Plagues and pestilences feature prominently in the scriptures of various faith traditions—how should we understand pandemics in our current context? Do our respective faiths offer spiritual and physical guidance on how to respond to such calamities? How are religious leaders talking to their communities about COVID-19? With Easter, Passover, and Ramadan just around the corner, what are some opportunities and challenges faith leaders foresee in observing these events under quarantine?

Please join us for an interfaith discussion with Rabbi Justin David, Rev. Marisa Brown Ludwig, and Imam Nihal. We hope you will join us whether or not affiliated with a particular faith tradition. Co-host: Sanford Lewis

SPEAKER BIOS:

Rabbi Justin David has been the Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Northampton since 2002. During that time, he has helped the community grow through his commitment to social justice, inclusion, innovation in worship, Jewish education and interfaith work. He is a recipient of the 2018 Human Rights Hero award from T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, an organization of over 1800 rabbis and cantors across the US. Among his favorite projects is Abundance Farm at CBI, an organic farm whose produce goes directly to the Northampton Survival Center, and which serves as an outdoor classroom, summer camp and outdoor worship/meditation space. Rabbi David received rabbinic ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and has a BA from Oberlin College. He loves music, writing, hiking and running, and spending time with his wife and two sons in Northampton.

Rev. Marisa Brown Ludwig, MSW, MDiv has been Associate Pastor at First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, United Church of Christ since November 2013. Marisa is Vice President of the Interfaith Council of Greater Springfield and serves on the Southern New England Conference United Church of Christ Task Team on Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations. Marisa is active in issues of Racial Justice, LGBTQ Rights, Climate Change, Women’s Rights and Reproductive Justice, and hosts a weekly interfaith Coffee & Conversations locally. She received a MICAH Award in 2020 from the Pioneer Valley Project. While working full time and raising two boys with her husband Peter, she attended seminary at both Hartford Seminary and Andover Newton Theological School, with special emphasis on Women’s Spirituality and Interfaith/Ecumenical Relations.

Imam Nihal Khan works as the Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Connecticut located in the town of Windsor, and also services the Islamic American Society of Connecticut in the town of Waterbury. In 2019, Nihal was selected as a fellow to participate in the seminary program of the Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE). Accompanied by a group of young religious leaders and medical students from all over the world, Nihal traveled to Germany and Poland and examined how clergy, religious leaders, and physicians behaved when the Nazis occupied Europe.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/126408300

Meeting ID: 126 408 300

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,126408300# US (Chicago)
+19294362866,,126408300# US (New York)

Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 126 408 300
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abS6knyY8e

Join us for an interactive session with Christine Pontus, associate director of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, who will discuss the conditions our healthcare professionals are facing in these unprecedented times. We will talk about PPE for medical personnel, their access to testing, work conditions in hospitals, child-care facilities for nurses and hospital staff, and steps our communities can take to best support healthcare professionals at this time.

SPEAKER BIO:

CHRISTINE PONTUS, MS, RN, COHN-S/CCM

Christine Pontus is a board certified Occupational Health Nurse and is an Associate Director of Health & Safety within the division of Nursing for the Massachusetts Nurses Association. Chris has worked as a staff nurse in the hospital, a certified occupational health nurse and a certified case manager in the manufacturing environment.

She is currently involved in identifying and analyzing research, policy and current trends in the field of Occupational Health and Safety as it impacts nurses. As an educator and Nurse Planner, she is responsible for planning, developing and presenting approved educational programs for registered nurses as well as working to prevent injury and disease among them.

She is directly involved with injured nurses helping them through the Workers Compensation System and testifying on their behalf. She represents the Massachusetts Nurse Association working in collaboration with diverse organizations and professionals both on a national and international basis.

DR. KEVIN KAVANAGH is founder and Board Chairman of Health Watch USA, a non-profit patient advocacy and healthcare policy research organization. Health Watch USAsm is a member of the National Quality Forum and has been designated as a “Community Leader” for Value-Driven Healthcare by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He has published over 20 peer reviewed manuscripts on healthcare policy and/or research integrity problems, many of which deal with deficiencies in reporting systems and in controlling hospital acquired infections and drug resistant organisms. In addition, he has published letters in peer reviewed journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association and New England of Medicine. Dr. Kavanagh is also a frequent contributor to the Lexington Herald Leader on Healthcare Issues and over the last six years a recurrent guest on the Jack Pattie Radio Show on health policy issues.

Dr. Kavanagh has been an Associate Editor for the Journal of Patient Safety since July 2014. He has served on the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services’ Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program Technical Expert Panel (TEP) from 2014 to 2019; the AHRQ Standing Working Group for Quality Indicators for 2016 to 2017; the AHRQ Health Care Effectiveness and Outcomes Research (HEOR) Study Section, and he has also serves on the National Quality Forum’s Consensus Standards Approval Committee (CSAC) (May 9, 2018-Sep. 30, 2018, Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2020).

.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/608272441

Meeting ID: 608 272 441

One tap mobile
+19294362866,,608272441# US (New York)
+13126266799,,608272441# US (Chicago)

Dial by your location
+1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 608 272 441
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abS6knyY8e