Raduno dei Testimoni di Geova a Forchia 2006-09-24 20:30:23
di ENZO RECANO – 1500 Testimoni di Geova per due giorni a Forchia. Primo raduno regionale del nuovo ciclo di Assemblee.
I Testimoni di Geova tengono tre grossi raduni durante l’anno, il cui ciclo inizia a settembre per poi terminare ad agosto dell’anno successivo. Due di questi sono organizzati a livello regionale. I Testimoni di Geova del Molise aprono subito questo nuovo ciclo con la loro prima Assemblea della durata di due giorni a Forchia, in provincia di Benevento. Sabato 30 settembre e domenica 1 ottobre, i cancelli di quest’ampia struttura si apriranno per ospitare circa 1500 persone, tra fedeli e simpatizzanti, provenienti da tutti i comuni della regione. In realtà, ogni aspetto riguardante l’organizzazione dell’evento è stato già preparato e collaudato da tempo, visto che quasi ogni fine settimana accorrono a Forchia anche migliaia fedeli della Campania. Tutto è pronto per assistere al nuovo programma di discorsi, interviste ed esperienze di vita vissuta imperniati su un unico tema principale: “Accumulatevi tesori in cielo”.
Non è un tema che fa riferimento alla fantascienza, bensì una semplice esortazione contenuta nel libro evangelico di Matteo che contrasta chiaramente il pensiero che domina nella nostra società, quello di pensare primariamente o esclusivamente al benessere materiale privandoci di qualcosa che secondo i Testimoni è molto più prezioso, e cioè di mettere al primo posto i valori spirituali e la guida divina. I momenti sempre più attesi dell’evento sono la cerimonia del battesimo, che si terrà nella tarda mattinata di sabato, e il Discorso Pubblico di un oratore speciale in visita nel pomeriggio di domenica. Il programma inizierà in entrambi i giorni intorno alle ore 10:00 per poi concludersi intorno alle 16:00. L’ingresso è libero, tutti sono invitati ad accorrere anche per semplice curiosità.
The Museum is dedicating an entire day to highlighting the intense
persecution endured by Jehovah’s Witnesses under the Nazi regime.
The Presentation is Entitled: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum!
October 5, 2006
Background: Actions against Jehovah’s Witnesses as a Group and its individual members spanned the Nazi years 1933 to 1945. The Nazi regime targeted Jehovah’s Witnesses for persecution because they refused (out of religious conviction and an unwavering attachment to their God, Jehovah) to swear loyalty to the State, to raise their arms in the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute, or in any other way support the bloodshed. Jehovah’s Witnesses, having no interest in political affairs, engaged in missionary activity to teach others from the Bible. The Nazis concluded that the refusal to commit to the State and their efforts to proselytize were overtly political, subversive acts and responded with economic and extreme political harassment resulting in imprisonment.
Unlike Jews, Roma (Gypsies), Blacks and other groups, whom the Nazis targeted for perceived racial reasons, Jehovah’s Witnesses had the option to avoid persecution and personal harm by submitting to State authority and serving in the armed forces. Such submission, they believed, would violate their religious beliefs, and moreover, would prove disloyalty to their Creator. The vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses refused to abandon their faith even in the face of persecution, torture in concentration camps, or death.
In the aftermath of World War II, the world confronted the legacy of the Holocaust.
Many of the issues raised by this cataclysmic event continue to have an impact on
our lives and the world in which we live.
This presentation, Focus on Jehovah’s Witnesses, will serve as a teaching aid and as a prototype for future presentations dedicated to other groups affected by this atrocity.
Event/Location Time
Presentation on History of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Meyerhoff Theater (simulcast in Rubi)
10:30am – 11:15am
First Person with Magdalena Kusserow Reuter
Meyerhoff Theater (simulcast in Rubi)
11:30am – 12:30pm
Presentation on Arts & Artifacts of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Meyerhoff Theater (simulcast in Rubi)
1:30pm – 2:15pm
First Person with Franz Wolfhart
Meyerhoff Theater (simulcast in Rubi)
2:30pm – 3:30pm
Presentation on Website and Jehovah’s Witness Song
(Kingdom Melody) (most downloaded)
Meyerhoff Theater (simulcast in Rubi)
3:45pm – 4:30pm
Exhibit of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Related Artifacts
Classroom D
10:00am – 5:30pm
Jehovah’s Witnesses Oral History Recordings from
The Learning Center Classroom A
10:00am – 5:30pm
The Purple Triangle Film – Shown seven (7) times
Classroom B
10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30
Survivors Registry Set-up for New Entries and Collections Processing – 2nd Floor Learning Ctr.
