In a world that seems increasingly chaotic and polarized, sometimes it’s difficult to see the good news that surrounds us. At a Thanksgiving community event held annually in East Cobb, a myriad of faith groups from the north Atlanta metro area unite to get to know each other better and celebrate the good that they accomplish when they work together to serve their neighbors. The community is invited to enjoy time together, laugh, share traditions and cultures, and celebrate those who are working to improve their communities.
The 15th annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration, an event put together by more than a dozen faith-based groups in the Cobb, Fulton and Cherokee counties, is scheduled for Thursday, November 21 in East Cobb at 7pm.
This year’s theme is “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?,” and the celebration will provide a night of uplifting music, humor, good food, and inspirational messages from various religious leaders about ways to work together as faith communities to look out for one another and the world around us. The event will also spotlight interfaith efforts, Pianos for Peace, a non-profit organization founded by Grammy Award winning composer and pianist Malek Jandali to transform communities and build peace through music and education, and IMAN (Inner-City Muslim Action Network), a community organization that fosters health, wellness and healing in the inner-city by organizing social change, cultivating the arts, and operating a holistic health center.
Rabbi Steve Lebow of Temple Kol Emeth added, “Cobb County and the surrounding areas need to come together as never before. The Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration reminds us that we are all Americans.”
Co-host Noor Abbady says, “The Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration is the epitome of what Atlanta really looks like. Hundreds of people from all backgrounds and faiths, gather to sing, laugh, reflect, and break bread. They gather because of their differences, not in spite of them.”
The community is invited to attend this event and join 20 different local churches, temples, mosques, and centers to celebrate different faith traditions with the common goal of working together to improve communities. Come hear reflections from speakers representing Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other faith communities about how we can work together to make the world a more compassionate and safer place. This message is more important than ever in a world where people of all faiths have faced tragedies this past year.
Participating religions in this year’s Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration:
- Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- Art of Living Foundation
- Baha’i Faith Center – Marietta East Cobb Islamic Center
- East Cobb Islamic Center (ECIC)
- East Cobb UMC
- Emerson Universalist Unitarian
- Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta (FAMA)
- Interfaith Community Initiatives (ICI)
- Islamic Center of Marietta
- Masjid Al-Muminum
- Pilgrimage United Church of Christ
- Roswell Community Masjid
- Sandy Springs Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Sikh Educational Welfare Association (SEWA)
- Saint Catherine’s Episcopal Church
- Temple Beth Tikvah
- Temple Kol Emeth
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Roswell and Marietta
- Transfiguration Catholic Church
- Unity North Spiritual Community
The event takes place at Temple Kol Emeth, 1415 Old Canton Road in Marietta/East Cobb. It is free to the public. Seating for 800 fills up quickly, so please arrive 15 or more minutes before the 7pm start. Parking is limited, and guests are advised to carpool.
In the event that the service reachs capacity, the event will also be live-streamed at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, just three miles away at 3155 Trickum Road in Marietta/East Cobb. You can also view from home at bit.ly/TKEstream. For more information regarding the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration, visit the Facebook page or contact Hal Schlenger at hal.schlenger@gmail.com or Temple Kol Emeth at 770-973-3533.
