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January 2004: Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia is Founded

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January 2004: Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia is Founded

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Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia is established in the wake of 9/11 to build trust, understanding, and cooperation among faith communities and work for the common good.

Offices open at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral on 38th and Chestnut Streets in West Philadelphia, thanks to a grant from the Samuel S. Fels Fund.

Abby Stamelman Hocky is the part-time Executive Director, Rev. Richard Fernandez is the Founding Board Chair, and Rebecca Rivera is the Office Manager.

From 2004-present office space is shared with ArtWell, saving combined operational expenses of up to $300,000.

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September 1, 2005: Walking the Walk® Youth Initiative Pilot Year

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September 1, 2005: Walking the Walk® Youth Initiative Pilot Year

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The Walking the Walk® Youth Initiative begins its pilot year. Founded by Marjorie Scharf, the program starts as an interfaith service learning program for high school students.

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September 2006: New Coordinator of Interfaith Education

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September 2006: New Coordinator of Interfaith Education

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Sr. Maria Hornung, M.M.S. brings her dialogue curriculum and book, Encountering Other Faiths, to Interfaith Center. Thanks to the support of the Medical Mission Sisters, she becomes our Coordinator of Interfaith Education.

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April 26, 2006: Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia is Established

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April 26, 2006: Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia is Established

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Cardinal Justin Rigali of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia hosts a Day of Discernment for the denominational heads of over 20 Christian, Muslim, and Jewish bodies, resulting in the founding of the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia.

Its mission is to build relationships of mutual support, offer a moral and spiritual voice in the region, and identify issues of local concern for dialogue and action.

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March 5, 2006: Launch of Interfaith Encounters Alternative Break Trips

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March 5, 2006: Launch of Interfaith Encounters Alternative Break Trips

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The Interfaith Encounters Alternative Break program is launched with students from North Carolina State University.

Alternative Break Trips welcome students to Philadelphia for a transformative journey exploring faith, service, and interfaith dialogue.

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March 11, 2007: Alternative Break Volunteers Create Mural in South Kensington

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March 11, 2007: Alternative Break Volunteers Create Mural in South Kensington

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A group of students on Alternative Break Trips volunteer to help 4th graders at St. John’s Church in South Kensington. Partnering with artist Joe Brenman (1949-2019), they create Growing Peace and Justice, a mosaic mural that adorns the church entrance.

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January 3, 2008: Religious Leaders Council Hosts Interfaith Inaugural Service for Mayor Michael Nutter

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January 3, 2008: Religious Leaders Council Hosts Interfaith Inaugural Service for Mayor Michael Nutter

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Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia holds an interfaith prayer service in honor of Mayor Michael Nutter.

The prayer service included sacred scripture readings from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religions. Mayor Nutter recites a pledge written by the RLC titled A Call from People of Faith to Stop Violence.

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Interfaith Center celebrates its 5th Anniversary and establishes three core areas of work: Youth Development, Service & Leadership, Interfaith Education, Dialogue & Leadership, and the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia.

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April 29, 2009: First Religious Diversity in the Workplace Workshop is Offered

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April 29, 2009: First Religious Diversity in the Workplace Workshop is Offered

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Interfaith Center begins to receive requests from local companies, universities, and civic organizations to assist them in training around issues of religious diversity and sensitivity.

In response, in 2009, it holds its first two programs on Religious Diversity in the Workplace, one for more than 300 employees of PECO-Exelon and the other for 75 students, faculty, and administrators at Villanova University.

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Religious Diversity in the Workplace 2009

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January 2010: New  Call-to-Action Tagline is Adopted

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January 2010: New  Call-to-Action Tagline is Adopted

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Interfaith Center adopts the tagline, Dare to understand®.

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January 2010: Gateway to Religious Communities Launches

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January 2010: Gateway to Religious Communities Launches

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Open to the public, Gateway to Religious Communities, is launched as an opportunity for Philadelphians to visit and experience the rich diversity of faith in our region.

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November 2010: Zones of Peace Established

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November 2010: Zones of Peace Established

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Zones of Peace, under the leadership of Rev. John Hougen, is the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia’s first major coordinated effort to address the epidemic of violence.

By the end of its pilot year, more than a dozen outstanding religious organizations, schools, and places of worship become Zones of Peace, and together strive to address the root causes of violence in their respective neighborhoods, homes, and schools.

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September 11, 2011: RLC Leads Prayer Gathering on 10th Anniversary of 9/11

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September 11, 2011: RLC Leads Prayer Gathering on 10th Anniversary of 9/11

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In commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, the RLC, in partnership with The National Constitution Center and the Mayor’s Offices of Faith-Based Initiatives, External Affairs and Community Engagement, holds a prayer service at the Arch Street Meeting House followed by a public gathering on Independence Mall.  In a statement of unity, a full-page ad appears in the Philadelphia Inquirer, signed by over 50 civic and religious leaders.

