A unity gathering hosted by the Peace Islands Institute was held at 670 Bergen Boulevard 2nd Floor in Ridgefield, New Jersey on Sunday, March 10, 2013. The first unity gathering was held two months prior where the topic of Prophet Abraham was discussed.
In honor of International Women’s Day, which was on March 8th, the topic for the panel this time around was, “How Cultures and Religions Shape Women’s Role in Society.” The four speakers of the panel were: Rabbi Leana Moritt of the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation), Josephine Hernandez (Vice President of the Passaic Academic Center at Passaic Community College Chair of the Board of Directors for the Girls Scouts of Northern New Jersey), Dr. Nuray Tugrul Yurt (Director if Peace Islands Institute of Central Jersey), and Alka Chandra (Trustee of the Arya Samaj for the Hindu Community). Each of the four speakers had fifteen minutes to discuss their topics. These women gave inspirational speeches about their personal journeys, motherhood, feminism, culture, their experiences in a new country, and their roles as women in their own religions. The panel was concluded by Dilek Oztoprak of the Peace Island Institute presenting each of the speakers with gifts.
Pictures from the event: