Shem is an Aramaic word expressing the Divine radiance and splendor in all of creation.
SHEM Center for Interfaith Spirituality offers the sojourners of all spiritual paths and faith traditions, as well as those who claim none, a sacred space where all are respectfully welcomed to encounter the wisdom found in the sacred traditions of the peoples of the world.
The Prophetic Jewish, Interfaith & Secular Voice to Heal and Transform the World
Tikkun uplifts Jewish, interfaith, and secular prophetic voices of hope that contribute to universal liberation. A catalyst for long-term social change Tikkun empowers people and communities to heal the world by embracing revolutionary love, compassion, and empathy. Tikkun promotes a caring society that protects the life support system of the planet and celebrates the Earth and the universe with awe and radical amazement.
A Moonlight Speech, October 11, 1962
Sixty years ago, the first night of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII came out on a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square and gave his impromptu remarks now called "the moonlight speech.” I remember it well, making its way into the world via the news media.
A Challenge Grant to Shem Center
Once again The Wolcott/Ebbeler Foundation, our supportive friends of many years, is offering you a way to have your donations to Shem Center increase by way of their matching gift.
Shem Center Programs
Shem Center offers experiences of the prayer, meditation, rituals, and the wisdom of the peoples of the world. In doing so, each takes a place at the table with others whose spiritual tradition may be similar to or different from one’s own.
Martin Luther King Jr.
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (1929-1968)
An Interfaith Greeting of Peace
SHALOM - SHLAMA - SALAAM
These three words in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic are used in turn as greetings of peace by Jews, Christians and Muslims, the followers of the three Abrahamic religions.
Inter-Spirituality
Recognizing that the Divine Reality is not limited to any one expression of our journey with God, Shem Center takes its place with many others committed to the task of bringing peace into the world through understanding, respect and friendship.
News
Fr. Brian John Zuelke, O.P. combines sacred texts and popular music in ÆTERNUM
ÆTERNUM is a nomadic experimental music project organized by Fr. Brian John Zuelke, O.P., a Dominican priest friar of the Province of St. Albert the Great. With a Minnesota-grown group of musicians, ÆTERNUM hopes to slowly build up a collection of excellent mash-ups between sacred texts and popular music forms.
ÆTERNUM began as a nagging dream of Fr. Brian’s while in formation to be a religious priest in Saint Louis, MO. Ideas would come to his mind overlaying sounds of his past love of loud, beautiful rock music with his later love of the sacred music traditions of medieval Christianity. But what to do about it?
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Official Statement of the Parliament of the World’s Religions on the Israel-Hamas War
The Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World’s Religions—after much thought, prayer and heartfelt deliberation, realizing the complex and critical situation at hand—issues the following non-unanimous statement:
In the midst of the Israel-Hamas War, the Parliament of the World’s Religions prays for those suffering. We acknowledge the right of a people to self-defense within the bounds of international law and call for the release of all hostages and the cessation of hostilities. We call for the norms of international humanitarian law to be respected by all parties as they seek to resolve this escalating war through peaceful dialogue and negotiation.
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Khizr Khan comes forward to say Trump is incapable of leading the US again
Khizr Khan said about Trump, “A person who has never sacrificed is incapable of love: love of country, love of purpose, love of fellow human beings. Trump is nothing but appetite and ego. Trump is incapable of leading the U.S. again. I wish to pay tribute to General John Francis Kelly and his family. General Kelly is a gold star father as well. We stand with you and are saddened to hear the remarks that Trump made in the White House and after his presidency.”
Khizr Khah is a gold star father, having lost his son Humayun Saqib Muazzam Khan in 2004. Humayun was a United States Army officer who was killed by a suicide attack near Baqubah, Iraq during the Iraq War. He came to national attention in the United States during the 2016 presidential campaign as an example of a Muslim American soldier who died in service to the U.S. military.
Watch his interview on MSNBC.
Read MoreWelcome to Shem Center. Contact Us!
Shem Center for Interfaith Spirituality
708 North Harvey Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 848-1095
shemcenter1993@gmail.com
Photo Credits: Emory Mead, Stephen B. Starr, Joseph Kilikevice
The Shem Center for Interfaith Spirituality website is awarded a 2022 American Digital Design Award for excellence in design and user experience.
