Not only does Chatham open its doors for people from various nationalities, it also embraces students from different religions.
Throughout the years, Chatham has offered a solid platform for students who wish to practice their religion freely and without restrictions. Dr. Sean McGreevey, assistant dean of students at Chatham and the advisor of the Chatham Multi-Faith Council, said in an interview that coming to Chatham was incredibly educational for him.
He said that people usually don’t know much about other religions and cultures, especially if they are not used to living with others who affiliate with a religion different from their own. The Multi-Faith Council is composed of people who represent different religious organizations in Pittsburgh but have committed to being on the council.
“We meet once a month; I tell them what’s going on at Chatham, and we talk about programming,” Dr. McGreevey said. “For example, we’re planning to do an event for Women’s History
Photo: Kitoko Chargois/ Members of the Muslim Student Association at the first annual Eid al-Adha Dinner
Month, and it’s going to be about women and leadership in the Torah, Bible and Quran.”
Since Chatham is not a religious institution, the multitude of different religions has been noticeable on campus.
“Chabad on Chatham” is a Jewish student organization that “tries to offer an environment that the whole Chatham community will be able to learn about and celebrate Jewish life,” said Sara Weinstein during an interview at a Chanukah celebration held in Café Rachel.
Mrs. Weinstein is one of the organization’s directors, along with her husband, Rabbi Shmuel Weinstein. Mrs. Weinstein considers bringing holiday celebrations to campus as an opportunity for both Jewish students and for those who would like to learn more about the Jewish culture.
She also expressed her gratitude towards Chatham administration and student government for being supportive. “I really have to say that we feel that Chatham is a very good base to build communication, networking and connecting between student organizations and between the student bodies. We definitely feel very positively reinforced,” she said.
Nancy Clark, the upcoming Chabad student president said that Chatham University and faculty have “established an environment where a network of student and multi-faith organizations, mutually supportive of each other provide a place where people of all faiths and beliefs are free to express their individual ideas.”
Clark is expected to take over Leiba Estrin’s position as student president of Chabad after Estrin’s graduation in December.
“When it comes to how much freedom we have [to practice our religion], I’d say as much as we want,” said Sarah Alkayed, a sophomore and president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA). “To this point I’ve never personally, as a student and the president [of the MSA] felt that I can’t practice how I choose on the campus. In general, Chatham is very tolerant and open to different religions, ideologies and so forth.”
Photo: Eliran Shkedi/ Guests laugh at the 25th Anniversary Celebration for Chabad House on Campus in Pittsburgh where Club President Leiba Estrin won an award for student leadership.
The MSA at Chatham has access to a prayer room in Buhl Hall for any Muslim who needs their own space to pray.
The MSA holds an annual dinner for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha. The Eid Dinner started three years ago and has been growing ever since, according to Alkayed. “We want the Muslim students to have the opportunity to celebrate holidays, and our purpose is to be a voice for the Muslim students and voice any concerns they may have.”
Another religious organization on campus is the Chatham Christian Fellowship. The group meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. at 10 Woodland Road behind the AFC for Bible study.
Danielle Marcano, a Pagan student at Chatham is part of the All-Faith Gathering on campus. “We like to explore the different meanings of what religion means to people. There’s always some sort of misconceptions about what certain religions are,” she said.
Last semester All Faith had some Muslim presenters talk about their religion, and Marcano said they really opened her eyes to the realities of the Islam. She also considers Chatham an open campus where everyone seems to be understanding, and people have the mindset of being willing to learn.
Chatham events for the year are not over yet. On December 6 at 8:00 p.m., there will be a Candlelight celebration at which there will be Christmas music, Jewish songs and different cultures represented.
I think it is wonderful that so many students with different beliefs and ideologies can come together to share in different traditions and learn about each other. I did want to ask, is there a place in the multi-faith council for individuals who are simply spiritual rather than religious, or who aren’t religious at all? I don’t ask only for myself, but for the many students who won’t ask. Often there is an assumption that every individual practices a religion of some kind, and there is rarely a place of understanding and acceptance for those who choose not to practice any religion at all.
I think that on many occasions, non-religious individuals are viewed as antagonistic or threatening, and due to this typically end up being discriminated against or isolated in some fashion, usually due to misunderstandings and fear. The same fear that exists between different religions exists between the religious and non-religious even more strongly, at least in my experience. In my mind, an all-faith gathering ideally is a place for religious and non-religious people to share different ideas, beliefs, and life experiences in a safe and respectful setting while appreciating each other’s individuality and uniqueness. It’s not that I think the current Multi-Faith Council is misguided in its objective – I just think the circle should be expanded to include the non-religious and make those individuals feel just as welcomed as all others.
The invisible but aggressive line between religion and non-religion on our planet often leads to social exclusion, discriminatory practices – and all too often, targeted violence. To openly embrace all religious belief systems while not also acknowledging that many may not be religious presents the risk of being exclusionary and reinforcing the social problems that already exist worldwide surrounding this issue. I would like to challenge the Chatham Multi-Faith Council to take this into account when considering marketing and outreach in the future. Inviting people of all belief systems to the table, including those who do not practice any religion at all, creates a great opportunity to learn from each other, share in each other’s company and life experiences, break down barriers, and reduce very dangerous social stigmas.
Hello Gina,
You make some good points in your comment and indeed All-Faith welcomes people of all walks. It doesn’t matter if you are religious or not, All-Faith is a safe place for all people no matter what their belief system or spiritual/religious practice to speak their mind. We are all about learning about others and so the only way to do that is to discuss this sort of thing with people who are different from you. I have learned some cool stuff and gained more understanding of the world around me in my time in All-Faith. I would like to invite you and anyone else who would be interested to join us for our next meeting this Thursday at 4:15 in the chapel basement. We will be talking about and listening to songs that each attendee brings that have some meaning to them.
Thank you. That’s most appreciated! 🙂