One Beacon Presents: "Light in the Darkness of Racism & Anti-Semitism"
This evening, One Beacon will be hosting a special interfaith event at The Salem Tabernacle at 7 Delavan Ave. in Beacon, from 6 to 9 pm. Clergy in Beacon planned this event almost two weeks ago as a response to racism and anti-Semitism in our local area.
“When this event was being planned, we had no idea that the topic would continue to be more urgent, as we saw with the mass shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue last weekend,” said Jacolyn Dandreano, the Office Administrator for the Salem Tabernacle, who is also the pastor Reverend Bill Dandreano’s wife.
The event will include time for dinner together (many will be fasting until dinner on Thursday) as well as reflections and exhortations from several speakers from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities in Beacon, in addition to Mayor Randy Casale.
Speakers include:
Pastor Bill Dandreano of Salem Tabernacle
Pastor Ben Larson-Wolbrink of First Presbyterian Church
Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek of Beacon Hebrew Alliance
Imam Abdullah Abdul Wajid of Masjid Ar-Rashid
Pastor Ronald O. Perry of Springfield Baptist Church will be in attendance but will not be speaking.
No sign-up or donation is necessary to attend. Salem Tabernacle is providing the food and venue, and childcare will be available for children ages 9 and under.
InterFaith Alliances And Support Shown In Beacon
Some clergy in Beacon met at the Beacon Hebrew Alliance on Sunday in order to show support to the Jewish community before they headed off to their own services. “Our pastor, Reverend Bill Dandreano, related that many were overwhelmed to the point of tears by the comfort this simple act provided,” said Jacolyn in an email to A Little Beacon Blog. From the event’s postcard:
“One Beacon calls on people of all faith and good conscience to come together to acknowledge our collective capacity for racism, anti-Semitism, as evidenced by the recent flyer attack in Dutchess County.”