10:00am – 5:30pm
Please Note the Following Important Information:
No tickets or passes are needed to attend this Special Event. The Holocaust Memorial Museum is open to the public.
Contact Information for the Museum:
<> United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place,
SW Washington, DC 20024-2126
Main telephone: (202) 488-0400
It is suggested that you car-pool or use the Metro, as parking space will be limited.
As Testemunhas de Jeová esperam reunir hoje 300 pessoas portadoras de deficiência auditiva no Congresso de Distrito todo realizado na Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Libras). Com o tema ‘Aproxima-se o livramento!’, o congresso terá a participação de 20 cidades do Pará, uma do Maranhão e uma do Tocantins, com o objetivo de levar o projeto de evangelização das congregações ao maior número possível de portadores de deficiência auditiva. Os convidados são pessoas indicadas por escolas de educação especial e ainda pessoas conhecidas das congregações envolvidas no Congresso, que acontece hoje e amanhã, das 8 às 16 horas na Associação Atlética Banco do Brasil da avenida Governador José Malcher, em Belém, com entrada franca.
O ancião Marcelo Caetano, da congregação do bairro da Pedreira, que está na coordenação do evento, explica que toda a programação do congresso será visual. Serão palestras, simpósios, louvores e até encenações de teatro bíblico apresentados em Libras e ainda exibida por telões. Nas aberturas da manhã e tarde acontecem os prelúdios visuais, explicando sobre toda a programação dos períodos, precedidos de cânticos.
Caetano explica ainda que os participantes do Congresso evangelizador que queiram continuar nas congregações das Testemunhas de Jeová serão enaminhados para uma das três congregações de Belém que dispõem de programação em Libras e estrutura para atender aos portadores de deficiência auditiva. Em Belém são três as congregações, uma delas no distrito de Icoaraci, com suporte de instrutores e intérpretes de Libras. ‘O nosso objetivo é permtir que todas as pessoas possam ser incluídas no processo de evangelização. Além do atendimetno aos auditivos, temos também toda uma estrutura de publicações em braile para atender aos portadores de deficiência visual’, explica o ancião.
O congresso de Belém será encerrado na tarde deste domingo e terá ainda batismos como um dos pontos altos da programação. O Congresso de Distrito das Testemunhas de Jeová em Libras será realizado simultaneamente em 155 países, incluindo o Brasil, onde só este ano já foram realizados 341 congressos, envolvendo as 98 mil congregações da religião no Brasil. No mundo inteiro são 4,6 milhões de congregações, já incluídos os grupos de Libras.
O Congresso de Distrito das Testemunhas de Jeová em Libras acontece na Associação Atlética Banco do Brasil (AABB) da avenida Governador José Malcher,258 (em frente ao Memorial dos Povos), com entrada franca.
Most people can make a few basic associations with Jehovah’s Witnesses: They are people who go door to door to talk about their faith and who don’t celebrate birthdays. But that is often where correct associations end and false ones begin, including that Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse all medical care and that they are part of a cult.
To shed light on beliefs of people who are part of “the truth,” which is what Jehovah’s Witnesses call their faith, we went to the source. Elders Rick Goodgion and Tim Taormina of the Gilroy Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation and Ralph Esquivel of Morgan Hill’s congregation sat down to set the facts straight on their faith.
Q: Where and when do you worship, and what are your leaders called?
A: Jehovah’s Witnesses meet three times a week. Most of the meetings are at the Kingdom Hall. The Sunday session is about two hours, and the other two sessions are between an hour and an hour and a half. One of these meetings is a book study time, and for that they generally meet at someone’s home. During services, members of the congregation give talks on relevant topics concerning Christian living, demonstrations are given to help with public ministry, and they do Bible studies and have discussions on the material.
