The Origin of Life

In celebration of 2012 - Year of Interfaith Understanding, the May Tuesday Tabletalk will be held on May 15, 2012 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Dominican Center at Marywood (DCM). DCM is located at 2025 Fulton Street East, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503. Parking is free and the DCM area is barrier free. The cost for Tuesday Tabletalk is $10.00 per session and this fee includes both the program and dinner.

With respect to all religious dietary customs, vegetarian meals will be served.
Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, as seating is limited. To register, call (616) 454-1241 (Option 5); or, for online registration for the April program, visit http://dominicancenter.com/programs/program/?id=103  .

Participants will dine at round tables of eight, comprised of persons from varying faith traditions. The evening will include a brief presentation by each of the presenters pictured above on The Origin of Life, a theme common to most faith traditions, followed by discussion among dinner companions as well as large group Q and A.

May Tuesday Tabletalk

Rev. David P. Baak is Designated Associate Pastor for Mission and Pastoral Care of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids.  He has served in Interim Pastor assignments with several congregations since 2004 after many years in the leadership of the Grand Rapids Area Center for Ecumenism (GRACE) (through 2007) and as its executive director from 1983-2002. He is convener of the Congregations Council of the 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding in Grand Rapids; a member of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute Advisory Committee (at Grand Valley State University); and, a member of the Community Relations Commission of the City of Grand Rapids. David is an ordained clergy in the Reformed Church in America (RCA) and lives in Grand Rapids.

Rabbi David Krishef earned a degree in Hebrew and Jewish Studies from the University of Minnesota. After two years as program director at the University of Minnesota Hillel Foundation, he entered the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he received ordination in 1994.  Since his ordination, Rabbi Krishef has served as the rabbi of Congregation Ahavas Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has taught Beginning and Intermediate Biblical Hebrew at Grand Valley State University; and also Jewish Life, Literature, Culture, and History at Kuyper College.  He is the author of a CHAI curriculum revision published by URJ Press revising the CHAI Judaic curriculum to adapt the Reform curriculum for use in a Conservative or joint Reform/Conservative religious school; and edited a section on Judaism for a World Religions textbook (published by Teacher Created Materials).  His interests include Biomedical Ethics. He serves on the Spectrum Bioethics committee, and delivered an address on “The Beginnings of Life” at the DeVos Medical Ethics Colloquy in Grand Rapids. In addition, he serves as one of the volunteer rabbis on several internet AskaRabbi services.

Mohammed Saleh, M.D. worships at the Islamic Mosque and Religious Institute in Grand Rapids, where he is Chairman of the Board. He is a frequent panelist and presenter at interfaith programs and dialogue sessions in the greater Grand Rapids Community.  Dr. Saleh is a practitioner of Internal Medicine, having earned his M.D. from Damascus University School of Medicine in Syria and completed his residency at Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center.

PLEASE NOTE

Due to area road construction, Fulton Street is closed from Plymouth to Maryland. Therefore, please approach Dominican Center by way of Michigan Avenue, NE, to Lakeside. We hope you find the construction map facilitates your drive to DCM. If you desire more detailed instructions, please call the front desk at 616.454.1241 (Option 5).

submitted by: Rosemary Steers, Dominican Center at Marywood