InterFAITH Aurora celebrates friendship, music at Community Thanksgiving service

InterFAITH Aurora held its 12th annual community Thanksgiving service, a celebration of music and friendship, on Sunday, Nov. 24, at the new Society 57 venue in Aurora.

The 90-minute program which drew about 170 attendees featured 16 speakers from 12 faith communities. It included the Orchard Community, Wesley United Methodist, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Aurora Jewish Renewal Congregation, Baha'i Community, Hindu Community, Temple B'nai Israel, Al Aqsa Mosque, Society 57, Aurora Jewish Renewal Congregation, United for Peace and St. John African Methodist Congregation.

Representing community agencies were Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, and Sarah Bredlow of The Neighbor Project.

Attendees contributed $950 to a freewill collection that was given to the project, an Aurora-based nonprofit that helps low- to moderate-income residents to become homeowners.

Highlights included Rabbi Edward Friedman of Temple B'nai Israel in Aurora leading Jewish audience members in singing "Hinrei Ma Tev (Behold How Good)."

Also, under direction of Thew Elliott, director of traditional worship at Aurora's Wesley United Methodist Church, audience members became a community choir which sang "There is Enough."

To conclude the program, Mary Watson Hawkins, director of Aurora's St. John AME Church's Praise Choir, led choristers and audience members in simultaneous vocal and American Sign Language versions of "I Need you to Survive."

InterFAITH Aurora is an ecumenical group of faith communities with the mission of building understanding, acceptance and love in the Aurora community.

Call (630) 862-9621 for more information.