Upcoming Events
Interfaith Book Group - Orphan Children of Bethany: Fifty-Seven Years of Life in the West Bank
Date and Time
Thursday, September 25, 2025 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
RSVP
This event is free to attend.
The RSVP deadline has passed for this event.
Location
Virtual, 2-3:30pm, every other Wednesday, beginning Sept. 25 (due to Rosh Hashanah)
A Zoom link will be sent out to registrants closer to the date of the first meeting.
Description
It’s hard to believe the summer is almost over! Vacations are ending, kids are headed back to school and we are entering a new season. In response, we will resume our book study group with a new focus and a new book! We hope that reading and discussing this book together will help us to better understand the events of today by learning of the challenges of the past. Following are the details:
WHO: This book study is for anyone who is interested in joining this community discussion. Our facilitators for this group are Doug Kindschi and Karen Meyers. Both returning and new members are welcome.
WHAT: For this facilitated book study, we will be reading Orphan Children of Bethany: Fifty-Seven Years of Life in the West Bank by Marylène Schultz (recently translated into English by Barbara Carvill and Mary VanderGoot . This book is an eye-opening memoir left by a woman who lived for nearly six decades in the Occupied Territories just outside Jerusalem. Her story is also the story of the orphaned children for whom she created a home.
Marylène Schulz shared the everyday life of the Palestinians of Bethany. She never gave up her tireless effort to speak out for justice and continued to create bonds of cooperation among the Muslims, Jews, and Christians with whom she worked for peace. Hers is a truly remarkable story.
WHEN: Every other Wednesday afternoon this Fall from 2:00 - 3:30 pm (EDT / EST) starting on Thursday, September 25, 2025 (due to Rosh Hashanah)..
WHERE: We will be meeting by Zoom - the link will be sent out closer to the first date. Later in the fall, we may include an “in person” session.
WHY: In these divisive times, it is important for us to build a community where we can discuss the history of current issues and solutions for our future as a country and a world. This book study, like other affinity groups offered by the Kaufman Institute, is designed to build relationships that span our differences while fostering human connection, interfaith understanding, and collective transformation.
HOW: Register now to receive the Zoom link and schedule for this study. Even if you have participated in a previous Kaufman book study, we need you to register HERE.
PREPARE: If you are choosing to join our group, please obtain the book (Amazon or other source) and read through the first section for our beginning session on September 25, 2025.
Contact
If you have questions, please reach out to either of our group facilitators, Doug Kindschi or Karen Meyers.