Upcoming Events
27 August
Getting to Know Vahiguru
10:00 - 11:00am PST
Sikh Center of Orange County
Santa Ana, CA, USA
27 August
Nurturing a Sikh Child
11:15 - 12:30am PST
Sikh Center of Orange County
Santa Ana, CA, USA
27 August
Love and Sikhi
1:30 - 2:30pm PST
Sikh Center of Orange County
Santa Ana, CA, USA
September 2011
10 September
Awakening to Purpose
Webinar ID: 395619897
Liv Sikhi Webinar
11:00 am - 12:30 pm CST
17 September
Getting to Know Vahiguru
11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Gurdwara Sikh Sangat
Euless, TX, USA
17 September
The Environment: Recognizing Creator in Creation
12:45 - 2:00pm CDT
Gurdwara Sikh Sangat
Euless, TX, USA
18 September
Getting to Know Vahiguru
10:00 - 11:00am CDT
Singh Sabha Gurdwara
Richardson, TX, USA
18 September
Love &Sikhi
11:15am - 12:30pm CDT
Singh Sabha Gurdwara
Richardson, TX, USA
24 September
Sikh Education Conference
Stamford, CT, USA
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Get Ready for SEC 2011
The theme of the Sikh Education Conference 2011 will be "Sikhi Education: What? When? How?" Through a series of engaging discussions, presentations from education professionals and hands-on workshops and activities, SEC 2011 will bring together people from many aspects of the field of Sikh education to tackle these questions.
Discussion themes include:
- Developing Characteristics
- Learning from Stories
- Teaching Multi-Age Students
- School Administration
- Bringing Gurmukhi Back
- Learning at Camps
If you are an educator, administrator, counselor, curriculum developer or generally interested in the exciting world of Sikh education, we hope you will join us 24 September in Stamford, Connecticut.
We'd love it if you'd help us spread the word to other Sikh educators by forwarding this newsletter, or sharing a link on your Facebook or Twitter! Thanks!
For more details: http://www.sikhri.org/sikh - education-conference
To register, please visit: http://www.sikhri.org/sec - 2011-registration
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Reviving History in CT
SikhRI presented two events at Gurdwara Norwalk on 7 August which about 300 people attended. "Guru Ka Bagh Morcha" traced the etymology, scriptural insights and foundational principles of Guru Ka Bagh Morcha, as well as the role it has played in the disapora and the more general Sikh vision.
"Reviving the Gurduara" serves as both a history lesson, and a call to action today in helping Sikhs understand the historical context of Gurduara and how today's institutions can strive to return to these principles and values.
"[The] presentation on Gurduaras was an eye opener," said Narvin Anand or Westport, CT. "It reminded me that historically, the divan halls in Gurdwaras were never big. It made me question why we want to build a mansion sized gurdwara? Our gurdwara has to include a multipurpose hall for activities for elderly, youth and the Khlasa school and the programs have to cater to all singles, youth and mixed families."
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Liv: The Janeau Story
"The Janeau Story," a webinar for young children, was presented by Inni Kaur and Jasmine Kaur on 23 July. The session was an interactive reading of the second chapter of the book Journey With the Gurus. Twenty-nine people attended. Jasmine Kaur lead a fun discussion on the themes of the story after Inni Kaur did a dramatic reading of the chapter, using the webinar format to show off the colorful illustrations.
There was also a gathering at the IGO library in San Antonio that same day for children to come together and take place in some hands-on activities also based on "The Janeau Story" and to listen to the webinar together. Harliv Kaur supervised this event which 15 children attended.
If you weren't able to attend "The Janeau Story" webinar last month, you can watch the recording on SikhRI's Vimeo page.
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Bringing Sikhi to the Public
Harinder Singh presented informational sessions about Sikhs for the general public. The first, "Sikhi: Faith and People," took place in Mercedes, TX, on 27 July with about 55 people in attendance. The talk is intended to provide a general overview for a non-Sikh audience of the history of Sikhi and the values and ideas which Sikhs hold most important today. Topics covered include an overview of the Sikh Revolution, the Sikh Nation, and the Global Presence.
The second presentation, "Who Are the Sikhs" was held on 12 August at the Third Street Alliance in Easton, PA. About 100 people attended the session which covered the Five Ks, the history of Sikhi, the religion, language and lifestyle of Sikhs, and the Guru Granth Sahib.
