Community
Community
The Temple Emanuel community is broadly diverse with programs designed for young families through seniors. Adult learning, book club, mahjong, and movie nights, are just a few of the many types of opportunities you can find yourself participating in. Take advantage of activities and events for families with children of all ages, including our Family Shabbat, and Holiday Celebrations. Throughout the year, we celebrate special occasions with dinners, festivals, and parties. Explore the different ways you can spend time with the Temple Emanuel family and find something of interest where you can help.
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The INTERFAITH COALITION OF POLK COUNTY (ICPC) is a coalition of faith leaders and religious professionals and/or their respective congregations from the wide variety of traditions, experiences, and practices dedicated to pursuing peace through interfaith dialogue, understanding, and cooperation.
COMING EVENTS
2nd Annual Symposium on Religious Diversity
Thursday, September 11 * 6:30 pm
“Religious Freedom & Patriotism”
Commemorate 9/11 at an Interfaith Coalition Symposium 6:30 pm at the College Heights United Methodist Church, 942 South Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33803.
Rabbi Goldstein will be participating in the memorial part of the program.
Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Sunday, November 23 * 6:30 pm
Reformation Lutheran Church
460 Old Polk City Rd, Lakeland
The Vision
ICPC values and respects and appreciates diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, socioeconomic background, age, religious belief, and any other differences that have been used to divide people. We want our membership to represent the fullness of the community in which we live.
ICPC seeks to create a more peaceful, more harmonious community by encouraging and facilitating greater interest in our region’s many faith traditions, along with understanding, respect, and cooperation among them. ICPC seeks to build bridges between individuals and faith communities through shared dialogue and experience, heal themselves and society by serving the community, and confront injustice to effect change in the world, and promote peace through non-violence and religious pluralism.
As such, ICPC emphatically renounces occasions throughout history where faith and religion have been used to encourage and justify antisemitism, racism, white supremacy, war, discrimination, genocide, sexism, violence, poverty, and any other form of bigotry or oppression. ICPC recognizes that these practices are antithetical to our vision and our goals. Members of ICPC acknowledge their own conscious and unconscious biases that perpetuate injustice and commit themselves to continuous learning and actively pursuing behavior that demonstrates the intrinsic value of all people.
ICPC will focus on education and service. We are non-partisan but may, when in agreement, advocate for political (social, moral, ethical) action at the local, national, or international level – particularly in seeking equity, diversity, and inclusion. Also, we may, when in agreement, collaborate with individuals, faith communities, and organizations that share similar values and support initiatives that build relationships, support the vulnerable in our community, and create hospitable spaces for dialogue and service.
Finally, ICPC recognizes, respects, and celebrates the fact that each of the world’s faith traditions is unique and everyone’s faith journey is personal. ICPC is also aware that there is commonality across traditions and journeys such that we all share a deep longing for a more peaceful, just, and verdant community, in Polk County and across the globe.