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March 5, 2012: First Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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March 5, 2012: First Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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The first Dare to Understand Award ceremony is held as a benefit concert featuring Broadway actress Ann Crumb. The award, recognizing individuals of distinction in interfaith work, is presented to Thomas Stewart, in Memoriam. Stewart was a banker and Interfaith Center Board member whose interfaith activism followed the tragic loss of his son-in-law in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

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June 2013: First Ride for Understanding Fundraiser 

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June 2013: First Ride for Understanding Fundraiser 

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The first Ride for Understanding fundraiser, championed by Board Member Jon Harris-Shapiro, is held along the Schuylkill River Trail.

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The Walking the Walk® Youth Initiative reaches its peak, with five networks throughout the region, engaging over 100 high school students from 24 congregations and faith communities.

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2013: Nicole Diroff Named Associate Director

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2013: Nicole Diroff Named Associate Director

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Rev. Nicole Diroff is named Associate Director of Interfaith Philadelphia, serving in this leadership role for seven years.

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March 25, 2013: 2nd Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony

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March 25, 2013: 2nd Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony

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S. A. Ibrahim, CEO of Radian, Inc., and Michael Pasek, alumnus of the Center’s Walking the Walk® program, are recognized for their leadership in advancing the cause of interfaith understanding. The event is held at the National Museum of American Jewish History, with a concert featuring a musical presentation from Intercultural Journeys led by cellist Udi Bar-David.

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December 2014: Launch of Art of Interfaith Understanding Museum Tours 

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December 2014: Launch of Art of Interfaith Understanding Museum Tours 

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Led by Rev. John Hougen, the first Art of Interfaith Understanding series is created to explore art and religion at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

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2014: Interfaith Philadelphia Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

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2014: Interfaith Philadelphia Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

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Interfaith Philadelphia: 10 Year Anniversary Video

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2014: Move to New Office in South Kensington

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2014: Move to New Office in South Kensington

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Interfaith Philadelphia relocates to new offices at Oxford Mills, a collaborative home for education-related nonprofits in South Kensington.  We continue our shared office arrangement with ArtWell, saving thousands of dollars in operating expenses in our first decade.

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March 25, 2014: 3rd Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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March 25, 2014: 3rd Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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The 2014 Dare to Understand Awards are presented to our first four Board Chairs:  Sr. Gloria Coleman, S.H.C.J., Rev. Richard Fernandez, Imam Muhammad Abdur-Razzaq Miller, and Lawrence Silverman. The event also celebrates the organization's 10th Anniversary

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Spring 2015: Inter-Religious Coalition Organizes Dare to Understand Ads, Social Media Campaign, and Rally  

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Spring 2015: Inter-Religious Coalition Organizes Dare to Understand Ads, Social Media Campaign, and Rally  

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In the Spring of 2015, a series of highly-visible and hate-filled anti-Muslim ads appear in major cities across the country including in Philadelphia where they run on the side of SEPTA buses and trolleys. In response, the Interfaith Center convenes a coalition of 30 partners to mount a Dare to Understand billboard and ad campaign.

To further the message, on March 31, 2015, a rally and press conference is held in Philadelphia Love Park with Mayor Nutter present. Hundreds of Philadelphia citizens, from a range of faith backgrounds, attend to show support.

A #DareToUnderstand campaign on social media and websites is launched to take a further stand. Participants post themselves holding #DareToUnderstand signs and messages.

Over 4,300 people sign a petition entitled Not in Our City.

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March 25, 2015: 4th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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March 25, 2015: 4th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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The 2015 Dare to Understand Awards are presented to Gino Benedetti, SEPTA General Counsel, and Helen Cunningham, President of the Samuel Fels Fund, for their efforts in responding to the anti-Islamic bus ad campaign with the Dare to Understand coalition.

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October 2015: Interfaith Leaders Travel to the Middle East 

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October 2015: Interfaith Leaders Travel to the Middle East 

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The Interfaith Center takes a group of 25 Philadelphia leaders on a Middle East cities tour, visiting Istanbul, Jerusalem, and Ramallah for education and dialogue.

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January 11, 2016: Religious Leaders Council Holds Inaugural Prayer Service for Mayor Jim Kenney

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January 11, 2016: Religious Leaders Council Holds Inaugural Prayer Service for Mayor Jim Kenney

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The RLC hosts an Inaugural Interfaith Prayer Gathering for Mayor Jim Kenney, sharing sacred texts, music, and prayers for the new mayor and elected officials. Held at The Salvation Army Kroc Center of Philadelphia, the gathering draws more than 150 people including more than 60 clergy members from across the region.

