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Swami Sarvadevananda
Swami Sarvadevananda, the minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order of India. He lived near Belur Math from 1960 onward, and thus got the opportunity to come into contact with many monks who were initiated by Holy Mother, Swami Brahmananda, Swami Shivananda, and other direct disciples of Ramakrishna. In 1993, Swami Sarvadevananda was posted to the Vedanta Society of Southern California to serve as assistant minister, under Swami Swahananda. He was appointed the minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society in 2012.
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Swami Mahayogananda
Swami Mahayogananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He joined the order in 1997, and has been serving at its Hollywood branch, the Vedanta Society of Southern California, since 2013. He had the opportunity to serve the order in India from 2002–2008. He is serving as ICSoCal president since June 2021.
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Rabbi Sarah Hronsky
With a deep dedication to Jewish faith and culture, Rabbi Sarah Hronsky – “Rabbi Sarah” –enthusiastically embraces her role as Senior Rabbi for Temple Beth Hillel. Rabbi Sarah joined Temple Beth Hillel in July 2003 following her ordination at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC) of Los Angeles in 2003. While at HUC, she earned two masters degrees: one in Hebrew Letters and the other in Jewish Communal Service. A major focus of her rabbinic studies was the Jewish tradition’s view of persons with disabilities. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where her family was very active in a small congregation. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia, with a bachelor of science in secondary education.
Rabbi Sarah works extensively with the Board and staff of the congregation to ensure a thriving Reform Jewish community in the East San Fernando Valley. She brings energy and creativity to the vast programming of Temple Beth Hillel. Her rabbinate is filled with teaching, counseling, liturgical exploration, and leadership. She enthusiastically sings with the children and assists in the development of the Temple’s successful preschool and parent and me programs, teaches and leads prayer in the Religious School and Elementary Day School, and provides enriching instruction throughout the Adult Education Program. Rabbi Sarah is most honored to work directly with families in the congregation through their joyous moments and their most difficult times. She is proud to have played a significant role in the physical transformation and renovation of the Temple building ensuring for the future of the congregation. In addition, Rabbi Sarah has served on the Steering Committee of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California for 16 years. She currently serves as President, previously served as Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, member at large, chaired the Annual High Holy Day Conference several times and chaired the Funeral Practices Committee for a few years. She enjoys meaningfully participating in Jewish Community and Interfaith events throughout the greater Los Angeles area representing both Temple Beth Hillel and the Board of Rabbis. She proudly engages in social action work and maintains a close tie to the North Hollywood Food Pantry. Rabbi Sarah helps build bridges through Interfaith activities, such as partnering in educational and religious experiences with Muslims for Progressive Values and serving in a leadership role on the council of the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders. She has previously served on the Board of the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis. Rabbi Sarah is married to Yuri Hronsky, who is currently the Head of School at Woodcrest School in Tarzana. They are the proud parents of four children: daughters Chana Zoe, Eden Sivan, Josie Lily, and son Ryan Benjamin. |
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Rabbi Beau Shapiro
Rabbi Beau Shapiro directs Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s social action and interfaith programming. Working with the Temple’s array of services — from the Karsh Center to our Food Pantries and Disaster Response Team — he strives to bring people together in meaningful work so that they can experience the pride and warmth of the Jewish community. Rabbi Shapiro began his tenure at the Temple in 2003 as a song leader in our religious schools and a leader at Camp Hess Kramer. He served as the Temple’s Rabbinic Intern starting in 2009 and was hired full-time as a member of the clergy team after being ordained in 2011. Rabbi Shapiro received a bachelor’s degree from USC and a master’s degree and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
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Rabbi Ilana Grinblat
Rabbi Ilana is a member of the Board of Rabbis with fifteen years of experience as a rabbi in Southern California. She teaches Midrash to the rabbinical students of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, where she was ordained in 2001. She is the author of two books on Torah and Parenting – Blessings and Baby Steps: The Spiritual Path of Parenthood (published by Behrman House in 2011) and Castles and Catch: Spiritual Lessons Children Teach Us (published by Author House in 2015) – as well as numerous articles. Her blog on the weekly Torah portion has been featured on the websites of the Forward, the Jewish Journal and the Washington Jewish Week, as well as on her own website: www.parentstorah.com. Rabbi Grinblat led monthly Shabbat services at Open Temple in Venice which explores Torah study through dance. Previously, she served as a congregational rabbi at Temple Ner Maarav (2007-9), at Temple Beth Shalom of Long Beach (2002-2007) and at B’nai Ami Synagogue in Chatsworth (2001-2002). During her last year of rabbinical school, she interned at Beit Tshuvah, and early in her rabbinate, she taught Jewish Law at Milken Community High School. She has been a member of the Board of Rabbis throughout her rabbinate and served on the Executive Committee from 2009-2011. Rabbi Grinblat received her M.A. focused in Midrash from UCLA in 2012 as well as an M.A. in Judaic Studies and rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies where she has been on the faculty since 2002. Her undergraduate work was at Brown University in Religious Studies. In her role as Vice President of Community Engagement for the Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Grinblat is delighted at the chance to work with the rabbis of Southern California of all denominations, assisting them on their rabbinic journeys, and joining our voices together to strengthen the community as a whole.
