Glenmeadow Learning Offers Interfaith Panel Presentation

First program in the fall education series will examine violence in the name of religion as well as tolerance and respect

SPRINGFIELD–Glenmeadow Retirement will kick off its fall education series with an interfaith presentation in which panelists will discuss how religion responds to violence and offer viewpoints on tolerance and respect.

Jerome Gurland, a rabbi and retired cultural liaison coordinator and lecturer at Western New England University, will lead “Interfaith-ful Dialogue: Religion, Respect, and Tolerance,” on Tuesday, September 27 at 10 a.m. in Wood Auditorium of Sleith Hall at Western New England University.

The panel of religious leaders will represent Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

In addition to Gurland, panelists will be Dr. Martin Pion, a professor and the director of the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies at Elms College; The Rev. Dr. William Bergmann, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Clinton; Mark Shapiro, rabbi emeritus of Sinai Temple in Springfield; and Dr. Mohammad Saleem Bajwa, a physician in the area and the founding member of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts.

Western New England University is located at 1215 Wilbraham Road.

The program is free, but seating is limited, and registration is required; call (413) 567-7800 or email learning@glenmeadow.org. Visit glenmeadow.org/learning for more information.

Established in 1884, Glenmeadow is a nonprofit, accredited continuing care retirement community; it provides independent and assisted living at its campus at 24 Tabor Crossing in Longmeadow and expanded Glenmeadow at Home services throughout greater Springfield.

To learn more about Glenmeadow and its history and offerings, visit http://www.glenmeadow.org/.

About Glenmeadow

In the 1800s, elderly individuals without family or means were sent to live at what was called “the poor farm.”  In 1884, a group of civic leaders raised funds among themselves and other area families and purchased a house on Main Street in Springfield’s south end. Quickly outgrowing that house, land was purchased on the corner of Chestnut and Carew streets, where a new home was constructed and opened in 1900.  In 1960, the name was changed to Chestnut Knoll, and in 1992, it began to admit men.

In 1993, the organization purchased a 23-acre parcel in Longmeadow to build a new community that would provide both independent living and assisted living in one building with various common areas.  This was a new concept known as a continuing care retirement community.  Existing residents from the old Chestnut Knoll property were moved to the new campus in 1997.  Shortly after the move, the board voted to change its legal name to Glenmeadow to coincide with the name being used by the developer of the property.