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March 25, 2016: 5th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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March 25, 2016: 5th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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The 2016 Dare to Understand Awards honor Mayor Michael Nutter and Baha’i leader, Gity Banan Etemad, M.D.

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2016: Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

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2016: Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

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Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia 10 Year Anniversary Video

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Spring 2016: Inter-Seminary Initiative Launches

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Spring 2016: Inter-Seminary Initiative Launches

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The Inter-Seminary Initiative is founded, offering a dozen area seminaries and graduate schools the opportunity to work together to equip future religious leaders to serve a religiously plural world.

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Visionary Women is an intergenerational program exploring issues at the intersection of religion, gender, race, and social justice concerns. In its inaugural year, 75 local leaders, ages 16 to 92 from ten faith traditions, joined the Visionary Women program.

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2017: Artist Krisa Bard Donates Limited Edition Artwork

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2017: Artist Krisa Bard Donates Limited Edition Artwork

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Artist Krista Bard donates a limited edition print entitled "Understanding," to Interfaith Center to be the annual Dare to Understand award. According to Bard, "Understanding embodies Interfaith's mission and is one of the most powerful words in the world. It raises the human spirit and calls forth what is best in each of us. It is precisely what the world needs at this moment.”

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March 7, 2017: 6th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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March 7, 2017: 6th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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The 2017 Dare to Understand Award is presented to Eboo Patel, Founder of Interfaith Youth Core (Interfaith America, as of 2022)

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January 2018: Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia Changes its Name to Interfaith Philadelphia

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January 2018: Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia Changes its Name to Interfaith Philadelphia

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The Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia begins the new year with a new name, Interfaith Philadelphia. This change reflects the organization's aspiration for the region to exemplify how individuals from diverse backgrounds and worldviews can come together to shape a just and compassionate society.

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Mosaic Summer Program launches, allowing students to experience their neighborhoods in a new way as they learn about their peers' religious and cultural diversity, and strengthen their own identity and leadership skills.

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Interfaith Youth Neighborhood Mosaic 2018

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April 12, 2018: 7th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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April 12, 2018: 7th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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The 2018 Dare to Understand Awards are presented to PECO (accepted by Elizabeth Murphy), Husnaa Hashim, Youth Poet Laureate and Walking the Walk Alumna, and Jane Golden, President of Mural Arts Philadelphia.

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2019: Passport to Understanding is Published

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2019: Passport to Understanding is Published

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Passport to Understanding is developed as a tool to distribute and a curricular feature of programming.  The “passport” features five practices for interfaith and cross-cultural engagement:  Be Curious, Venture Out, Welcome In, Stand Tall and Stand With.

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2019: Launched A Year of Civil Conversations in Cooperation with On Being

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2019: Launched A Year of Civil Conversations in Cooperation with On Being

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Interfaith Philadelphia embarks on a Year of Civil Conversations, in cooperation with the team at On Being. During this year, approximately 1,000 people are trained in Facilitating Civil Conversations, and three community dialogues are held on Race & Faith, Religion & the Media, and Identity & Belonging.

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A Year Of Civil Conversations with Interfaith Philadelphia (feat. Krista Tippett)

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2019: Crafting Community Project Launches

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2019: Crafting Community Project Launches

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The Crafting Community Project (2019-2022) launches, thanks to a three-year grant from the William Penn Foundation. Year one took place in South Philadelphia, culminating in a Community Cookbook co-created with residents and community groups.

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April 28, 2019: 8th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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April 28, 2019: 8th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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The 2019 Dare to Understand Award honors Krista Tippett, an award-winning author. Tippett founded and leads The On Being Project, hosts the globally esteemed On Being public radio show and podcast, and curates the Civil Conversations Project.

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August 25, 2020: 9th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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August 25, 2020: 9th Annual Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony 

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The 2020 Dare to Understand Award is presented to Elder Milan Kunz on behalf of the Philadelphia Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Rev. Steven Lawrence on behalf of NewCORE.

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2020: Interfaith Philadelphia Pivots Programming in Response to COVID-19 Crisis

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2020: Interfaith Philadelphia Pivots Programming in Response to COVID-19 Crisis

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In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Interfaith Philadelphia pivots to bring its programming online, inaugurating a topical series, Dialogue: Face-to-Face, interfaith film nights, and other virtual programs and workshops.

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May 26, 2021: 10th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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May 26, 2021: 10th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Ala Stanford, Founder of Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, receive the 2021 Dare to Understand Awards.

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The Leadership Institute of Philadelphia (LIIP) is launched, headed by Asheq Fazlullah and Bronwen Mayer Henry, with offerings to build interfaith knowledge, skills, relationships and experiences.

