In light of the horrific murders of our Muslim brothers and sisters in New Zealand this past week, ESTHER members are encouraged to gather at our local mosques during their gathering times on Friday, March 22, to show compassion, solidarity and friendship.
Islamic Center of Wisconsin
720 W Parkway Blvd, Appleton
Fox Valley Islamic Society
102 Kappell Dr, Neenah
Masjid Qamar Oshkosh Mosque
300 N Eagle St, Oshkosh
The Neenah and Appleton mosques meet for worship at 1 pm and the Oshkosh mosque has their gathering at 1:15 pm.
Please be aware that there is much fear and suspicion of strangers in the Muslim community at this time, but that should not stop people of good will from extending a hand of friendship and kindness.
Reeve Union Ballroom, UW Oshkosh, 748 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh
“The Gift of Our Wounds” authors Pardeep Singh Kaleka, a Sikh, and Arno Michaelis, a former white supremacist, share a message of forgiveness and compassion while addressing a host of social issues, including violence, racism, sexism, homophobia, religious intolerance, Holocaust remembrance and genocide prevention.
The co-authors are also co-founders of Serve2Unite. They will speak about how to understand incidents of hate and how to intervene when encountering hateful acts or incidents. Kaleka, who lost his father Satwant Singh Kaleka in the August 5th, 2012 Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, and Michaelis, a former white supremacist who helped to start a gang back in the late 1980s that produced the August 5th shooter, founded Serve2Unite in 2013 to share their message of forgiveness after hate.
ESTHER’s Oshkosh Workgroup held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Watch this brief report from chair Jennifer Considine with information about:
Continuing efforts to provide free or reduce-fare transportation for students in Oshkosh schools.
Improving the racial literacy of the task force by reading and discussing together Debby Irving’s Waking up White.
The November 2019 issue of The Compass, the official newspaper for the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, contains an article entitled, “I Thought We Couldn’t Join ESTHER.” It was written by Peter Weiss, program manger for the Diocesan Office of Living Justice.
As Weiss notes, the view expressed in the article’s title is incorrect:
So to summarize, Bishop Ricken did not say it was wrong for individual Catholics to belong to groups like ESTHER and JOSHUA [ESTHER’s sister organization in Green Bay]. Rather, he recognized the good work these organizations do in our communities and left the decision [about membership or support] up to the prudential judgment of the individual.
The Islamic Center of Wisconsin (720 W. Parkway Blvd., Appleton) will have an Open House on Saturday, March 14 from 10:00 AM–2:00 PM.
The Fox Valley Muslim community warmly invites you, your family, friends and colleagues to visit the Mosque! Learn about Islam and ask questions. Light lunch and refreshments will be served.
For more information, please contact (920) 882-3001.
A Special Invitation for ESTHER Faith Communities & Individual Members
from Bread for the World Midwest Regional Organizer, Zach Schmidt & Prince of Peace ELCA Advocacy Team
When Prince of Peace’s ELCA Advocacy Team realized our annual Bread for the World Offering of Letters would need to go virtual, we also realized it was an opportunity to invite area congregations to join us in advocating for the hungry.
We are excited to announce that our 2020 Offering of Letters will be kicked off with a special webinar for ESTHER member faith communities and individuals.
Please plan to join us on Thursday, April 30, at noon for this fabulous opportunity to join with neighbors throughout the Fox Valley to address food insecurity and nutritional needs even as we are physically distanced.
“The Gift of Our Wounds” authors Pardeep Singh Kaleka, a Sikh, and Arno Michaelis, a former white supremacist, share a message of forgiveness and compassion while addressing a host of social issues, including violence, racism, sexism, homophobia, religious intolerance, Holocaust remembrance and genocide prevention.
Once again, the Fox Valley Islamic Society invites the Fox Valley community to be their guests at a gathering “under the tent.”
A Special Invitation for ESTHER Faith Communities & Individual Members 
