US Rabbi Who Led Delegations to Iran Comes LA
Speaking to Diverse Communities Across Metro Area to Promote Peace Through Interfaith Dialogue
Thursday Feb. 26th, Friday, Feb 27th, and Sunday, March 1st

LOS ANGELES, CA (Feb 19 2009) - - This past year Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, made history becoming the first woman rabbi to visit Iran and the first U.S. rabbi known to travel there in a formal peacemaking capacity since the 1979 revolution. To date, she had led two U.S. inter-faith civilian diplomacy delegations to Iran. Next week she comes to the LA area to speak.

Last fall, Gottleib made headlines again when she was the only Rabbi and one of just a handful of Jews to attend a dinner dialogue between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and a coalition of religious peace groups during his visit to address the UN. "Our world views are rather different. But unless we ... dialogue face to face, how will we create any kind of understanding?" Gottlieb told Reuters, adding that she chose to attend because "peace is better than war."
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Bay-Area based, Rabbi Gottleib will make three appearances in the LA area sponsored by the local office of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), addressing diverse communities about her experiences traveling with the delegations to Iran hosted by the Islamic interfaith peace community in Iran including the Shia, Jewish, Armenian and Zoroastrian communities.

WHEN: Thursday February 26, 2009 - 7PM
WHERE: First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
464 East Walnut St. Pasadena, CA 91101

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WHEN: Friday February 27, 2009 - 7PM
WHERE: IMAN Cultural Center - 3376 Motor Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90034

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WHEN: Sunday March 1, 2009 - 3PM
WHERE: Santa Monica Meeting House, 1440 Harvard Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404
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"Rabbi Gottlieb will be sharing stories about her interactions with the Iranian community, talking about culture, religion and the average daily life among Iranians (youth)," said Wafa J. Shami, events organizer and Program Coordinator, Middle East Peace Education for the AFSC in LA. "The Rabbi visit here is especially meaningful, given Southern California is home to reportedly half of the total one million Iranians who live in the US. One of her stops will be at the Iman Cultural Center in Culver City." The Iman Center was established to promote cooperation within the Iranian and Muslim Community along with people of all races and religions.

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, one of the first 10 women to serve as rabbi in Jewish history, has been a peace and justice advocate in the tradition of nonviolence for over 40 years. She currently works for the American Friends Service Committee on Middle East Programming focused on Palestine, Israel and Iran in San Francisco and serves the Danforth Jewish Circle in Toronto, Canada. Co-founder of Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence and Muslim-Jewish PeaceWalk, Lynn is also a storyteller, widely published author and program director of Interfaith Inventions peace camp for youth.

The delegations to Iran that Rabbi led were sponsored by the Institute of Inter-religious Dialogue in Iran, the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Shomer Shalom Institute for Jewish Nonviolence.

Speaking Up To Iran Leader — Gingerly
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c39_a13582/News/International.html

US Rabbi leads delegation to Iran
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1208870516382&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

The American Friends Service Committee is an international peace and justice organization founded in 1917 and governed by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Its programs of peace, relief, reconciliation and development are based on nonviolence and belief in the inherent goodness of all persons. In 1947, AFSC accepted the Noble Peace Prize on behalf of all Quakers worldwide. Its Pacific Southwest Regional Office is located in downtown Los Angeles.


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