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May 12, 2022: 11th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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May 12, 2022: 11th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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The 2022 Dare to Understand Awards are presented to Msgr. Michael Carroll and Sr. Maria Hornung, MMS for their groundbreaking interfaith education work.

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June 9, 2022: Religious Leaders Council hosts From Sanctuary to Street, From Lament to Action

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June 9, 2022: Religious Leaders Council hosts From Sanctuary to Street, From Lament to Action

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The Religious Leaders Council continues its focus on violence reduction and sponsors a public program: From Sanctuary to Street, from Lament to Action. Drawing more than 200 people, the program included an interfaith worship service honoring the memory of those taken by gun violence in Philadelphia in 2021, the Memorial to the Lost t-shirt display, a remembrance moment and consecration at a gun murder site, and a Witness Walk through Center City.

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Fall 2022: the Inter-Seminary Initiative Launches Student Series, "What Chaplaincy Can Teach us About Interfaith Work"

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Fall 2022: the Inter-Seminary Initiative Launches Student Series, "What Chaplaincy Can Teach us About Interfaith Work"

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In 2022, the Inter-Seminary Initiative launches the Student Series with "What Chaplaincy Can Teach Us About Interfaith Work.” Current and former theological students from multiple religious backgrounds share their experiences as chaplains in hospitals, colleges, prisons, and the military and discuss how chaplaincy impacted their faith and understanding of religious diversity.

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"What Chaplaincy Can Teach Us..." Interview with Zachary Brown and Kevin Long

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Build Religious Literacy: A Window into your Neighbor's Faith is offered to the community as a new cohort program through the Leadership Institute.

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2022: Foundations of Interfaith Leadership LIVE launches with Interfaith America

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2022: Foundations of Interfaith Leadership LIVE launches with Interfaith America

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In collaboration with Interfaith America, Interfaith Philadelphia launches Foundations of Interfaith Leadership LIVE – a certificate program in Foundations of Interfaith Leadership.

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March 2, 2023: 12th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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March 2, 2023: 12th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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Valarie Kaur, Sikh author and activist, receives the 2023 Dare to Understand Award. Valarie Kaur is the author of "See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love" and a producer of critically acclaimed and award-winning films.

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Summer 2023: Sara Zebovitz Named Associate Director

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Summer 2023: Sara Zebovitz Named Associate Director

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Sara Zebovitz is named Associate Director of Interfaith Philadelphia.

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2024: Interfaith Philadelphia Celebrates its 20th Anniversary 

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2024: Interfaith Philadelphia Celebrates its 20th Anniversary 

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Interfaith Philadelphia celebrates its 20th anniversary with initiatives such as a declaration of Interfaith Philadephia Day by Mayor Cherelle Parker, its name in the Crown Lights on the PECO building, the production of a 20 Questions video series, and the hosting the 2024 Dare to Understand Awards Ceremony.

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February 20, 2024: Religious Leaders Council Hosts Interfaith Inaugural Service for Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council

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February 20, 2024: Religious Leaders Council Hosts Interfaith Inaugural Service for Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council

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Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia holds an interfaith prayer service in honor of Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council.  Religious Leaders Council members read sacred scriptures from the Jewish, Muslim, Baha'i, and Christian religions.

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June 2024: Zones of Peace Reaches 100 Partners

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June 2024: Zones of Peace Reaches 100 Partners

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Zones of Peace, in its 14th year, reaches a total of 100 recognized congregations, organizations and agencies, all of which address the root causes and manifestations of violence in our region.

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June 6, 2024: 13th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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June 6, 2024: 13th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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Interfaith Philadelphia celebrates its 20th Anniversary by honoring the 950+ alumni of the Walking the Walk Youth Initiative and its congregations, mentors, group leaders, parents, and service partners. The 2024 Dare to Understand Awards are presented to the last decade of Board Chairs: Imam Dr. Quaiser D. Abdullah, The Reverend B. Jesse Garner, and The Very Rev. Judith A. Sullivan. Also receiving the award is the founder of Walking the Walk, Marjorie N. Scharf.

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June 6, 2024: City Proclaims "Interfaith Philadelphia Day"

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June 6, 2024: City Proclaims "Interfaith Philadelphia Day"

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Cherelle L. Parker, Mayor of Philadelphia, proclaims June 6, 2024 to be Interfaith Philadelphia Day in Philadelphia, and urges all residents to support its vision of a region that reflects the vibrancy of a religiously diverse democracy, one in which all people are valued, distinctive traditions are welcomed, and people of diverse backgrounds collaborate to shape a just and compassionate society.

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May 15, 2025: 14th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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May 15, 2025: 14th Annual Dare to Understand Award Ceremony

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Britain Covey, Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver and Punt Returner, 2025 Super Bowl Champion, and Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was presented with the 2025 Dare to Understand® Award.