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The Venerable Bhante Chao Chu
Bhante Chao Chu is the Abbot of Rosemead Buddhist Monastery and the president of the Los Angeles Buddhist Union (LABU). Born in Sri Lanka, he ordained to the Buddhist monastic order in 1964, graduating from the Buddhist College in 1970. He spent a number of years in studies through the seventies that included language studies at the University of Nan Jing in China as well as in Hong Kong. Fluent in Mandarin, he travels extensively throughout Asia giving lectures as a teacher of Buddhism. Many of the themes in his talks center on how to lead a life of harmony and balance that gives regard for people, living beings and the environment. Since coming to the United States in 1981, he has been involved in numerous interfaith and inter-Buddhist activities in Los Angeles that include leadership roles such as president of the Center for Buddhist Development, executive committee member of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and the World Buddhist Sangha Council, and vice president of the Buddhist Sangha Council of Southern California. He is also an executive committee member of International Committee of the United Nations Day of Vesak and an advisor for the International Association of Buddhist Universities. Bhante Chao Chu received a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from California State University of Los Angeles and a Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies from the University of Kelaniya. He also founded and is very active in the Bosath Children’s Education Foundation which helps underprivileged children by providing them free education in computer learning and English. The learning centers are located in different parts of Asia and especially in Sri Lanka.
Bhanteji currently serves as a vice president of ICSoCal |
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Debra Boudreaux
Debra Boudreaux is a senior volunteer with the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. She has served Tzu Chi as a volunteer since 1989, and has more than 30 years of experience working on major projects related of Charity, Medical Care, Education, and Humanitarian. Her grass roots efforts involve both national and international. Debra actively involves the OCHA disaster mitigation, preparation, response and recovery clusters. Her diversity cultural background has expanding her strength of disaster relief of domestic charity client assistance, mass care, shelter operation and long term recover to mobilize the cash for relief and sustainable awareness at global platform. Debra is a certified Buddhism Commissioner. Debra leads the Buddhist and Catholic Interfaith dialogues to explore the mental health and faith strength components for Homeless. She serves as one of UN Multi Faith Advisory Council currently. Debra was the CEO of Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation and actively engaged in Disaster Health and coordinated close to 1000 Health Fairs and response to SARS, H1N1, Ebola, Zika and Novel Coronavirus relief support projects on going now.
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Judy and Steve Gilliland
Judy Gilliland is director of Interfaith Relations for the Southern California Public Affairs Council of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is active in a variety of organizations including the Southcoast Interfaith Council and the Women’s Interfaith Committee. She is the past president of the Interreligious Council of Southern California.
Steve Gilliland is director of Muslim Relations for the Southern California Public Affairs Council of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon completing his Ed.D. in counseling from Boston University, he established the LDS Institute of Religion in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has taught at the BYU Jerusalem Center and is a member of the Christian-Muslim Consulting Group. |
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Scott Tanner
Scott Tanner currently represents the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Public Affairs for the area encompassing the Southwestern part of Los Angeles County and the San Fernando Valley. Previously, he served as a bishop (congregational leader) as well as one of the leaders of a stake (equivalent to a diocese) in the Church. He has taught Sunday School, led the young men’s organization, and taken various other assignments in the Church. At the same time as he performed his religious service he founded a company from which he retired in 2012 to devote himself to charitable interests. He is the president of a food pantry, Food Pantry LAX, that provides groceries to around 500 people per week. He is also on the board of the Los Angeles County Emergency Food and Storage Program whose purpose is to fund around 100 agencies which provide food and shelter to the poor through funds from FEMA under their EFSP program. Most importantly to him, he has been married to his wife for forty years and they have five children, and ten grandchildren of which six are twins.