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ leaders are called “elders” and are always men. The governing body of the faith is a group of senior elders who meet in New York.
Kingdom Halls are not decorated with statues of religious icons as some Christian churches are. Occasionally, paintings can be found on the walls depicting scenes from the Bible or of educational material.
Crosses and crucifixes are not used in Kingdom Halls because Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the original scriptural text doesn’t specify that Jesus died on a cross.
Q: What do you believe?
A: “We’re Christians. We believe the inspired teachings of the Bible to be everlasting,” Goodgion said. “We believe Jehovah, the one God, has no beginning and no end. We believe that Jesus was the son of Jehovah, and we believe in living a Christian life.”
Q: Who are the key figures in your faith?
A: “Jehovah and his son, Jesus Christ,” said Goodgion. “‘Jehovah’ is actually God’s name in English.”
“We believe that Jehovah is the one God and he sent his son, Jesus, to save us,” Esquivel said.
Q: What are your beliefs about the
afterlife? Who is “saved?”
A: “Those who are saved are those who believe in Jehovah as the one God and that he sent his son, Jesus,” Esquivel said.
Q: What are your holy books?
A: Their holy book is the Bible, though they don’t refer to the two parts as “Old Testament” and “New Testament.” Instead, they refer to them as the “Hebrew Scriptures” and the “Greek Scriptures.” Jehovah’s Witnesses also believe that in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), only the books up to Malachi are inspired scriptures from God. They consider the books included in some versions of the Bible between Malachi and the Greek Scriptures (New Testament), called the Apocrypha, to be historical information only.
The Bibles Jehovah’s Witnesses use are a particular translation that closely keeps to early translations as opposed to newer versions such as the King James translation.
Q: How far does your faith date back?
A: “Charles Taze Russell was an avid Bible student back in the mid-1800s,” Taormina said. “The more he read, the more he felt he should warn people that several modern perceptions of the scriptures were inaccurate. For example, the concept of hell as a fiery pit where people were tormented for eternity isn’t what the original versions of the Bible taught. So, he began organizing groups of people to study the Bible. They were just known as ‘Bible students’ for a long time, but the organization grew to be an international organization, and finally in 1931, the faith adopted the name ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses.’”
Q: Where does the name of your faith come from?
A: In the book of Isaiah, chapter 43, verse 10, it says, “You are my witnesses, says Jehovah, my servants whom I have chosen … .” There are several other references to people being Jehovah’s witnesses in the Bible, which is where the faith’s name originated.
Q: What are the important holidays in your faith and what are the customs involved in their celebration?
A: “We observe the Memorial of Jesus Christ and his death,” Esquivel said. “We use the Jewish calendar to know the date, but it often falls near Easter.”
“We have several other events during the year, but we don’t generally refer to them as ‘celebrations,’” Taormina explained. “We have an annual convention each year and two smaller assemblies. This is when the many congregations across a geographic region come together for talks, demonstrations, Bible studies and talking about the many aspects of Christian life.”
Q: What role do women play in your faith?
A: Women play an important role in the faith by teaching other women new to the faith and training their daughters. They also play a large role in door-to-door preaching.
In home life, Jehovah’s Witnesses’ women are submissive to their husbands, which Goodgion called “God’s natural arrangement of things.” Women are encouraged to offer input in household decisions, but the husband is ultimately responsible for those decisions.
“Don’t get us wrong, the scriptures make it plain that husbands must treat their wives with due honor,” Esquivel said. “In Genesis, Eve was created as a compliment to Adam, not as a slave. Throughout the Bible, we see husbands treating their wives with respect. In fact, the first two people to see Jesus resurrected were women.”
Q: What are common misperceptions about your faith?
A: “Probably one of the biggest misperceptions is that we don’t believe in Jesus Christ,” Taormina said. “We hear that more than any other. People open their door and see us, and they say, ‘Stop right there, you don’t believe in Jesus.’ That simply isn’t true.”
Q: Why did you choose this faith?
A: Rick Goodgion was raised Baptist. About the time he was 13, two Witnesses came to the door and his mother began studying the faith. He converted at age 17 and was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness at 18.
