A longstanding annual event in Niles Township brought together people from several religions just before Thanksgiving Day, continuing a tradition and offering a universal message of hope and gratitude.
A crowd of about 140 people had been anticipated to attend “An Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service” Nov. 25 at Central United Methodist Church in Skokie, the Rev. Stuart Barnes Jamieson, co-chair of the Niles Township Clergy Forum, told Pioneer Press.
“Clergy have been doing these services around Thanksgiving. It’s kind of a tradition and that’s when you have the ecumenical service,” said Jamieson, who is pastor of Carter-Westminster United Presbyterian Church in Skokie.
According to Jamieson, the special Thanksgiving service has taken place for more than 50 years, and this year’s location is where his Niles Township Clergy Forum co-chair, the Rev. Timothy Biel Jr., serves as pastor.
“Bringing people from different faiths together” was what Jamieson cited as the impetus for the annual interfaith service, which has drawn Christians, Muslims, Jews and members of the Baháʼí Faith into a house of worship together.
Cantor Rabbi Rob Jury, clinical director of Tikvah Center for Jewish Recovery and Healing in Northbrook, was keynote speaker for the service. The theme of the service was mental health and overcoming the stigma of it.
Donations made at An Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service this year support the mental health services at Turning Point in Skokie, which Barnes Jamieson said has a “good reputation in the community.”
The service was presented by the Niles Township Clergy Forum.
The forum is “an opportunity for area religious leaders to get together and address topics of mutual interest and support causes in the Niles Township area,” said Barnes Jamieson.
Niles Township Supervisor Bonnie Kahn Ognisanti told Pioneer Press that the forum is not affiliated with township government, but the annual interfaith Thanksgiving service has helped support the township’s Respite Center, which is housed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Skokie.
“Last year they actually raised money for our Respite Center and bought sleeping bags for people experiencing homelessness, so it was really nice for us and our clients,” said Ognisanti.
She said the township received $1,800 from donations to the service, and the money was used to purchase 20 sleeping bags.
Ognisanti called Turning Point “a really important resource for this community.”
Niles Township includes the villages of Skokie, Lincolnwood and Golf and portions of Morton Grove, Niles and Glenview.
Ognisanti pointed out the diversity of the township, including the more than 90 languages and dialects spoken by the student body of Niles Township High School District 219, which serves Skokie, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove and Niles.
“Niles Township is at its best celebrating those differences and really leaning into each other and knowing our neighbor,” she said. “The Clergy Forum Thanksgiving service is just a wonderful opportunity to live that value. It’s what social scientists call superdiverse.”
The township, along with other Chicagoland areas, faced challenges recently due to federal immigration enforcement activity by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
“We’ve been hit very hard by ICE. This community reacted to that by standing together … and really standing arm-in-arm with immigrant communities regardless of status,” Ognisanti said.
The township leader said the tumultuous time in the area with immigration enforcement activity has made Niles Township stronger. She said the faith community can also play a role in recovering from immigration enforcement efforts.
“I am in a government role so I don’t want to speak for anyone else, but I am assuming that people take a lot of solace through their house of worship and their faith community and can lean on each other and get support there,” said Ognisanti.
The Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service included the Skokie Community Foundation providing refreshments from Will’s Place, an area coffee house that offers job opportunities for adults with disabilities.
The forum is “a really great opportunity to come together and give thanks regardless of your religious background and just to share those commonalities,” said Ognisanti.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer.
