Our Contemporary Society” talked about how she resisted making her material sexualized even though it was a frequent request by directors and producers.
”My challenge was how could I make a viable product in commercial theater, which is where I live professionally, that aligns with my values,’’ said Marcic the playwright of the theater musicals “Respect, a Musical Journey of Women” and “Sistas, the Musical” “…What I’m going to share with you is my journey, but I know many of you, in whatever profession you are in, struggle with the same thing.”
Marcic recalled a week where she went to New York to talk about one of her plays, which centered on women’s empowerment, where producers harangued her about including the sexual liberation of women at the end of her play. “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” and “What the World Needs Now is Love” were among the songs sung by a children’s choir made up of youngsters representing the Baha’i, Catholic, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Protestant, and Sikh religions.
The event, held at the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights, was hosted this year by the Baha’i community, and included a musical performance with djembe and cajon drums. Dorothy Marcic, a playwright, author, and professor at Columbia University was the keynote speaker, who spoke about her journey in trying to include her spiritual and religious beliefs in her work, specifically when writing plays for theater productions. Marcic, whose speech was titled “Faith & Values in Our Contemporary Society” talked about how she resisted making her material sexualized even though it was a frequent request by directors and producers.