Tim Taormina, though always religious, spent an extended period of time studying the Bible in his early 20s. When he began studying the Jehovah’s Witness faith, he said he felt like “the pieces of the puzzle just came together.”
Ralph Esquivel’s wife became a Jehovah’s Witness after two women came to their door, dropping off information over the course of about a year. A short while after she converted, he began to study the faith and decided to convert, too.
Three questions specific to the faith:
Q: What medical practices/procedures do you refuse or is it all of them?
A: Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that, according to scripture, blood is sacred. Therefore, they cannot donate blood or receive blood transfusions. If someone knows they’ll be having a surgery, they can discuss alternatives to transfusions with their doctor. They also cannot give their own blood to be used during a future operation they plan to have done. They are willing to sacrifice their lives to follow the laws written in the Bible, Goodgion said. They can and do accept almost all other forms of medical treatments.
“We carry advance directives with us, saying that we cannot have blood given to us,” Esquivel said, pulling out a card he carries in his wallet that says in large letters ‘No blood.’ “Most of us have also signed releases for our doctors releasing them of responsibility if there is loss of life or limb because we cannot accept blood transfusions.”
Q: Do you celebrate birthdays and anniversaries?
A: Jehovah’s Witnesses only observe the Memorial because it is the only event the scriptures specifically say Christians should observe. Scriptures don’t talk about Jesus having birthday parties or other figures celebrating anniversaries.
Q: Why do you go door to door?
A: “If you were to order the things that are most important to us as Christians, we would say there are four,” Taormina said. “First would be to please God and to be obedient to Him and to bring Him honor. Second would be our families and caring for them spiritually, emotionally and materially. Third would be caring for our brothers and sisters in the congregation. Fourth is the community. We put a lot of value in our public ministry. We try to help people be better members of the community, better husbands and wives. Jehovah tells us to go out and bring his message to others.”
In Matthew, chapter 28, verse 19, Jehovah says, ” Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…”
Teólogo hispano analiza cambios “identidad religiosa” de latinos
September 22, 2006
Francisco Miraval
Denver, 22 sep — Los latinos y sus creencias religiosas deben adaptarse al contexto histórico actual si la presente generación quiere dejarle a sus hijos una religión que sea relevante para ellos, sostiene teólogo hispano en su nuevo libro.
En “Repensando la identidad y la religión de los latinos”, publicado esta semana, el doctor Miguel De La Torre y Gastón Espinoza afirman que se ha producido un “cambio generacional” en la manera en que los hispanos se ven a sí mismos y a su religión.
Y que esos cambios afectan “todo lo que los latinos construyen y crean”.
De La Torre, director del Centro de Justicia y Paz de la Escuela de Teología Iliff, afirma que uno de los elementos claves en el nuevo entendimiento de la religiosidad latina en EEUU es el cambio que se ha dado entre los estudiosos de ese tema.
Cuando se solidificó el estudio de la teología latina en Estados Unidos a principios de la década de los setenta, la mayoría de los teólogos hispanos eran inmigrantes con formación eclesiástica.
En la actualidad, quienes continúan con esa tarea nacieron en EEUU y tienen formación universitaria.
“No quiero en absoluto sugerir que quienes nos precedieron estaban equivocados y nosotros ahora tenemos las respuestas sino que, como nuestra formación y metodología son distintas a las de nuestros predecesores”, comentó De La Torre.
Otro cambio significante es la desaparición de la antigua dicotomía entre “católicos” y “protestante” dentro de la comunidad hispana.
“En EEUU, el segundo grupo religioso más grande después de los católicos son los Testigos de Jehová, no las denominaciones pentecostales. Creo que es un error hablar sólo de católicos y protestantes”, aseveró De La Torre.
La nueva publicación también examina lo que De La Torre denomina “el nuevo significado pan-hispánico de los símbolos religiosos”.
Por ejemplo, elementos religiosos del Caribe ahora son comunes entre las comunidades mexicanas del suroeste de EEUU, y la veneración de la Virgen de Guadalupe ya no se restringe sólo a México.