Scott currently serves as the Treasurer of ICSoCal. |
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Canon Bob Williams
As Canon for Community Relations, Bob Williams serves the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and its bishops as director of communication, public affairs, special events, and archival/historical records. He also is active in initiatives including interfaith collaboration, global partnerships, and education advocacy.
Based in New York in 2004-2008, he served as director of the Episcopal Church's Office of Communication and its news service, for which he has reported from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and across the Americas. In 1998, he was editor of the newspaper of the Lambeth Conference of Bishops, an every-decade international gathering convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury. An advocate for effective communication in diverse multicultural contexts, he regularly teaches media strategy at Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont, and language arts courses in Los Angeles community adult schools. He is a fourth-generation Southern Californian. |
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Reverend George Okusi
Rev. Okusi is Vicar of St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church. His ministries have included GFS diocesan chaplain, Program Groups on Black Ministries, HIV/Aids Ministries, Ecumenical and Interreligious Concerns, Diocesan Council, UCLA chaplain, Clergy Group, and Mental Health – L.A. Rev. Okusi would like to see every community and cultures represented in his church as we face the challenges together. Every person and every group is important and should have a chance and a place in the house of the Lord!
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Jan Bartholomew
Jan grew up attending the Sylmar Friends (Quaker) Meeting with my grandparents once or twice a month. In college at UCLA, she participated in the founding of the Westwood Friends Meeting. She received my master’s degree in Biometry from USC and worked as a computer programmer analyst for most of her adult life. At retirement in 2014, she started to attend, and later joined, the Santa Monica Friends Meeting. She particularly enjoyed the silent gathered meeting for worship, the diversity of religious beliefs in God, Jesus, and spirituality housed under one roof, the distinctly Quaker form of decisions making which is grounded in spirituality and listens to and considers the views of all people present at the meeting, and the opportunity for social activism.
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Dr. Simon Simonian
Dr. Simon Simonian has had a prodigious career in medical science. His is recognized as a participant in the eradication of smallpox, and he is one of the leaders in the establishment of Immunogenetics, Kidney Transplantation, Phlebology and Lymphology as new medical specialties. He has served in philanthropy in twelve universities in the USA and abroad. Joint Simon J. Simonian Awards are conferred annually in “Leadership” at Oxford, in “Nutrition” at Tufts and Harvard, in “Pathology” at Harvard. The "Surgery" Award at Harvard is held jointly with Nobel Laureate Joseph E. Murray. Since 1992, a Simonian award has been offered annually in Surgery at Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. Simonian watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at Terrace Theater in Long Beach, Calif. on April 22, 2017. (Mandy Huang/NTD Television)
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Right Reverend Alexei Smith
Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith was born and raised in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles, CA, and attended local Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools. Awarded a Master of Divinity Degree, with High Distinction, in 1987, he was ordained a Greek Catholic Priest of the Eparchy of Newton, MA, that same year, and assigned as Pastor of Saint Andrew Russian Greek Catholic Church in El Segundo, CA, and also Administrator of Saint Paul Melkite Greek Catholic Mission in the same city. Father Alexei served as an elected member of the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for six years, serving as Vice President of the Council and Chair of the Priestly Life and Ministry Committee for the last two years of his service on the Council. He is currently a member of the Spirituality Commission of the Archdiocese, and has been invested as a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. Father Alexei served as president of the Interreligious Council of Southern California for five years, and currently serves as a vice president. He is the recipient of numerous commendations and awards: in 2007 he was awarded the prestigious Religious Leadership Award of the Valley Interfaith Council. In 2011, Father Alexei was elected President of the Southern California Ecumenical Council, the first Catholic to hold that position.
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Tasneem Noor
Her mission is to establish thriving, peaceful communities where conversations of faith build bridges of compassion and collaboration. She is an advocate of curiosity. Through coaching, trainings, and facilitation she helps people learn how to deepen their faith (deep trust) in themselves, authentically express themselves, and take courageous action. Tasneem has her Master’s in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and her coaching certification from the Life Mastery Institute. She is the Programs Director and facilitator for NewGround: Muslim Jewish Partnership for Change; and active with several community building projects. She is currently serving on five different interfaith boards including the Inter Religious Council which has recognized her as LA’s Next Generation of Interfaith Leaders with the esteemed Future50 Cohort designation.
