Wednesday 25 August 2004

Rabbi to speak on "Bigotry and Solidarity" at St Andrew's on The Terrace Rabbi Michael Weisser of the Auckland Progressive Jewish Congregation will deliver a pubic lecture at St Andrew's on The Terrace today (Thursday 26 August) at 12:15 p.m. The event is organised by the St Andrew's Trust for the Study of Religion and Society.

Rabbi Michael Weisser, from Beth Shalom (Auckland Progressive Jewish Congregation) has long experience with dealing with prejudice and racism, and has won interfaith and civil liberty awards for his work in those fields.

Dr Margaret Mayman, minister of St Andrew's on The Terrace and chair of the Study Trust, is encouraging Wellingtonians to attend the lecture. "We need to think seriously about our response to the sort of bigotry that causes racial hatred and cemetery desecrations, and solidarity with minority ethnic and religious groups is one answer," she said.

Yesterday, several hundred people gathered at parliament to hear speakers advocate for racial tolerance and solidarity with the Jewish community in the aftermath of the cemetery desecration. It was a positive and hopeful event. This lecture offers further opportunity for people to reflect on how Wellingtonians can live out our commitments to be a tolerant and open society.

ENDS

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