Interfaith Round Table of Washtenaw County

CROP Walk – hosted by Zion Lutheran Church
2024-10-06 14:00 - 17:00 (America/Detroit)
Hosted by Zion Lutheran Church at 1501 W Liberty Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.
IRT is walking as a group. Look for our banner and join us!

Day Forum – Topic: Interfaith Work on Campus
2024-10-22 11:45 - 13:00
Note the date change – to accommodate student schedules, the Day Forum will be held on the 4th Tuesday this month, instead of the 3rd Tuesday.
Register here: https://bit.ly/OctDayForum

"Hey, We Need to Talk" exhibit (in-person event)
2024-11-14 12:00 - 13:30 | University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), Crumpacker Gallery
Join members of the Interfaith Round Table of Washtenaw County and social sculptor Philippa Pham Hughes for a special experience in the interactive exhibit, “Hey, We Need to Talk!”
Feel free to enjoy your lunch while we talk together, from our various worldviews, about what it means to flourish, the role of faith institutions in local communities, and what it would take for all people of goodwill to work together to create a flourishing society.
Attendance is capped at 25, so please register only if you think you will be able to attend.
To register, please visit: Hey, We Need to Talk! with Interfaith Round Table

Annual Fall Gathering to Give Thanks (in-person)
2024-11-17 16:00 - 19:00 | First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, United States
Join us for inspirational speakers and music as we focus on gratitude, hope, and peace. Walk-ins are welcome, or register here to help us estimate attendance: https://givebutter.com/tJlygx
The First United Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor (UUAA) will host. 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Day Forum – Topic: Death and Mourning in the Jewish Tradition
2024-11-19 11:45 - 13:00
Register here: https://bit.ly/NovDayForum

Day Forum – Winter Solstice from a Variety of Faith Traditions
2024-12-17 11:45 - 13:00
Register here: https://bit.ly/DecDayForum

Spring Celebration (in-person)
2025-02-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Chinmaya Mission, 4760 Packard St., Ann Arbor, United States
Join us for delicious food, intriguing speakers, and interfaith fellowship
Hosted by Chinmaya Mission (4760 Packard Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48108)
Reserve Your Seat(s) Today: https://givebutter.com/OcGMrg

Bridging Cultural Differences
2025-03-18 11:45 - 13:00 | Zoom
Facilitators: Halim Shukair & Jim Gettel, Intercultural Community Center Dearborn
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_3fBYPCWQXKzWg00vttFMQ

Advocacy Letter Writing Project
2025-04-15 11:45 - 13:00 | Zoom
Facilitator: Diane Zahn, Northside Presbyterian Church
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JIDXSdxXTlSvqCMLhf8cJw

Sacred Snaps: Photovoice for Interfaith Engagement
2025-04-21 16:00 - 17:30 | Michigan League, 911 N. UNIVERSITY AVE, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
In-person at the Michigan League (911 N. UNIVERSITY AVE
Ann Arbor, MI)

Join us at this interactive book launch with author and founder of Interfaith Photovoice Roman Williams. You will hear about and experience a new tool for inter-religious and intercultural engagement.

RSVP here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSePfaWefLeWmVW9l2C8C_05kZR8KxEerMmMHVGj8_YZ8Uieqw/viewform

Spring Fundraiser: Faith and Democratic Values
2025-04-27 17:00 - 19:00
April 27 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm (doors open at 4:30 p.m.)
In-person at Chinmaya Avantika, 4760 Packard St, Ann Arbor

Join IRT in exploring the powerful intersection of faiths and democracy. We believe that these two forces, when working in harmony, can create a more just, equitable, and compassionate society.

Our keynote speaker will be the Rev. Jeffery Harrold, senior pastor of New Beginnings Community Church and longtime community activist and organizer.

RSVP here: https://givebutter.com/OcGMrg

The Current World and Promised Future
2025-05-20 11:45 - 13:00
The Current World and Promised Future
Zoom
Facilitator: Ted Amsten, Baha’i
Register Here: https://bit.ly/MayDayForum

Workshop: "Depolarizing Ourselves"
2025-05-22 19:30 - 21:00 | Genesis of Ann Arbor, 2309 Packard St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
In-Person at Genesis of Ann Arbor, 2309 Packard RoadThursday, May 22, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Begin to decrease political polarization by changing how we view our fellow Americans.
Register here
The Interfaith Round Table (IRT) is joining with Braver Angels of Washtenaw County to host this workshop. We hope you will join us!
To learn more about Braver Angels, visit their website: https://braverangels.org/

What Does It Mean to Live in Chardi Kala (Rising Spirits) and Anand (Bliss)
2025-06-17 11:45 - 13:00 | Zoom
Facilitator: Jaspreet Singh Sawhney, Sikh
Register Here: https://bit.ly/JuneDayForum

Beyond Hello: What Does It Mean to be a Good Neighbor?
2025-07-27 15:00 - 17:00 | County Farm Park Main Pavillion, 2230 Platt Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The Interfaith Round Table invites residents of Washtenaw County to explore with us the question of what it means to be a good neighbor in our various faith and ethical traditions and in our community. As ICE targets immigrant communities and as cities navigate questions of housing affordability, development, density, and neighborhood character, the values of neighborliness, grounded in faith and ethical traditions, can provide some guidance. Please register at the link and plan to join us for ice cream and conversation!
Questions? Email us: interfaithwashtenaw@gmail.com.
Registration link: https://givebutter.com/LCBPu7

Day Forum
2025-09-16 11:45 - 13:00 | Zoom
Tues, 9/16, 11:45 – 1:00 over Zoom: Topic – Interfaith Partnerships at Bethlehem United Church of Christ
Presenters: Lama Nancy Burks, President, Karuna Buddhist Center & Rev. Dawn Christenson, Intentional Interim Minister, Bethlehem United Church of Christ, Ann Arbor
When a newly-founded Buddhist Center was looking for space in Ann Arbor in 2022, a real estate agent suggested they call Bethlehem United Church of Christ. Join us to hear about their journey of growth and discovery over the past 3 years, as these two different faith communities have shared a physical space.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/SrEoC2wrQmSMZJTnvLg-aA

CROP Hunger Walk
2025-10-05 14:00 - 15:00 | First United Methodist Church, 120 S. State St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The programming board of the Interfaith Round Table of Washtenaw County has formed a team for the CROP Hunger Walk on October 5, to raise money and awareness to help people near and far who struggle with food insecurity.

We hope you (and your network of family and friends) will join us in doing our part to help get us one step closer to ending hunger.
IRT Team participants will receive a cool new IRT t-shirt. Join our team!

Learn more about 2025 Ann Arbor CROP Hunger Walk.

Interfaith Foodies
2025-10-12 14:30 - 15:30
Location: Will be provided upon reservation via email

Cost is $25 per person. Spots are limited; register today!

Registration Link: https://givebutter.com/7TMpQz

Food brings people together!

Our new program, Interfaith Foodies, is designed to help people connect over preparing and sharing food. As we cook together, under the guidance of an experienced chef, we learn about the foodways of a religious or ethnic tradition and how to prepare dishes that have special meaning for them. We then have a time to share the food we’ve made and learn more about food in our respective cultures.

Join us for our first Interfaith Foodies event in the afternoon on October 12, featuring foods of the Jewish High Holidays. Two friends of IRT, Bette Cotzin and Nan Gill from Temple Beth Emeth, will teach us how to make three holiday dishes: apple challah, raisin kugel, and honey cake. As we bake together, we’ll learn more about the significance of the fall holidays and share our own religious and cultural food traditions. We end our afternoon together with a delicious tasting of the foods we’ve made.

And stay alert for the next “Interfaith Foodies” event in the series: “The Sikh Unity Kitchen Experience” with board member Jaspreet Singh Sawhney

IRT Fall Gathering (In-Person)
2025-11-16 16:00 | First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, United States
Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 4:00 PM
Location: First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor
Free Event (Registration Encouraged) + Ample free parking
To register visit https://givebutter.com/45PexL
Join us on Sunday, November 16, at 4:00 PM for the Interfaith Round Table’s annual fall gathering—a time to be in community across faith traditions and share reflections, music, story, and ritual. In these times of division, we offer a space to be together and speak with one voice for peace and understanding.
We welcome guest speaker the Rev. Dr. Lauren Zinn, who will speak on “Interfaith to Interspiritual.”
The one-hour service will be followed by a reception and time to continue connecting with each other. Please bring items to donate to the Back Door Food Pantry. Needed items include: 1 lb packages of white rice, mustard, ketchup, and salad dressing. Local food pantries are struggling due to federal cuts to aid.
About our Guest Speaker
The Rev. Dr. Lauren Zinn is a former board member and volunteer of the Interfaith Round Table of Washtenaw County and designer of Faces of Faith. She founded and led Congregation Jewbilation: Jewish Roots with Interfaith Wings for six years and over a 15-year period developed The Interspiritual Classroom for teaching religion in the interspiritual age. She has a doctorate in Educational Planning from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and is an ordained interfaith minister from All Faiths Seminary, NYC. Her book, Belong to the World, Bring Your Tribe: Reimagining Judaism in the Interspiritual Age, will be published at the end of the year.

November Day Forum: Spirituality, music, and gratitude
2025-11-18 11:45 - 13:00 | Zoom
November 18, 2025 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
As we approach our American season of gratitude, we often think about family gatherings and huge meals. But the season also gives us the opportunity to take a step back and count our blessings and gratitude for the divine in our world as well. Join Regina Hayut, Cantor Emerita of Temple Beth Emeth for the November Day Forum and start to prepare for the Thanksgiving celebration by exploring the spirituality of gratitude through both liturgical and non-liturgical music and poetry.
Cantor Regina Lambert-Hayut was raised in a secular Jewish home home, where Yiddish was spoken, and an equal emphasis on Jewish and secular education was placed. Throughout her Long Island upbringing, her family often said from early childhood on that she was destined to be a cantor. “I’ve always loved to sing,” she explains. However, it wasn’t until she spent five years as a cantorial soloist at Temple Sinai of Massapequa that she knew in her heart that being a cantor—combining her love of Judaism and music—was the right path. During high school, Cantor Lambert-Hayut attended The Juilliard Pre-College for voice, however life took a decidedly more academic turn when she earned a bachelor’s degrees in Biological Chemistry, from Swarthmore College. After completing her undergraduate studies, she returned to singing and Jewish life. She attended the Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion to become a cantor, and received a Master’s degree in Sacred Music. Upon ordination, she served at two congregations prior to Temple Beth Emeth. Cantor Lambert-Hayut is married to Avishay, and has two musically talented sons, Yoav and Alon.

Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Q6BwQFxXTDa17RtyHWIHTA

December Day Forum: Winter Solstice Celebrations
2025-12-16 11:45 - 13:00 | Zoom
December 16, 2025 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
The winter solstice has been observed with reverence since ancient times. At this Day Forum, a Unitarian Universalist witch will share some modern solstice traditions shared by those with earth-based spiritual practices. We will explore the connections with other winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, etc.), particularly the powerful religious imagery of light in darkness.
Reese Havlatka (she/her/hers) is a Unitarian Universalist and witch of Celtic heritage. She was raised in a strongly Protestant family and has previously been a member of the United Church of Christ. As an adult, Reese has deepened into an earth-based spiritual practice that emphasizes community and ancestral reverence. In her professional life, Reese’s work has focused on conflict resolution at public universities.

Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Lfd_afDgSviYUrjeJQaP4A

January Day Forum: In conversation with Martin Luther King's "The World House"
2026-01-20 11:45 - 13:00
Join IRT board members Rev. Diane Smith and Christine Modey for a conversation that brings together ideas from Martin Luther King Jr’s late
essay “The World House” with Catholic Social Teaching and the pursuit of social justice and the beloved community in our own time.
Materials will be shared during the discussion, so no preparation is necessary, but you are invited to read King’s powerful and still
relevant essay here.
Register Now

Volunteers Needed: Daytime Warming Center
2026-01-30 13:00 - 15:00 | St. Mary Student Parish Catholic Church
Stay warm by warming hearts! The Daytime Warming Center in Ann Arbor provides a safe, welcoming space for our unhoused neighbors during the coldest months
of the year—and we need your help.
We’re looking for volunteers to join us for a 2-hour shift on January 30th from 1-3pm. We’ll be spending time with
guests—playing games, sharing snacks, and building community. We’re also hoping to arrange free haircuts for guests who’d like them.
What to bring (optional):
• Snacks to share
• Board games, cards, or other activities
• If you’re a hair stylist (or know one!), we’d love to offer haircuts
No experience necessary—just bring a willingness to connect and an open heart.
Volunteer Sign-Up

Interfaith Foodies – The Sikh Unity Kitchen Experience
2026-02-08 15:00 - 17:00 | Genesis of Ann Arbor, 2309 Packard St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for our second Interfaith Foodies event featuring “The Sikh Unity Kitchen Experience” led by our board member Jaspreet Singh
Sawhney.
This event will feature dishes traditionally served for ‘Langar’ (pronounced lung-er) in every Sikh temple at all times to anyone who
wishes to partake. The 500+ year practice of Langar is based on the principles of seva (service), unity (all are welcome), and nourishment
(spiritual, physical & emotional).
The vegetarian menu will consist of chhole (chickpea curry), sabzi (spiced mixed vegetables), roti (flatbread), and kheer (rice pudding).
You will have a chance to participate in the cooking as well as tasting the fruits of your labor.
Cost: $25 per person
Space is limited to 12 participants—register today!
Register Now

February Day Forum: In conversation with the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County
2026-02-17 11:45 - 13:00 | Zoom
oin us for a special presentation in collaboration with the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County on a local
online history exhibit, exploring the diverse faith communities that have shaped our region.
Register Now

WARMING CENTER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
2026-02-19 13:00 - 15:00 | First Baptist Church, 517 E Washington
Share Warmth, Connection, and Community
The Ann Arbor Daytime Warming Center provides a safe, welcoming space for neighbors experiencing homelessness, and we’re looking for volunteers to spend time with the guests, bringing joy and connection during the coldest months. Whether you love board games, cards, or friendly conversation, your presence makes a difference.
Where: First Baptist Church, 517 E Washington
When: February 19, 2026 from 1:00-3:00pm
What we need:

Volunteers to facilitate activities like games, puzzles, or movie screenings
A two-hour commitment from 1-3pm
Your willingness to share time and conversation

No special skills or experience required—every interaction reminds our guests that they’re seen, valued, and part of our community.
Please fill out this form to let us know you’re coming!

Interfaith Community Visit to AACHM
2026-02-22 13:00 | African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County, 3261 Lohr Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Join us for an in-person visit to the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County and the neighboring Episcopal
Church of the Incarnation.
We’ll explore local Black history through their new exhibit on Black churches in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti—a meaningful opportunity to come
together and deepen connections between our faith communities.
Register Now

IRT Spring Fundraiser
2026-05-31 17:00 - 20:00 | Genesis of Ann Arbor, 2309 Packard St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Come be in community with us and share a delicious meal!