El propósito, explicó De La Torre es “no sólo hacer cosas buenas, sino también hacerlas con un sólido fundamente académico”.
Pero, según De La Torre, este análisis, aunque teórico, tiene consecuencias directas para todos los hispanos, incluso quienes carezcan del contexto conceptual en el que se basa este estudio.
Y una de las aplicaciones obvias de las propuestas que De La Torre examina en su libro es en el actual debate sobre inmigración.
“¿Cuál es el futuro de la reforma inmigratoria? Es un tema que se usará para apelar al racismo de los votantes para que voten en las elecciones del 2006, como sucedió con la homofobia en el 2004. Pero el tema desaparecerá después de las elecciones”, opinó.
Sin embargo, esa perspectiva política no significa que los hispanos en general, y los latinos cristianos en particular, no deban desarrollar y presentar su propia respuesta a este debate.
“Después de todo, la frase que más se repite en la Biblia después de ‘No tengan miedo’ es “Cuida al extranjero en tu medio’”, dijo De La Torre.
Este nuevo libro es el décimo quinto que De La Torre escribió desde el 2001. Sin embargo, este catedrático siente que su tarea está incompleta y que, de hecho, él no la va a poder completar.
“Después de todo, ¿vamos a seguir a nuestro Dios hacia la justicia, o vamos a dejar que la política partidista pisotee nuestras creencias?”, concluyó. EFE
Testigos de Jehová limpian el coliseo “Eduardo Leclere Polo”
En forma gratuita y como actitud de voluntariado
Un grupo de voluntarios de los Testigos de Jehová, desde el lunes tiene a su cargo la limpieza del coliseo cerrado “Eduardo Leclere Polo”f en señal de una muestra de voluntariado debido a que los miembros de esta iglesia utilizaran el escenario para un encuentro departamental el próximo fin de semana.
El proceso de limpieza se inicio el pasado lunes, una vez que LA Patria publico el estado en que se encontraba el escenario,
segûn informa el responsable de información de los Testigos de Jehová, Juan
Carlos Rodriguez.
“Para nosotros es importante la limpieza, es un privilegio poder lirnpiar este lugar donde nos reuniremos en nuestra asarnblea distrital, con participación de hermanos de todo el departamento”, comento. Al encuentro que se desarrollara entre el viernes y domingo próximos, llegaran corno invitados oradores de todo el país y se estima la participación de mas de 2.000 personas que se concentraran en un remozado escenario, a diferencia de encuentros anteriores, donde los asistentes que llevaron adelante congresos, encuentros y asambleas se encargaron solo de dejar basura además de cocinar, dormir y hacer sus necesidades fisiológicas en pasillos de este escenario.
ALQUILER
Los Testigos de Jehová desde enero solicitaron el alquiler del escenario cumpliendo todos los requisitos exigidos por las autoridades prefactúrales que incluso les impusieron el pago de un determinado monte de dinero, por concepto de alquiler, como debe ocurrir con todas las entidades que requieren su uso.
Pero la labor de limpiar y retirar la basura acumulada por varios meses, fue una decisión voluntaria de los Testigos de Jehová y según afirmo Rodriguez se la lleva adelante en forma gratuita, anunciando para hoy la presencia masiva de sus miembros para dar los “últimos toques”, al campo deportivo que el fin de semana será utilizado para el encuentro religioso.
Los testigos de Jehová están anunciando la celebración de una asamblea de dos días en la ciudad de Natick, Massachusetts.
La asamblea, que tiene por objeto difundir la palabra de Dios, se realizarán el sábado y domingo 23 y 24 de septiembre en el Salón de Asambleas de los Testigos de Jehová, en el 85 Bacon Street de Natick.
Para hacer consultas acerca del programa o si desean obtener direcciones para llegar al lugar de asamblea, los interesados pueden comunicarse con Aníbal Bonilla llamando al (413) 883-9570 o al (413) 787-0546.
105 trabajadores que pertenecen a la religión de los Testigos de Jehová se negaron a intervenir en el conflicto laboral que duró casi cuatro meses en Michoacán
Jaime Márquez / Corresponsal
El Universal
Morelia, Mich.
