January 28 & 30, 2014

and

February 4 & 6, 2014 

6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tifereth Israel Synagogue

924 Polk Blvd.

Des Moines, IA 50312 

The Des Moines Area Religious Council is delighted to announce the midwinter adult education and fellowship opportunity, Winter Thaw 2014 (formerly January Thaw)! This multi-faith event will be held January 28, 30, and February 4 & 6, 2014, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 924 Polk Blvd., in Des Moines and the theme is 'Eat, Pray, Love!'

"We have a suggestion for beating the late winter blahs," says DMARC Executive Director, Rev. Sarai Schnucker Rice, DMARC. "Learn something new and meet more people, while appreciating other faith traditions. It can have a powerful impact in creating a peaceful, joyful community."

Co-sponsors for this 2014 event are the Des Moines Area Religious Council, the Center for Social Ministry, the Jewish Federation, the Masjid An-Noor Muslim Community and the St. Joseph Education Center.

• The Ethics of Eating: Why Eating is a Moral Act, with James F. Ennis, executive director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference
• Exploring Contemplative Prayer and Practice, with Kathy Reardon, RN, MS spiritual director
• Christian Love and the Challenge of Inclusivity, with Matthew Halbach, director, St. Joseph Educational Center, and Ph.D. candidate

Thursday, January 30th, 7-9 p.m.:  

• Tikkun Olam (Changing the World): The Jewish Response to Hunger, with Neil Salowitz, board of directors member of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
• Singing our Prayers: The Chants and Prayers of Taizè, with Rev. Paul Witmer, pastor and spiritual director
• Love is a Verb, with Dianne Morris Jones, LMHC, CDWF and Nancy Schornack, LMHC, CDWF, licensed mental health counselors and certified Daring Way facilitators with Dr. Brene' Brown

Tuesday, February 4th, 7-9 p.m.:  

• The Art of Jewish Cooking, with Louise Kaufman, Ann Blumberg, and Judy Gregerson, members of Tifereth Israel Synagogue
• Introduction to Meditation and Mindfulness, with Charles Day, retired psychologist and teacher
• Sit. Stay. Love. An Introduction to Pet Therapy, with Rhonda Crane and Faith Jones, Therapy Dogs International evaluators

"Eat, Pray, Love" Religious Tapestry
of Des Moines' Faiths Panel

• Vipin Bhanir, Jain Center, Des Moines
• Rabbi Steven Edelman-Blank, Tifereth Israel Synagogue, Des Moines
• Pramod Mahajan, Hindu Temple & Cultural Center of Iowa, Madrid
• Rev. Rachel Mithelman, St. John's Lutheran Church, Des Moines
• Robert Nye, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, West Des Moines
• Dr. Rizwan Shah, Muslim Community Organization Masjid An-Noor, Des Moines
• Baljit Virdi, Iowa Sikh Temple, West Des Moines

Cost for one course is $15; all four nights is $50 (courses are scheduled for 1 night only). Registration forms are available at: www.dmreligious.org/events#winterthaw. 

A promotional poster is available to print and post. As well as bulletin inserts. For more information, or to RSVP to this event email info@dmreligious.org or call 515-277-6969.

Register online or mail registrations and checks to the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), 3816 36th St., Suite 202, Des Moines, IA 50310. Please make checks payable to 'Winter Thaw'. Call DMARC at: 515-277-6969 for more information.

Who are we?

DMARC is the acronym for the Des Moines Area Religious Council, an interfaith organization with a core membership of over 130 congregations from four faith traditions. Recipient of the 2012 Live United Advocate Award from the United Way of Central Iowa, DMARC provides a common means of responding to basic human needs and a context for interfaith dialogue.

MovetheFood is a DMARC-led initiative to address the entire food system in Greater Des Moines, building on more than 37 years of food assistance work, catalyzing fresh generations, and engaging new constituencies to further support a vision for a day when everyone in Polk County has enough to eat.

The  DMARC Food Pantry Network, a cornerstone of the MovetheFood initiative, consists of 13 separate pantry sites, a centralized warehouse, and numerous community partners. It is the largest food pantry system in Iowa. Pantry sites are located in West Des Moines, Ankeny, Johnston, and Urbandale, with nine sites in Des Moines. The DMARC Food Pantry network helps meet short-term food needs when families do not have enough to eat. Once each month, families can receive a free, four-day supply of nutritionally balanced food. In 2013, DMARC assisted more than 34,000 individuals in the greater Des Moines community; half of whom were children and youth.