Tanenbaum Center For Interreligious Understanding

TANENBAUM PROMOTES JUSTICE AND BUILDS RESPECT FOR RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCE BY RAISING AWARENESS, BUILDING KNOWLEDGE, AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES THAT REDUCE PREJUDICE, HATE, AND VIOLENCE IN INDIVIDUALS AND IN INSTITUTIONS. TANENBAUM PROMOTES LONG-TERM CHANGE IN SCHOOLS, WORKPLACES, HEALTH CARE SETTINGS AND AREAS OF ARMED CONFLICT.

TANENBAUMS EDUCATION PROGRAM BUILDS BEHAVIORS OF RESPECT FOR DIFFERENCE, INCLUDING RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCE, IN STUDENTS, AND FOSTERS THEIR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL GROWTH THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. WE PROVIDE TEACHERS AND EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WITH INNOVATIVE RESOURCES INCLUDING CURRICULA, LESSON PLANS, AND HOLIDAY PLANNING GUIDES FOR CELEBRATING DIVERSITY IN ALL ITS FORMS WITHIN THE CLASSROOM. WE ALSO TRAIN SCHOOL COMMUNITIES IN OUR CURRICULA AND PEDAGOGY THROUGH WEBINARS AND TRAIN THE TRAINER SESSIONS. IN 2021, TANENBAUM RELEASED THE UPDATED VERSIONS OF OUR TWO CORE CURRICULA: RELIGIONS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND WORLD OLYMPICS, ALIGNING THEM WITH OUR PEDAGOGICAL PRINCIPLES, THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND SIX BEHAVIORAL LEARNING OUTCOMES, COMMON CORE STANDARDS, AND SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING.THE WORKPLACE PROGRAM ENGAGES BUSINESS LEADERS, GLOBAL EMPLOYERS, MANAGERS, AND DEI AND HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS TO COUNTER HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION. THROUGH TRAININGS AND MATERIALS ON HOW TO EFFECTIVELY WORK WITH A GLOBAL AND INCREASINGLY RELIGIOUSLY DIVERSE WORKFORCE AND CUSTOMER BASE, COMPANIES IMPROVE THE BOTTOM LINE AND BECOME MORE PRODUCTIVE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS FOR THEIR NATIONAL AND GLOBAL WORKFORCES. IN 2021, WE SUCCESSFULLY ADAPTED TO THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT BY OFFERING BOTH OUR ANNUAL RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT AND FALL PROGRAMMING ONLINE, DELIVERING TRAINING AND LEARNING TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE.THE HEALTH CARE PROGRAM BUILDS HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS CAPACITY FOR OFFERING RELIGIOUSLY COMPETENT HEALTH CARE AND THEREBY PREVENTING DISPARITIES IN TREATMENT. TANENBAUM INVESTS IN THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE WITH TARGETED TRAININGS, E-LEARNING AND BY DISSEMINATING CURRICULUM TO MEDICAL SCHOOLS, RESIDENCY PROGRAMS, AND NURSING SCHOOLS TO PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF MEDICAL PROVIDERS FOR AN INCREASINGLY RELIGIOUSLY DIVERSE PATIENT POPULATION. IN 2021, ADDED A CHAPTER ON THE BAH FAITH IN OUR GROUNDBREAKING BOOK, THE MEDICAL MANUAL FOR RELIGIO-CULTURAL COMPETENCE.THE PEACEBUILDING PROGRAM IDENTIFIES AND COORDINATES A NETWORK OF RELIGIOUSLY MOTIVATED PEACEMAKERS WORLDWIDE, WHO SUPPORT AND COOPERATE WITH EACH OTHER TO COUNTER VIOLENCE AND WAR. TANENBAUM ALSO STUDIES AND DOCUMENTS THEIR WORK THROUGH PUBLICATIONS SO THAT THEIR SPECIALIZED TECHNIQUES CAN BE SHARED AND REPLICATED BY OTHERS. THIS YEAR, WE RELEASED THE PEACEMAKERS IN ACTION PODCAST TO SHARE THE STORIES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM TWO OF OUR PEACEMAKERS DISHANI JAYAWEERA AND REV. JACKLEVEN JACKY FRITS MANUPUTTY. IN ADDITION, WE HELP DIPLOMATS BECOME FAMILIAR WITH PEACEMAKER EFFORTS AND BEGIN TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO WORK WITH THEM IN OVERCOMING CONFLICT AND BUILDING STABLE, PEACEFUL SOCIETIES. OVER THE LONG-TERM, THIS PROGRAM IS ADVANCING THE RECOGNITION AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE VOCATION OF RELIGIOUS PEACEMAKING. INTERRELIGIOUS AFFAIRS INFORMS OUR PROGRAMS (WORKPLACE, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, AND PEACEBUILDING) BY FURTHERING THE WORK OF OUR NAMESAKE, RABBI MARC H. TANENBAUM TO BUILD A SAFER, MORE EQUITABLE WORLD FOR PEOPLE OF ALL BELIEF SYSTEMS. TODAY, RABBI TANENBAUMS LONGTIME SCHOLARLY PARTNER, DR. JUDITH BANKI CONTINUES THE RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND DIALOGUE THAT WAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF RABBI TANENBAUMS LEGACY. IN 2021, JUDY BANKI LECTURED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN CENTRE FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE TO OVER 100 STUDENTS, ACADEMICS, AND COLLEAGUES. THE LECTURE WAS AN IN-DEPTH EXAMINATION OF THE HISTORY OF INTERFAITH STUDIES SPANNING THE PAST 60 YEARS, ESPECIALLY HIGHLIGHTING HER HISTORIC ROLE IN THE VATICAN II DOCUMENT, NOSTRA AETATE. DR. BANKI WAS ALSO A GUEST LECTURER AT PROVIDENCE COLLEGE ON THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS DURING VATICAN COUNCIL II, WHICH RESULTED IN THE PUBLICATION OF NOSTRA AETATE.