December 2011

Claire Solomon
Claire Solomon
Claire Solomon graduated from Skidmore College in May 2010 with a degree in American Studies. For the past year and a half, she has lived in Jackson, Mississippi, working as an Education Fellow at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. She first got involved in the interfaith movement when she met Eboo in the spring of 2006 at the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, where he commented on the speed at which she could write haiku. She followed the IFYC through high school and college, and terribly misses her 2008-2009 IFYC Fellows.
Ner Li, Ner Li
Posted on December 21, 2011 - By Claire Solomon

When I close my eyes and think about my favorite Chanukah memories, I don’t see latkes frying in the kitchen, a plethora of gifts on the dining room table, or a nine-branched candelabra illuminated by small multi-colored candles. I see a piano, a fairly worn book of Chanukah songs, and my mother sitting at the piano bench, her fingers resting on the keys. Every year I looked forward to opening that book and singing my favorite songs while I watched my mother play.

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Blog, IFYC Alumni
Katie Johnstone
Katie Johnstone
Katie Johnstone graduated from Northwestern University in June 2011 with a BA in International Studies and Communications. At NU Katie was active in two environmental sustainability groups on campus, Northwestern’s Center for Civic Engagement, and Hillel. Katie holds a Fellowship at IFYC through the Northwestern University Public Interest Program.
What is Chanukkah Worth?
Posted on December 20, 2011 - By Katie Johnstone

I love the holiday season. I recently caught myself looking out the window at a set of apartment balconies studded with lights, high above IFYC's offices on Van Buren Street. I saw a woman stringing a set of lighted stars of David above her neighbor's Christmas display below, and I smiled, thinking of my own family back in Colorado as they, too, would be mounting our infamous blue Chanukkah lights. However, as I stared longer at the woman on her balcony fighting with the Chicago wind, it struck me how singular this incident really is.

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Blog, IFYC Alumni
Mark Wolfe
Mark Wolfe
Mark Wolfe, a self-identified United Methodist, is currently a junior at the University of Indianapolis where he will be serving as their Ecumenical and Interfaith Office Chapel Steward of Interfaith. Last year, he was a part of the Interfaith Youth Core Fellows Alliance and helped establish interfaith service as a priority at his university.
Celebrating Hanukkah
Posted on December 19, 2011 - By Mark Wolfe

As a Christian child in rural Indiana, I remember my first introduction to Hanukkah. Have you ever watched the PBS show Arthur? The holiday episode discusses not only Christmas but also Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. I hardly understood the concepts of the menorah or dreidel, but I did enjoy the possibility of receiving chocolate coins, or gelt. Nevertheless, I never met a Jewish person during my childhood and would only encounter Hanukkah in college.

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Blog, IFYC Alumni
Eboo Patel
Eboo Patel
Named by US News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders of 2009, Eboo Patel is the Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC). Author of the award-winning book Acts of Faith, Eboo is also a regular contributor to the Washington Post, USA Today and CNN. He served on President Obama’s inaugural Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.
Becoming All-American Muslims
Posted on December 15, 2011 - By Eboo Patel

It took Muslims a full three months to figure out a strategy to counter the campaign against Cordoba House, otherwise known as “the Ground Zero Mosque.” This time around, it took about three hours.

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Blog, Eboo's latest thoughts
Eboo Patel
Eboo Patel
Named by US News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders of 2009, Eboo Patel is the Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC). Author of the award-winning book Acts of Faith, Eboo is also a regular contributor to the Washington Post, USA Today and CNN. He served on President Obama’s inaugural Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.
When Faith is Attacked
Posted on December 14, 2011 - By Eboo Patel

Religious prejudice has become a major campaign issue during the Republican primaries this fall. Not surprisingly, it’s the “M” word. Surprisingly, the M word in question is not “Muslim.” While Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain have both made remarks about the alleged dangers of sharia law in American courts, the M word making the most waves is “Mormon.” The issue is this: Will a key Republican voting bloc—conservative evangelical Christians—refuse to support the likely front-runner, Mitt Romney, a Mormon?

