Interfaith Philadelphia Hold a Weekly "Religious Literacy Learning Module"

 By Nate Feldman

Over the next several weeks, the Interfaith Philadelphia organization will be hosting the “Religious Literacy Learning Module,” an online program teaching about how people’s specific faiths and traditions guide their lives. Each week on Thursday mornings, participants will both listen to a speaker from a religious tradition and be able to join in on discussion and reflection.  Some key aspects of the program will include talks about holidays, sacred texts, religious stories, and important practices in each religion.

During the current module, there will be speakers from Judaism, Islam, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Native Traditions.  The first event was held last Thursday. 

For more information, people should contact Bronwen Henry, one of the coordinators of the event, at: bmh@interfaithphiladelphia.org. 

Vegan-styled Turkish Cooking Class in Ridgewood, New Jersey

 By Nate Feldman 

On Saturday evening, I went to a cooking class in the town of Ridgewood, New Jersey.  The event took place at Spicer’s Naturals, a store specializing in a variety of teas and spices from around the world. 

The class was organized by Taryn Clayton and Meltem Spicer and focused specifically on Vegan styled Turkish cuisine.  Both Taryn and Meltem are specialists in plant-based cooking, and Meltem, originally from Turkey, wants to show that it can be applied to Turkish cooking. 

Participants in the class both ate and learned how to make dishes, such as Muhammara, Lentil Borek, Eggplant Salad, Manti, and homemade Pistachio Ice Cream. 

Other classes focused on plant-based eating take place every couple of weeks at the shop. 

I personally enjoyed the class as it gave me an opportunity to learn how to make Turkish food and how to make it in a vegetarian/vegan-friendly way.