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Something for Everyone in NJ
It was an exciting and busy weekend for Harinder Singh and Jasmine Kaur from 12 -14 August. SikhRI staff facilitated seven events in Jersey City, NJ, bringing programming which offered something for everyone--from young children to adults!
The events were held at the Nanak Naam Jahaj Gurudwara (NNJG), with audiences ranging from 200 to 600 depending on the topic. Presentations on "Reviving the Gurduara," "Rekindling the Sikh Spirit" and "Guru Granth Sahib" were a combination of historical study of lessons in Gurbani and the roots of Sikh institutions like the Gurduara, as well as suggestions for ways to make the language, institutions and message of Sikhi vibrant and exciting today.
“I learnt a lot from the sessions conducted by Sikh Research Institute. For the first time in my life, I learnt the meaning of ‘mutha-tekna’ (bowing before GGS)," said Kanwardeep Singh of Jersey City, NJ. "It is very unfortunate that we do not even know such basics. Sikh Research Institute is working hard to ensure that we learn what we generally do not learn in Gurduaras."
"Getting to Know Vahiguru", “Love and Sikhi,” and "Creator in Creation" were especially for children ages 5 to 15 years. Using examples from the natural world, these sessions talk about the attributes of Vahiguru as illustrated by the language of Gurbani, and use stories of the teachings of the Gurus to demonstrate to young children how love of nature, and learning from nature, comes easily to Sikhs. Children enjoyed the interactive style of the presentations and the an opportunity to learn and practice new vocabulary. About 47 kids and 30 parents attended these sessions.
“ Children are our future and we must focus on them," said Surinderpal Singh of Jersey City. "Sikh Research Institute has wonderful programs for kids and NNJG-Jersey City conducted three of such programs last weekend. It was a gratifying experience. I was surprised and thrilled to see such a large participation from our Gurduara’s sangat. The parents have also been thanking me for organizing the kids workshops.”
"Women: Gateway to Freedom" was attended by about 100 people who came together to hear Harinder Singh talk about the proper respect due to women in Sikh communities, and the ways that communities today must take on the difficult task of examining modern prejudices and discrimination which goes against this call. The presentation uses examples from Gurbani and successful activist campaigns to urge audience members to find the courage to return to those values and effect change at a local, or global, level in the Sikh community.
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Gurduara: Vision & Reality
"Gurduara: Vision, Reality & Next Steps" was presented at the Sikh Cultural Society in Richmond Hills, NY, on 12 August. The talk traced the historical roots of the Gurduara and ways that the modern institution could be changed to better reflect those ideals of a place for community service and education. Harinder Singh also explored the elections of the SGPC and its relevance in shaping today's Gurduaras.
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SikhRI at Summer Camps
Harinder Singh presented four sessions at Camp Gurmat in Easton, PA, on the topic of Seva. Each session explored a different aspect of what "selfless service" means to a Sikh and how to take those lessons and make them a fresh and constant part of life. With topics like "Seva: Idea, Intent & Attitude" and "Seva: 5 Historical Personalities," Harinder Singh strove to connect this foundational idea of community service to a modern world. Twelve high school students and 11 adults attended the sessions.
Jasmine Kaur also led sessions for over 170 Sikh campers at Camp Chardhi Kala in Burlingham, NY. She facilitated discussions for both children and parents, covering topics such as “Knowing your Principles,” “Making Choices” and “Nurturing Sikhi in Your Child.”
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From Ardas to Anand in NC
On 9 August, Harinder Singh presented "From Ardas to Anand" as a workshop for 15 school children at the Sikh Gurdwara of North Caroline in Durham, NC. The workshop explored the individual and collective dimensions of Ardas and how to connect this to one's personal needs and interests.
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Thank You!
Sikh Research Institute exists to serve the community's education needs. As we strive to fulfill our mission of empowerment through education, we cannot be successful without the endless support of volunteers. Thank you to all of our volunteers this month who continue to inspire us with their strength, dedication, and passion!
Bibek Singh, Gurvinder Singh, Inni Kaur, Gurpal Bindra, Gurpreet Kaur, Harliv Kaur, Livleen Singh, Karnail Singh, Kulpreet Singh, Mandhir Singh, Manpreet Singh Jassal, Sandeep Singh, and Surinderpal Singh.
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