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Blog, Eboo's latest thoughts
Kyle Anderson
Kyle Anderson
Kyle Anderson, campus engagement associate, works with college campuses to help spread interfaith cooperation. Kyle first experienced the power of bringing together people from different backgrounds for an important cause in Washington, DC, where he worked in development for N Street Village, an organization that supports homeless women. Kyle is a graduate student in Loyola University Chicago’s Masters in Higher Education program. Outside of IFYC, he can be found spending time with his lovely new wife Keira, and rooting loudly for the New York Giants and San Francisco Giants.
Did You Really Just Say That?
Posted on December 14, 2011 - By Kyle Anderson

Despite record low approval ratings for Congress (13%) and President Obama (43%), I still find myself drawn to presidential politics for reasons that I cannot fully explain. Call me naive, or maybe crazy, but some part of me still believes in our political system.

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Blog, IFYC Alumni
Hana Suckstorff
Hana Suckstorff
Hana Suckstorff, communications associate, assists with the management of IFYC’s online content. She holds a B.A. in history from Northwestern University, a degree for which she spent time in Italy performing research for her thesis on Renaissance theology. An avid student of the history of religion, Hana is fascinated both by religion in the past (especially medieval and early modern Europe) and today, particularly its intersection with current affairs and public life.
Lowe's Pulls Ads from All American Muslim
Posted on December 13, 2011 - By Hana Suckstorff

As some of you may know, anti-Muslim prejudice reared its ugly head this month. The Florida Family Association contacted Lowe’s and several other companies who advertise on the TLC show “All-American Muslim” and urged them to pull their ads, claiming that the show “riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values."

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Blog, IFYC Alumni
Anne Marie Roderick
Anne Marie Roderick
Native New Yorker Anne Marie Roderick spent eight months doing relief work in New Orleans after graduating from high school in 2006 and four months in India volunteering at a yoga Ashram. At Earlham College, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a major in Religion. While there, Anne Marie served in student government and on various school committees. She was Convener of the Earlham Progressive Union and the Earlham Christian Fellowship and participated in the IFYC Fellows Alliance during her sophomore year. She studied abroad in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Advent Isn't Idle
Posted on December 9, 2011 - By Anne Marie Roderick

This Advent season, I am praying for imagination. When I was younger, Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, was all about waiting. As a child, I could experience the ache and excitement of waiting in a way I rarely do as an adult. The pain of waiting for Christmas has to do with how slowly time seems to move for younger folks. Christmas seemed like this magical, miraculous, perfect day that stood before me, just out of reach. I longed for presents, for family members I hadn’t seen all year, for my favorite songs, foods, and candy.

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Blog, IFYC Alumni
Amber Hacker
Amber Hacker
Amber Hacker, alumni relations manager, oversees IFYC’s alumni program and biennial conference. Amber is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington and comes to IFYC with four years of experience in university student life where she specialized in social, educational, leadership, and community programming. Amber organized the 6th International Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, Leadership for a Religiously Diverse World, which brought together participants from over 90 college campuses and 20 countries..
Not Just Fancy Kitchen Gadgets
Posted on December 9, 2011 - By Amber Hacker

Most folks at IFYC offices know my strong affinity for finding a good bargain, negotiating prices, and thrifting (the practice of frequenting thrift stores and scoring high quality merchandise for a low price). My money-saving intensity has earned me the nickname “Budget Hacker,” affectionately coined by my wonderful colleague and friend Alana Kinarsky. As a young professional starting my career with a husband in school getting his Ph.D, I have good reason to watch my pennies.

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Blog, Thought Leaders
Hana Suckstorff
Hana Suckstorff
Hana Suckstorff, communications associate, assists with the management of IFYC’s online content. She holds a B.A. in history from Northwestern University, a degree for which she spent time in Italy performing research for her thesis on Renaissance theology. An avid student of the history of religion, Hana is fascinated both by religion in the past (especially medieval and early modern Europe) and today, particularly its intersection with current affairs and public life.
Blog Roundup: November
Posted on December 2, 2011 - By Hana Suckstorff

This is the second of our Blog Roundups, which come around the end of every month and highlight 3-5 of our articulate, impassioned leaders and writers. If you like this, can’t stand it, or generally have concerns or questions, feel free to post them on Facebook. We love hearing from you.

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Blog, IFYC Alumni