BAYCC, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Congregation Beth Jacob, Pacifica Institute, and Silicon Valley Iterriligous Council joined hands in organizing an Interfaith Vigil and Thanksgiving Dinner on 20th November. Faith leaders representing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism prayed for peace in the Middle East and the World.

BAYCC, Pacifica Institute in collaboration with St. Mark’s United Methodist Church organized an Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration on 19th November at SMUMC in Sacramento.

Christ Episcopal Church of Los Altos hosted a potluck Thanksgiving Dinner for Building Bridge Program Alumni on 19th November. Congregation members from three faith houses BAYCC (Pacifica Institute), Christ Church, and Congregation Beth Am were part of six sessions Building Bridge program in 2022-23 year.

On Sunday, 12th of November 2023, sixty-plus interfaith community volunteers came together to prepare Thanksgiving dinner boxes to be delivered to houseless residents living in the Roosevelt Park encampment. The event was facilitated by Abrahamic Alliance International and Beautify San Jose, sponsored by BAYCC, Pacifica Institute, Jewish Silicon Valley, and Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino, and hosted at BAYCC Community Center.

Nature and reading? Sign us up. The Hike, Read & Reflect event, a brand new addition to the hybrid events held by youth group RISE, was a wonderful mix of hiking and reading about creation, existence, and nature itself.

Traveling is a wonderful way to share new experiences and discover new perspectives together. For people across traditions, travel presents a unique setting to learn about each other’s culture and build trust.

Prof. Ori Z Soltes delivered a book talk on his book titled “Between Thought and Action: An Intellectual Biography of Fethullah Gulen”.

On October 28, 2023, the interfaith community gathered for an insightful lecture on “Spirituality in Buddhism,” delivered by Reverend Henry Toryo Adams, the Resident Minister at San Mateo Buddhist Temple. Attendees were treated to a profound exploration of Buddhist teachings, emphasizing their transformative impact on personal and collective spiritual journeys.

How do designers use psychology to make interfaces more suitable for users? How does the mind work when perceiving content? How are Spotify designers killing it right now? This is exactly what we answered on the third-ever Cay, Cekirdek & Chat- Art Edition held by RISE, featuring Dilara Sarigoz as the lead speaker in venturing through shapes, lines, and a splash of color. With mental exercises for memory, assigning names to shapes, and making origami that is perhaps a little too big, the night saw an entertaining discussion of modern design that was followed by a group art session with a lot of paper and a lot of folds.

Compassion Week aims to build a strong, compassionate, and empathetic community by bringing people of all ages and abilities together for a week in October. Participants expand their understanding of local and global needs through volunteer opportunities.

Making its return with a pot of tea, baby carrots, and a lot of sunflower seeds, The was the second edition of the bi-weekly group discussion event held by the RISE youth group. The event, held on Saturday evening at the Mindrome Coworking Space main hall, attracted over 15 guests and featured a stimulating discussion of Life, The Universe, and Everything, as well as a lot of trolley problems.

21st September was designated as the “International Day of Peace” by the United Nations. Tri-City Interfaith Council organized an Interfaith Peace Prayer Service in collaboration with Pax Christi and Compassionate Fremont at Lake Elizabeth, in Fremont.

Clothing Drive Extending compassion to society wrapping it has always been one of the fundamental missions of the BAYCC. As a descendant of these values, the RISE youth group recently organized the second-ever homeless drive, collecting formal and informal clothing items that were distributed in partnership with homeless shelters across the city.

Multifaith Coalition Peninsula Multifaith Coalition hosted its annual Prayers for Peace on 4th September, Labor Day. The event was held on a beautiful morning at Twin Pine Park in Belmont City.

Importance of Dialogue BAYCC and Pacifica Institute hosted Dr. Alp Aslandogan, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Shared Values on 2nd September.

Spiritual Dimensions in Hinduism BAYCC, Pacifica Institute, and Sri Ramakrishna Sharada Ashrama jointly organized an Interfaith Lecture on “Spiritual Dimensions in Hinduism” on 26th August. The lecture was hosted at Badarikashrama temple in San Leandro.

Noah's Pudding BAYCC and Pacifica Institute volunteers in Sacramento invited their neighbors and friends to the Ashure (Noah’s Pudding) event on the 26th of August. Retired Pastor Rev.

Interfaith Picnic On July 23rd, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Congregation Beth El, BAYCC, and Pacifica Institute members joined for an interfaith picnic at Strawberry Creek Park in Berkeley. Rabbi Tsvi Bar David led a music group that performed devotional songs for the guests, and all participants brought food to share.

Meal Service BAYCC, Pacifica Institute, Congregation Beth David, and Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino volunteers prepared and served a hot meal for homeless neighbors in San Jose on the 9th of July. The event was coordinated by Abrahamic Alliance International, which strives to bring three communities to work together.

Homeless Shelter Donation BAYCC and Pacifica Institute volunteers donated meat to the homeless shelters on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Representatives of the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program and Hope’s Corner in Mountain View expressed their happiness toward extended support.

Earthquake Relief Fundraiser On June 3rd, 2023, RISE collaborated with Embrace Relief to support the humanitarian efforts to help the victims of the earthquake that occurred in Turkey and Syria in February of this year. RISE collected and displayed books, and offered Turkish coffee and baklava all as donation gifts to the busy people of San Francisco right in the middle of Union Square.

The Thorny Road To Success In Africa Prof. Noah Yusuf, Vice Chancellor (President) of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Nigeria delivered an interactive lecture on “The Thorny Road To Success In Africa: A Personal Account” on May 25, 2023, at BAYCC Center.

ArtkidsUp Exhibition ArtkidsUp organized its first art exhibition on Saturday, 20th May at BAYCC Center. Art teacher Dr.

The Homeless Drive The Homeless Drive, organized and held by RISE (Youth group of BAYCC), was an open community event that ran through the dates of May 19 to May 21. Throughout the course of this window, RISE was able to gather, sort, and package clothing, toiletry, and household supplies for the City Team.