12:05 La dirigencia de la sección 271 del Sindicato Nacional Mineros pidió a las empresas Sicartsa, Atipsa, y Viga y Trefilados, que despidan a los 105 trabajadores que pertenecen a la religión de los Testigos de Jehová, porque no participaron en el paro laboral que duró casi cuatro meses.
Ignacio, director de gobernación de la administración estatal, informó de esta exigencia fue planteada por los dirigentes mineros hacia la administración de la acerera.
Esos 105 obreros se negaron a intervenir en el movimiento sindical por cuestiones religiosas, “ya que sus creencias les prohíben participar en cualquier hecho que pueda generar violencia”.
El paro ilegal inició el 2 de abril y que concluyó hace apenas unas semanas y dejó un saldo de dos trabajadores muertos y 70 de heridos en un enfrentamiento registrado del 20 de abril entre mineros y policías federales y estatal tras un intento fallido de desalojo.
Ocampo Barrueta indicó que el acuerdo signado en la ciudad de México hace un mes, indicaba que “no habría represalias por ninguna de las partes”, pero además, de acuerdo a los estatutos gremiales “los pueden expulsar del sindicato, pero no de la empresa”.
The hospital perks of yesteryear — designer gowns, valet parking, Internet access — stressed luxury and convenience. Today, hospitals have found God.
Area hospitals are now touting “Shabbat elevators” for observant Jews, “bloodless surgery” for Jehovah’s Witnesses and Muslim prayer rooms.
The new services show that hospitals have begun adapting to the religious mosaic of northern New Jersey — and are increasingly marketing to patients not by disease or age, but by belief.
At Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, the staff is rolling out the Jewish carpet, advertising services that accommodate and comfort the observant Jew, one of the fastest-growing patient groups for the 540-bed hospital.
In a month, Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck will finish installing a Shabbat elevator, and expects to open a Shabbat suite within a year. Hackensack University Medical Center has two kosher kitchens, video links to Jewish schools and a freestanding “Shabbos house” for Jewish visitors. St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson has a Muslim prayer room as well as a Christian chapel, and offers Korans upon request.
Englewood Hospital hopes to duplicate the success of its “bloodless surgery” specialty. That 12-year-old program has a global reputation among Jehovah’s Witnesses, who do not accept blood transfusions.
Observant Jews can’t work on the Sabbath, and that prohibition extends to actions such as pushing an elevator button, using electric lights or triggering an automatic door.
To accommodate Jewish visitors, the hospital provides a manual door and a Shabbat elevator that automatically stops on every floor. There is also an overnight room for visitors who can’t drive home once the sun sets on Friday night. A kosher kitchen is stocked with fresh food and ritual items.
“The last thing you want to worry about while somebody is sick is that they might have to transgress on something they believe in,” said Zahava Cohen, Englewood’s patient care director.
When Cohen’s father was hospitalized years ago in New York, he couldn’t get the required food needed for Passover. For the first time in his life, he broke the dietary rules for the holiday. “It was horrible,” Cohen said.
Other observant Jews have similar stories. They recall standing outside automatic doors, waiting to slip inside behind someone else, or walking for miles to visit a sick parent or child on the Sabbath.
“My daughter was born Friday afternoon,” remembered Teaneck resident Jessica Kohn. “My mother-in-law ran around the entire hospital that afternoon looking for a candelabra for me to light [Shabbat] candles and it was next to impossible.”
Englewood resident Diane Katzenstein had to sleep on the floor of a New York hospital 20 years ago when her mother was ill on a Friday night. Because there was no kosher cafeteria food, she ate candy bars from the vending machines.
“It’s come a long way,” said Katzenstein, a member of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood. Her volunteer group keeps the hospital’s kosher kitchen stocked with frozen meals and challah rolls and grape juice for saying the Sabbath prayers.
“It’s culturally competent care,” said Rick Wade, senior vice president for the American Hospital Association. “There’s a great deal of it going on.”
Hospitals have hired Hmong traditional healers, relaxed visitor limits for large extended families, and moved hospital beds to face Mecca, Wade said.
“What hospitals are doing is observing the content of communities around them,” Wade said. “It’s critical to the long-term success of the hospital.”