As a certified DreamBuilder coach and professional speaker Tasneem offers inspiring workshops, as well as transformational in-depth coaching programs that help clients achieve new heights of success, meaning, and spiritual aliveness. Tasneem is the youngest of three siblings and has been living in Los Angeles, CA since 2000. Prior to that she lived in India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai). She loves traveling, learning about different cultures, exploring national parks, and spending time with her family and friends. She has a sweet tooth for most desserts, loves Thai food, and rejoices living near the ocean! Tasneem currently serves as Secretary of the ICSoCal. |
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Commissioner Nirinjan Singh Khalsa
Nirinjan Singh Khalsa has served as a Commissioner on the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission for more than fifteen years. He was President of the Commission for more than six years. He is also an activist for, and has publicly represented the Sikh Community for more than 30 years. He is the Executive Director of the California Sikh Council and a cultural intelligence educator and advisor to the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles and Orange County Sheriff’s Departments, and many other public and private organizations.
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Mr. Randolph Dobbs
Randolph Dobbs was born in Oakland, California, and raised in Salinas near Monterey where he attended Hartnell College. In the mid-90′s, he was elected to the Spiritual Assembly of the Baháís of Los Angeles and serves as its full-time Secretary. Mr. Dobbs also serves on the Regional Baháí Council of the State of California, an administrative position responsible for Baháí development in the region. He has contributed articles on religious matters to Beliefnet.com, Iranian.com, Examiner.com and other websites. Mr. Dobbs is very active in the interfaith community and serves on the Executive Board of the Inter-Religious Council of Southern California, as a Religious Director in the Office of Religious Life at USC and as a member of the Board of Directors for the University Religious Conference at UCLA.
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In Memoriam
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Sura Das
Sura Das was a representative of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He had been involved in interfaith work in many capacities, including V.P. of the Culver City Interfaith, the V.P. of the Interreligious Council of Southern California (ICSOCAL), as part of the Hindu-Episcopal Dialogues, and involved with the local Parliament of Religion. He was one of the head Priests for ISKCON and worked in Management for the ISKCON Publishing House the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
In 1999 he started the Temple Bhajan Band which has played kirtan music and mantra chanting at Yoga Studios, Churches, Temples, Mosques and Festivals across America. The Temple Bhajan Band introduces chanting music from the ancient Vedic tradition to the society at large. Sura joined ISKCON in 1973 and served as Temple President for 9 years in Missouri and as International President of the Publishing House for 7 years in Los Angeles. He was dedicated to Interfaith Dialogue and programs to promote the cultural sharing of our traditions. |
Moved on . . .
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Deacon Danny Amos
Deacon Danny, currently in Seattle, WA, was a deacon in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He serves at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Westwood where he presided over baptisms and marriages, presided at funerals and was involved in homeless ministries. He is married to his teenage sweetheart and they have three adult children and two grandchildren. Deacon Danny has served as the President of the Interreligious Council of Southern California (ICSOCAL) from June 2018 to June 2021. In his professional life, Deacon Danny has been a licensed attorney since 1984 and is the founder of Higher Legal, a California State Bar Certified Lawyer Referral Service, specializing in helping people find exceptional personal injury lawyers. Deacon Danny is also the founder of the Human Traffic Legal Network (HTLN) which provides pro bono legal assistance to victims of human trafficking.
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Betty Cooney
Since 2000, Betty Cooney has been serving as the Communication Director, Health-Projects Coordinator and the Southern California Conference representative for ASI, an organization of Adventist business owners. She is also a member of the Interreligious Council of Southern California and of the Christian Muslim Consultative Group in Los Angeles. While in New York, she served as communication director of the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. She represented the Adventist church on the Electronic Media Committee of the National Council of Churches and on Religion in American Life and was a member of the Religion Communicators Council. From 1997-1998, she served as associate director and communication director for the NET ’98 Bible satellite series, broadcasting worldwide in 40 languages and, in 1999, as satellite coordinator for a similar series, broadcasting internationally from New York City. She has a married son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren living in the Los Angeles area; and a daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter living in Seattle. Betty is a graduate of the church’s Atlantic Union College in Massachusetts, with a major in English and a minor in German. Hiking, Times crossword puzzles, people and developing special projects are particular interests for her. She has served in communication/public relations for the Seventh-day Adventist church for more than 30 years. Because Seventh-day Adventists strongly believe in freedom of religion for all peoples, she has been active in promoting the church’s religious liberty events.
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