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Acts of Faith

Rabbi Sholom Estrin, assistant rabbi with Congregation Sha'arei Israel, holds a Havdalah candle, lit at the end of the Sabbath to mark the passage from sacred to secular time. Estrin was among those who led a community memorial and solidarity gathering for victims of the Mumbai terrorist attacks. The event at the Chabad Center of Raleigh paid tribute to the more than 170 people who died in the attacks. 'Our response to any tragedy is to add more holiness in the world,' Estrin said. 'The Havdalah candle reminds us that we can choose to create holiness in our lives.' The killings in Mumbai, including the targeting of Jews at the Mumbai Chabad Lubavitch center, known as the Nariman House, were shocking, but he said the appropriate response is simple. 'The response must not be for us to go into hiding; on the contrary, we must increase in our efforts to help people get in touch with their spiritual side; to encourage them to increase in goodness and kindness. ... To us that is the proper response to terror.'
About This Project


Ethan Hyman
"Acts of Faith" explores the different belief systems that co-exist in the Triangle area. Ten years of heavy migration has brought many new faiths to the region, turning the Bible Belt home of Billy Graham into a spiritual coat of many colors. Mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, Sikh Gurudwaras, synagogues and scores of Christian churches have become spiritual and social centers for a radically changing population. The demographic shift has pushed congregations to find innovative ways to keep their members while attracting new arrivals. "Acts of Faith" was born as a way to show this new religious diversity and analyze the role spirituality plays in people's daily lives.


Pailin Wedel
When covering an event for Acts of Faith, we look for situations that evoke strong emotion and try to bring readers into the moment. Though holidays and major celebrations are important, we also look for unexpected expressions of faith and quieter moments of solitary exploration. We hope to give readers insight into the breadth and depth of faith by showing how people incorporate it into their everyday lives.


Ted Richardson
For two years, Sher Stoneman and Susana Vera produced this column. In 2004, they handed it over to Ethan Hyman, Scott Lewis and Lisa Lauck. In 2005, Ted Richardson replaced Scott Lewis on this project. In 2006, Pailin Wedel replaced Lisa Lauck.

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