Out of necessity, Englewood has educated its staff on how to accommodate the intricacies of Jewish law. About 40 percent of women who give birth at the hospital are observant Jews, Cohen said. Maternity nurses have learned that some women will not use a breast pump on the Sabbath, and others will not use the electric call-button. Some Jewish men will not touch their wives during childbirth, while others will wait outside the delivery room. Staff members have learned to understand and respect these practices.
“I always get uncomfortable as an observant Jew to have to explain everything,” said Kohn, who has had three more children at the hospital since her daughter’s birth in 1998. “The fact that you don’t have to explain everything is one less thing to worry about.”
Kingdom Hall in Rockaway Beach given loving makeover
Jehovah’s Witnesses from throughout Bay Area pitch in to help
Pacifica Tribune Staff
The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian religious sect, worship in meeting places known as Kingdom Halls. It’s not called a “church,” but is nonetheless an essential part of the religion’s weekly life.
In Pacifica, a Kingdom Hall has existed at 500 Ebken Street in Rockaway Beach since August of 1963.
“Construction had begun in 1961,” says Jim Greish, a Pacifica resident and active member of the local group. “Prior to that, the congregation had met in Moss Beach. At that time they were known as the Moss Beach Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The property on Ebken Street that the Kingdom Hall sits on was part of the land surrounding the old Pacifica Schoolhouse next door. Don and Marjorie Zwiep sold the lots to the congregation so the hall could be built. About the only other building in the area was the American Legion Hall.”
For the last few weekends, swarms of helpful Witnesses have been coming to Pacifica to help renovate the old building. A new ADA-compatible bathroom has been added. The entire building was gutted and renovated from the inside out. According to Greish, city officials at the Planning Department were helpful in expediting permits, especially since the actual footprint of the building was not altered.
“We have skilled tradesmen volunteering their weekends to help us,” says Greish. “Unskilled labor is used to support the trades. Local congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been helping us by serving the workers meals. Alan Hale of the American Legion Hall helped us by letting us use the American Legion Hall to serve the meals and for parking. We will help them by building a wind break on their porch. Pete Pereira helped us by letting us use a couple of his lots in the area for off-site parking. We needed that because we have 150-175 volunteers at times.”
Just like an old-fashioned community that would come together to build a house or a church, the Jehovah’s Witnesses pitched in to make the Kingdom Hall in Pacifica a sparkling new facility. It has plenty of memories, but now has a thoroughly new inside and out, ready for “meetings” in the coming weeks.
Local Pacifica resident and noted surf photographer Don Montgomery, also a member of the local congregation, documented the entire process of renovating the building.
It ultimately became a labor of love and worship for all involved as “brothers” and “sisters” from throughout the Bay Area refurbished the well-worn Kingdom Hall.
Program for Jehovah’s Witness Patients Reduces Overall Blood Use
(HealthDay News) — A transfusion-free surgical program developed for Jehovah’s Witness patients reduced the use of blood products in other patients, according to a new study.
The University of Southern California (USC) developed a transfusion-free program for Jehovah’s Witnesses undergoing liver transplantation in January 2000.
For this study, published in the September issue of the Archives of Surgery, researchers from the INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., and colleagues analyzed the medical records of 272 non-Jehovah’s Witness patients who were undergoing liver transplantations at USC.
Compared with the patients who had surgery before the transfusion-free program was developed, those who had surgery after the program’s initiation were significantly less likely to receive certain types of blood transfusions.
Scores on the model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) test were significantly higher in the patients having surgery after the program was developed. The MELD score describes the survival probability in people with liver disease, with higher scores indicating sicker patients.
“The development of a transfusion-free surgical program for Jehovah’s Witness patients has had a positive impact on reducing the overall blood use in non-Jehovah’s Witness patients,” the authors noted.
According to the authors, the program decreases some of the complications of transfusions, such as transmission of unknown pathogens, and also helps to preserve blood bank resources, which reduces the overall cost of the procedure.
Congresso das Testemunhas de Jeova ajuda social e espiritual para milhares de surdos em LIBRAS (Lingua brasileira d sinais)-Limeira Sao paulo – Agosto 2006
Comentarios recientes